Convict Conditioning - Paul Wade

82 COBVICT COBDITIOllIBG
• Some people find that they have to lift their heels off the ground when they squat, so they put
a board or block under the heels to help them. This is a bad habit. Needing to elevate the heels
has nothing to do with balance or body structure, and everything to do with lack of ankle
mobility and inflexibility of the Achilles' tendon. If your ligaments and tendons are stiff, the
ankle won't be able to bend sufficiently during the exercise, and your heels will rise. Don't use
boards. Stretch your calves out until you can .squat without assistance.
• As mentioned above, squatting works a lot of muscles-including the largest muscles in the
body. This is a big benefit, but the down side is that the exercise requires a lot of effort. That's
one of the reasons the squat has gradually become less popular, and numerous alternatives
have been developed. Grit your teeth, and tough them out. Over the months, the body and
mind will adapt to the pain, and the exercise becomes more tolerable. Heck, you'll even learn
to love it. (Maybe.)
• I like to keep my arms straight out in front of me during squats. This tends to help balance in
the bottom position-it throws some weight forwards, and can offset the tendency to fall
back, especially for taller guys. Some bodyweight squatters like to put their hands on their
hips, shoulders, or cross their arms on their chest. See what feels easiest for you, depending
upon the given exercise.
• Many guys are afraid of the squat, because they think it will aggravate old knee injuries. In
fact, the opposite is usually true. The increased blood flow and range of motion in full squats
removes waste build-up and stretches old scar tissue, alleviating pain. The knees and surrounding
muscles and tendons become stronger and more flexible, and the likelihood of
future injuries is lessened.
• The most common knee injury is the tear of the ACL (the anterior cruciate ligament). The
ACL is a ligament running through the knee that holds it together, and is often fully or partially
torn when the foot is flat on the floor and the knee is forcibly twisted. ACL injuries are
common in football, soccer, wrestling, martial arts, in fact all combat and contact sports.
Knees are intricate, and sometimes a chunk of cartilage (called the meniscus) is ripped at the
same time the ACL tears. Ifthe ligament hasn't been surgically reconstructed-even if it hasthe
injured knee can be very unstable, sometimes popping right out of place. Far from worsening
ACL injuries, squats will definitely help the athlete. The knee is very strong in squatting
movements, and it's virtually impossible for the joint to become unstable and dislocate when
the foot positioning is correct. Squats strengthen the quadriceps, which acts as a substitute
ACL and holds the knee tight during other activities. Ifsquatting does cause you pain following
an injury-or if the knee locks-this is usually due to a torn piece of cartilage. Exercise
can't help here-a surgeon will have to remove that torn piece. But it's keyhole surgery and
you will be out of hospital the same day. Ifthis is you, quit suffering and get it done.