Learn everything imaginable about long femurs, short shins and long torsos and the BACK SQUAT.
I’m a former certified personal trainer for a health club chain.
When you look at me you won’t see a woman with a short torso relative to her overall height.
Instead, I have short shin bones relative to my femur length. And this definitely causes mechanical problems when performing the squat.
I’m also convinced it interferes with my deadlift, in that if my knee joints were two inches higher, I’d probably be able to put at least 80 more pounds on my deadlift.
Below are articles that EXPLAIN EVERYTHING. You will never, ever again fail to understand why the long femur to short torso, or short shin to femur, presents a problem with performing the back squat.
And you’ll be able to extrapolate from that information sharper insight into why you have difficulty with other compound movements, including those in the tasks of daily living.
ARTICLES ON FEMUR, SHIN & TORSO LENGTH
Often, the people who claim that long femurs relative to torso is no excuse for a poor back squat or for struggling with correct form — actually have good body proportions for this exercise. They’re not exactly in a position to criticize.
Did you know that short people can have “long” femurs? Femur length needs to be put into context. It’s not an absolute.
Being short doesn’t automatically give you good anthropometrics for the squat.
And conversely, tall individuals can have short femurs. Again, it’s about context, not absolutes.
It’s wrong to say “Tall people have difficulty squatting.”
With poor anthropometrics, as they apply to the back squat, comes issues that impact how much weight can be moved.
Everyone talks about the squat when it comes to long thighs.
But what about in the activities of daily life? How much does the femur issue affect activities that involve squatting?
Stop comparing squatting in adults to that in kids. This is a very unfair comparison. Sure, it’s fun to compare it in the context of envy.
But in the context of, “My four-year-old has perfect squat form; why don’t I?” you’re being very unfair to yourself. And unrealistic.
There’s not nearly as much discussion about shin length as there is for femur.
But it’s not always about femur length when it comes to a barbell squat. The relative length of one’s shins can heavily factor into the equation.
Have you ever tried squatting to parallel or even a bit past this point while wearing high heels?
Well, if you’re a man, you probably haven’t, but if you’re a woman and have a pair of chunky heel shoes, go put them on and see what happens with your back, and how it all feels, when you squat down to parallel.
It’s so much easier! Even an extra one-inch elevation makes it easier. Here’s why:
Are you sick and tired of hearing people claim, “If you can rise from a chair then you can squat”? I sure am. This is a very inept frame of reference.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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