All people who train seriously at a gym know the value that squats have in their training routine and I believe that all professionals who work with weight training must think the same way. But isn’t it true that squats are the main cause of knee problems? Many times it seems that way. We do a lot of things in life that can put too much stress on our knees like playing football, volleyball, jogging and a thousand other things, yet it is squats that take the blame.

The squat is one of the most complete exercises. The quantity of muscles that it works with, principally the thigh, gluteus and hips, make it one of the key exercises for those who practice sports that demand muscular strength.  In recent years, and even in recent decades, the squat has come to be a routine in gyms, given that people want something that works and gives great results. With the increased number of people doing squats, it is normal that complications arise. I believe that there are two main problems:

•    Poor technical execution of the exercise;
•    Use of the exercise by people who are not prepared.

The squat is not a complex exercise, but correct technique is one way to achieve results without harm. The squat movement can be done at up to 45 degrees, 90 degrees or a complete squat. That’s right, a complete squat! Many may say “but I read that a complete squat harms the knees, and that one should only go to 90 degrees.” The important question is: who should do 90 degrees and who should do a complete squat?

I have never forgotten something I heard early in college, from Dr. José Maria Santarém, a doctor specializing in weight training: “There are no exercises that are not appropriate, but people who are not appropriate for certain exercises.” Like Dr. Santarém, I also believe that, as long as a person is prepared and well conditioned, the squat can be part of training. It is the best exercise for working the thigh, gluts and hip muscles, not to mention others that are strengthened by the movement. For this reason, it is called a basic exercise, because it works with nearly all the muscles of the body, principally the legs.

I have worked considerably, and continue to do so, with squats for different objectives at the gym, from people who want better appearance to people who want a competitive factor  – and achieve great results in terms of strength and aesthetics. There are also elderly people with functional objectives, who use the squat to improve their lives and gain independence, given that getting out of chairs, beds and cars are some of the greatest difficulties as years go by – and these motions are nothing more than squatting and rising. The big difference is that, although they are squats, they are done with different difficulties, techniques and extensions. 

No one needs to begin to do squats with a barbell on their back. They can begin with dumbbells, rings or with the weight of the body. The difficulty is added little by little, like anything in life. As long as it is well executed, the squat will only bring benefits.

I believe that good sense is the only standard that allows trainers to know to whom he or she can recommend the exercise. Many myths are created and good exercises are avoided, because they are poorly executed and shunned by people who often never entered a weight room. They do not understand that some exercises are not villains, but to the contrary, improve the lives of many people, providing them self-esteem, strength and a healthy body to enjoy life. The squat is certainly a HERO.