This was recently brought up in a thread so I thought I'd find an appropriate article to post.
Here is a copy/paste from a Q&A with Ian King.
If a coach or fitness instructor is teaching a large group of people, I can see the need to generalize. But when it's a one-on-one situation, there's no reason to blindly pass on generalizations. For example, some will say that deep squats are bad. For whom? A person who's just had bilateral knee replacements? A beginner? A top level athlete? Listen, no exercise is bad! Exercises may be appropriate or inappropriate based on the individual characteristics of the person doing them.
The key here is to know that the exercise may be associated with certain outcomes. Once you're trained in the associations and then learn the individual characteristics of the person to whom the exercise is being applied, you have the information needed to make an informed, individualized decision! There are some well-accepted associations. Here are a few:
• The lower you bend at the knees, the greater the loading at the patella-femoral joint.
• The greater you flex forward at the hips, the greater the loading on the lower back.
• The wider you grip the bar in the bench press, the greater the stretch and stress placed on the shoulder.
• Pressing and pulling to the back of the head (as in pulldowns, overhead presses, etc.) places more stretch and stress on the shoulder joint than doing the same from the front of the head.
Nowhere above did I say that wide-grip bench presses should never be performed or that deep squats are bad for the knees. That's not accurate! I must look at the associations, then at the individual who may be performing these exercises. Only then can I make a decision.
In reference to squats, I prefer to go all the way ATG (As$ To Grass). I find that the lower stretch is more comfortable than the stress of a premature stop of motion at 90. This is just my experience, I'm sure many will disagree.
In Health,
DM
Here is a copy/paste from a Q&A with Ian King.
If a coach or fitness instructor is teaching a large group of people, I can see the need to generalize. But when it's a one-on-one situation, there's no reason to blindly pass on generalizations. For example, some will say that deep squats are bad. For whom? A person who's just had bilateral knee replacements? A beginner? A top level athlete? Listen, no exercise is bad! Exercises may be appropriate or inappropriate based on the individual characteristics of the person doing them.
The key here is to know that the exercise may be associated with certain outcomes. Once you're trained in the associations and then learn the individual characteristics of the person to whom the exercise is being applied, you have the information needed to make an informed, individualized decision! There are some well-accepted associations. Here are a few:
• The lower you bend at the knees, the greater the loading at the patella-femoral joint.
• The greater you flex forward at the hips, the greater the loading on the lower back.
• The wider you grip the bar in the bench press, the greater the stretch and stress placed on the shoulder.
• Pressing and pulling to the back of the head (as in pulldowns, overhead presses, etc.) places more stretch and stress on the shoulder joint than doing the same from the front of the head.
Nowhere above did I say that wide-grip bench presses should never be performed or that deep squats are bad for the knees. That's not accurate! I must look at the associations, then at the individual who may be performing these exercises. Only then can I make a decision.
In reference to squats, I prefer to go all the way ATG (As$ To Grass). I find that the lower stretch is more comfortable than the stress of a premature stop of motion at 90. This is just my experience, I'm sure many will disagree.
In Health,
DM
) The more movement during the exercise, the more factors that have to be monitored. If they have improper posture/weight/etc.. Their chance of injury increases with each factor.