Welcome to Week 1 of the SQUAT MOBILITY MONTH!

Many people want to learn a proper deep squat. Maybe this includes you?! There are plenty of exercises around the internet, but most are not very well organized. You have tried the occasional squat stretch, but it didn't really help. This will now come to an end, because we at r/flexibility got you covered!

With our squat month, we have put together an easy to follow routine that will unlock your squat like no other. Even if you do have a good squat already, do not leave! There are plenty of good mobility exercises waiting for you to be explored. When you ask yourself "how deep should i squat?", the answer is always "a little deeper".

Come on the journey with us and start with week one. You will not regret it!

###What is a Squat?

A squat is a resting position, where you sit down with both feet and heels on the floor. Flex your knees and hips, while your spine, including your neck are slightly relaxed or in a neutral position. Here is a good example of a fully relaxed deep squat, used as a resting position. Here is another, more western example.

###Why achieve this?

The deep squat is a basic human body function. Simple as that.

Most cultures throughout human history, including the majority of people nowadays have used the squat as the normal sitting position. Anywhere from Eastern Europe to Africa to Asia people are sitting and working in the squat. This does not apply for the western world, where squatting has become rare, leading to the loss of this basic body function.

We use chairs for many hours a day. This has a lot of downsides, as it develops health problems on the body, such as bad posture and back pain. Squatting will benefit your posture and help relieve back pain. The squat position is also beneficial for your digestion, as it relaxes your pelvic floor muscles, especially the levator ani, which leads to less constipation and a better gut feeling. Your lower spine is relaxed in the squat, giving you a good rest from standing and long sitting periods. It's the single most effective resting position, next to sleeping!

After you unlocked your deep squat, you will open up a lot of other possibilities for exercising, be it in weightlifting, bodyweightfitness, or simply cleaning the household. No more back-bending, you can just go into the full squat. How cool is that?!

###How do I join?

Joining is simple! Find yourself some spare time and just click on the video tutorial below. Have a look at the main stretches. Afterwards, take a visit to the mobility box and find exercises that you would like to try. Now you are ready! Do the stretches for week one and play around with one of the mobility exercises/sequences. If you aren't satisfied yet, you can repeat the deep squat hold from week one for more time, several times a day.

###Week 1: Assisted Deep Squat Hold

• Video for Week 1: Assisted Deep Squat Hold

• Instead of stretching a single bodypart, we will focus on proper squatting form and the deep squat hold in week one. This will get you used to the final position that we aim for. It will also make you more aware of your squatting "problem zone", which is very individual. For some people, it's tight hip flexors, for others it's tight achilles tendon and ankle flexibility. It could also be tight quadriceps or other issues.

• The deep squat hold will help you to understand your limitations better. It is also the "key stretch" to unlock your squat! The more time you spend in it, the quicker your full squat will develop. Don't overdo this, though. Take some time to gradually build up that muscle flexibility and strength.

###How to do this weeks stretch:

• Heels must be on the floor!
• If that's impossible, find an object to hold yourself during the deep squat and lean back until the heels meet the floor.
• Take a comfortable feet stance. This is individual, experiment with feet wide apart and feet together.
• Relax your knees. Let them fall slightly outwards. There is no need to keep them parallel to your feet.
• Relax your lower spine, while keeping your upper spine and head neutral.
• Rounded back is okay!
• If you are advanced, lean forward in the squat, without letting your heels come off the floor.
• Don't forget to breathe!
• Hold the stretch for one minute.

How long do I hold this stretch?

• If you're new to deep squatting, simply begin by holding the assisted deep squat position for 30-60seconds, 2-3 times a day with a minute of rest in between. (Working in short sets is safer than one long duration if you're new to this.)

• When you start to feel comfortable, gradually increase the hold times and add more sets to your session or sprinkle them throughout the day.

• If you are already an advanced squatter, feel free to stay in this position for as high as 10-30 minutes for the total of the day.

###We encourage you to take a "before" photo of yourself in the deep squat!

• You can then compare your progress after the month.

###Mobility Box (pick one, do it after the main stretches):

Once you have finished the main stretch (assisted deep squat), choose a mobility routine or skill exercise or an extra stretch from below. These mobility exercises are meant to add to the fun and give you more freedom and help you use your newfound ability to squat. Play around with them, explore your capabilities and focus on movement quality.

Pick only one thing from below. Spend a few minutes on the exercise/sequence. Change daily.

#####Mobility Routines:

• Squat Clinic V1
• Squat Clinic V2
• House Cleaning Drill
• GMB Hip Routine
• Hip Sequence
• Monkey Drills

#####Skill Exercises:

• Basic Frogger
• Basic Monkey
• Frogger Variations
• 360° Monkey
• High Monkey

#####Single Stretches:

• Pistol Flexibility
• Russian Baby Maker
• Ankle Partner Stretch

###Recap

• Do the main stretch daily.
• After that, pick a few exercises from the mobility box and do them.
• Play around, find your favorite mobility exercise! This is supposed to be fun!
• Feel free to reduce the volume and time of the stretches or include rest days, if you need it.

If you encounter pain, especially knee pain, during the stretches, please do not continue! It could mean that you are stretching too deep for your level, or even injuring something. Visit your sports-oriented physician or physiotherapist and find out what is causing the pain and how to fix it.

###Don't be shy

Don't keep it to yourself! Share your thoughts and pictures, right here on this sub or on any other platform! We would love to hear from you! Don't be a stranger. :-)

If you use instagram, tag your posts with hashtags: #rflexibility #squatmonth!

###TL;DR:

• Do the Week 1 Main Stretch.
• Take a picture of your progress.
• Pick something from the Mobility Box. (Spend a few minutes!)
• Repeat daily.
• ???
• Profit!

###For Reference:

• Week 1 (this thread)
• Week 2 (calf stretches)
• Week 3 (quadriceps stretch)