Written by Adelina Canolli

Hi there! My name is Adelina Canolli & a common issue my athletes face is not understanding how to properly brace before their squats. 

One of my favorite exercises to start with during my warm-up is a dead - bug. I use a towel to illustrate pressing your back into an object to create tension along with the core. This type of tension is what we want to think of as we brace for a squat. The idea is to take the movement slow, focus on deep breathing, and then creating tension to help with stability.

The cues should be simple when bracing:

• Take a deep breath (through ribcage) & tense your abs as if someone is going to punch you in the stomach
• Expand laterally through your obliques 
• Feel your lower back tighten

Any rib flare can cause an energy leak & create instability with the lift, which is what you want to avoid. 

When getting under the bar, each set should look the same. Practice warming up slowly and in control - taking your time with each warm-up weight.

Final take aways here: 

• Feel 360 expansion 
• Keep each rep consistent 
• Do not rush your warm-up sets
• Remember to keep the air in the trunk region, not pressure in your head 
• Lastly, practice makes progress, be patient! :) 

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