If you squat and want to keep your knee strong and healthy, you should try adding in VMO and quad activation exercise before you squat. As a personal trainer in NYC, I want to keep my athletes and clients healthy, this is why I utilize VMO activation exercises before they squat.
*I’m not hear to debate whether or not you can isolate the VMO or if the VMO exists, the purpose of the post is to state that these exercises help activate muscles to stabilize the knee and lubricates the knee for full range of motion squats*
Short Step Down
The short step down is a great VMO activation to prime your quads before you squat.
Key Points:
- Focus should be on the top leg, keeping the weight on the heel, as you step down allow the top leg’s knee to flex forward. – A controlled motion should be utilized -*the 2nd rep was a bit wobbly*
- Throughout the whole motion you should focus on SQUEEEEEZING the quads.
- Keep the top legs knee, hips, and toes aligned.
- Rep range = 10+
- Set range = 2+
Banded Terminal Knee Extension (TKE)
Some people can’t correctly fire the VMO/Quads via the “Short Step Up”, so the “The Banded Terminal Knee Extension” is a great alternative to help prime your quads for squats. All you need is a simple jump stretch band and a stationary object to attach the bad to.
Key Points:
– Stagger your stance so the leg that’s working is back.
– Place band behind the knee.
– Get up on active legs toe and drive the heel down while SQUEEEEEZING the quads.
– Keep the top legs knee, hips, and toes aligned.
– Rep range = 10+
– Set range = 2+
Implementation
There are many aspects to being a successful personal trainer in Manhattan, one of them time management. Generally personal trainers have about an hour or a little over to train their clients. That means we need to condense many things into that 60-75minute session. Simply doing the above activation drills than resting could waste valuable time, with that said this is how we implement activation exercises on squat days:
*After full warm up and general activation drills
- Banded TKE x10-15 reps on each leg
- Squat with bar x5-10reps
- Short Step Downs x10-15 each leg
- Squat with warm up weight
- Banded TKE x10-15 reps on each leg
- Squat with warm up weight
- Short Step Downs x10-15 each Leg
- Squat with warm up weight or work set
Depending on how heavy you’re going, you should be at or nearly up to your work sets. Doing this type of routine will get the blood flow going and the muscles activated = you’re primed and ready to squat big!
Everyone is different, you’ll have to find what works for you. On some days this works well for our guys, others using only using band, or another option. Play around with it and find what works best for you.
Stay strong,
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[…] activation can be simple things such as the “Terminal Knee Extension” to help stabilize the knee during the squat, shown […]