I was really touched by the message sent by one of my followers recently that I can't wait to share with you and hope everyone can give a try and benefit from this magical movement! Especially for those of you who suffer performing the squat a lot during Olympic Weightlifting and Strength Training.
Background
Actually, I discovered this movement from Original Chinese Kungfu - TaiChi, as a basic movement for people to practice. However, I do find it can really help you to improve your squat in a dramatic way. Then I started to add it as a warmup skill during the training sessions in my club and I received amazing feedback from club members, especially when they are doing the front squat.
How it Works
First of all, it trains the ability of spinal extension & flexion. You have to extend your spine first & then flex it if you wish to squat to the bottom. Secondly, it is a great indicator of your hip mobility, only if you have full range motion of ilium, can you squat all the way down. For example, if your iliac is rotated forward, you’ll fall when your knees reach roughly 90 degrees. In the end, to prevent falling in the middle of the movement, you have to activate your whole anterior chain to be able to maintain a vertical trajectory.
How to Perform the Wall-facing Squat
We have published a detailed video to explain how to perform a wall-facing squat, including the variations of foot and hand positions! Please notice that a narrow stance and putting hands up will make it even more challenging!
Additionally, what I recommend is to do this for 30 reps per day. You may use it as a warm-up or you can train it at anytime during your free time throughout your day! If you feel it is difficult to perform at the beginning, please be patient. You can split into several sets or simply reduce the numbers to be suitable for your current level. Over time, your capability will increase and so will your reps, etc. If you continue to work on it, you will realize how big of a game changer this can be for your training.
