Why we insist that squatting is almost always quad dominant and should only occasionally be a grinder.
First let's explore why we use squats.
1. To strengthen the entire body especially the legs, as it drives testosterone levels up and turns on the neural system to fire faster.
2. To stand up after your cleans and snatches.
3. To help drive the bar overhead
What is isn't to us weightlifters
1. It isn't a competition movement on weightlifting.
2. It isn't to lift the maximum amount of weights in the squats if the technique isn't the same as what you would do in a snatch and clean and jerk
Now go back to the basic idea of how Chinese do weightlifting. Technique must be similar to what you would do in your competitions.
If you drive your knees and hips back, you need to make sure that the way you snatch and clean and jerk is like that too. If you drive from the heels, (we don't), then ensure that you're using that technique to squat.
If you're like us that drive the hip into the bar and twang it up from the ankles, use your quads more.
Now as to why we're generally proponents of NOT driving from the heels is because we don't want a powerful but loopy bar which most people struggle with. We find people tend to bang the bar a little too hard when using this technique. So the bar goes high but it also goes back.
But! Not all lifters that shift to the heels do this. Some of the top lifters can drive it straight up.
Also when standing, I realize a lot of lifters shift the hips up and then lean over. We don't like this one bit. Makes the bar heavy for no reason. Why this happens?
We have determined that it's because they snatch or clean too low that they lose control. And to stand up, they must shift the hips up first and then move the weight to the quads before one can stand.
This is why we always say, be in control. All the time.
As to why we say no grinders, we say, train how you want to move when you compete. You want to grind out your cleans? Not likely. So avoid training like a grinder. Move fast fast fast! Be light! Explosive!
And now.... I shall go watch the funnyman Chris tucker live in Malaysia! Yes, that man was where I first heard the now infamous "n" word.
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