progression checklist

mobile squat

pain

• No pain is felt during the movement that is deemed unsafe

• If unsure, err on the side of not progressing

breath control

• Option 1: nasal or conversational breathing

  • Nasal breathing - breathe in and out lightly and quietly only through the nose

    • Oral position - lips closed, teeth don’t touch, tongue resting lightly on the roof of the mouth

  • Conversational breathing - breathe in a manner where the inflection of your voice is maintained at that of a normal conversation

• option 2: expansive/compressive breathing

  • When inhaling attempt to expand the pelvis, lower abdomen, lower ribcage, and chest

    • Focus on “breathing into” the areas that are compressed during the movement

      • Example: when the belly and thighs are connected, attempt to inhale in a manner that “inflates” that abdomen away from the thighs.

    • As you slowly inhale focus on the following cues:

      • The pelvic floor widens

      • The back of the pelvis (back of the beltline) widens and moves backward

      • The lower ribcage widens circumferentially

      • The chest moves upward and forward

      • The thoracic spine and ribcage between the shoulder blades move upward and backward

      • The shoulders DO NOT move upward

  • When exhaling, maximize the compression of the pelvis, lower abdomen, lower ribcage, and chest

    • Focus on “breathing away from” the areas that are compressed during the movement

      • Example: when the belly and thighs are connected, attempt to exhale in a manner that “deflates” the abdomen away from the thighs.

    • As you slowly exhale focus on the following cues:

      • The pelvic floor moves upward

      • The front of the pelvis converges toward the belly button

      • The front of the lower ribcage moves downward and inward

      • The chest and shoulders move downward (without the head moving forward or downward)

postural control

• Do not progress if any of the following compensations occur

  • The heels cannot stay in contact with the ground

  • Contact cannot be attained between the abdomen and thighs

  • Contact cannot be attained between hamstrings and calves (phase 4 and 5)

  • The knees or feet collapse inward excessively

  • The spine flexes excessively

  • The head and/or chin are pushed forward excessively

impact control

• No Collapsing - when sitting to a box, light contact is made

• No Bouncing - when free squatting, an even tempo is maintained during the descent without bouncing at the bottom