Head up or down in a squat?

Question

1.34K viewsNovember 22, 2013

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Sarah November 21, 2013 0 Comments

In a standard squat, should the gaze stay on the horizon or slightly downward so the head stays in line with the spine?

14 Answers

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score 0 · Answer 1

I coach my clients to keep their head up, to prevent people from looking down and accidentally rounding the shoulders and folding over.

score 0 · Answer 2

Hi Sarah. In my opinion you CAN keep a somewhat neutral spine even while gazing straight ahead at the horizon. I think that this also helps with your balance as your you don’t distort your center of gravity or at least perception of it by looking straight ahead. i cue my clients to look OUT, not up or down.

I hope this helps.

LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com

score 0 · Answer 3

Hi Sarah,

I also feel you can keep a pretty neutral spine while keeping the head gazing forward. I try to have clients watch their own form in a mirror, at least for most exercises, and they are able to do this without compromising their form.

Christine

score 0 · Answer 4

hi Sarah,

Just like Larue & Christine already said above its best to keep a neutral spine position when preforming a squat and with exercises like squats you can also monitor your technique by watching yourself preform the exercise on a mirror when ever available just as Christine pointed out.

wishing you all the best of health and wealth

Alaldin

score 0 · Answer 5

Hi Sarah. I would also like to add that if a client is performing the squat you mention with a barbell, by looking down, in my opinion, I feel they run the risk of having the barbell rolling up onto their cervical spine (definitely not good). Whereas by looking forward/straight ahead, in my opinion this reduces that risk by keeping the bar and weight on their upper back musculature.

LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com

Head up or down in a squat?

14 Answers

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