How to fix Knee Valgus.

#squatmadness continues with a few of my favorite exercises to assist with a common mistake I see in squats.

A common mistake I see in new and experienced exercisers alike is the inability to use their powerhouse (aka their butt) in a squat.

In some circumstances a client's knees continue to track inward, even after being cued by me to drive them outward. On these occasions it could be due to tightness in some muscles, weakness in others, or both.

A few exercises to strengthen potentially non-active muscles:

1.) Banded Split Squat: Place your front foot in the band and position it just above the knee. Make sure there is a moderate amount of tension on the band so that it is challenging but not impossible to keep the knee in alignment over the foot. Step back with the opposite leg and descend into the bottom of a lunge. As you ascend to the top of your lunge keep your feet in position and feel your glute on your front leg fire as you push out with your knee to resist the inward resistance the band is providing. This is the same glute activation you should feel in your squat!

2.) Banded Squat: The band is placed on the thighs just above the knees. Practice slow and controlled squats while screwing your feet into the ground, and pushing the knees out. Again, make sure to chose a resistance that allows you to feel your glutes activate while keeping your knees in line with your feet through the full range of the squat .

3.) Lateral Banded Walk: Moving side to side isn't a movement most of us are used to. By strengthening movement patterns in a lateral motion we can fire a tiny muscle in our glutes called the Glute medius. Strengthening the glute medius will increase hip stability as well as hip abduction which is neccesary to maintain proper hip, knee, and foot alignment in the squat.

[clayton]

cool vid! how long does it take to correct?