If we did a word count on the most common coaching cues in our gym, “knees out” or some similar version, would probably top the list.
Using a resistance band as a physical cue for an athlete to remember “knees out”
How come we are always pestering you about “knees out”? Usually “knees out” gets busted out during body weight squats or during the back squat. However, if you’ve ever dead lifted with me I might also have asked you to activate your knees in the starting position so that your knees contacts the inside of your elbow.
One important reason for aggressively activating the “knees out” position is so that you are recruiting as much of your posterior chain as possible. The posterior chain is primarily your lower back side (glutes and hamstrings). However, your adductors are another important large muscle group that should contribute to your posterior chain strength. If you are not activating your adductors you are missing out on some serious muscles. ”Knees out” serves to fire up the adductors, thus making you stronger. Always a good thing!
Another reason that “knees out” is a particularly repetitive cue for the women in the gym is that women have a structural geometry that makes it possible to give birth, but creates a little bit of a risky situation for our knees. In a man, the pelvis and knees are lines up, or the pelvis is even slightly narrower than the knees. If this is exaggerated then a man is bow-legged (a more common anatomical situation for men than for women). Some studies on physical characteristics and sex appeal, have found that bow-legged men are more sexually attractive to women. In a woman, the pelvis is wider than the knees creating a slight “knock-knee” effect. Women have five times higher ACL injuries than men. There are several reasons for this, including lower muscle strength, but this anatomical difference is one of the primary reasons.
As women, we have to be cognizant of this situation and double our efforts to create strong, safe legs and knees. As is often so clever with lifting and CrossFitting, the cure is in the exact work that highlights the problem! Squat more, but squat correctly. Often times people prefer the high bar, narrow foot stance that is the Olympic Lifting or front squat set up. This is fine and has excellent benefits. The concern is that this position is a quad-dominant one and is not as effective in addressing this particular knee/adductor issue. In our Blueprint Program and in Raw Strength we back squat with the bar just below the traps (=proper low bar placement) because this is the set up that creates the largest activation of our largest muscle groups (=how to get the most strong the most quickly!). It is also the one where we have to make a concerted effort to use the squat to strengthen our posterior chain while increasing the life long safety of our knees.
I know some people find it frustrating to be asked to reduce the load on the barbell when they feel as though “I could do more”. In fact, people have moved on to other training facilities over this exact issue. In our gym, we do not encourage teenagers, women, men, college athletes, middle-aged anybody, or senior anybodies (I hope I just included everyone right there) to load a barbell beyond what they can do in a manner which contributes to their lifelong strength and safety. The only exception to this might be people who are training for competition. There is often a time and place for competitive athletes to take more risk than a lifelong-athlete-for-health.
My hope is that by sharing with you all the research and information that forms the basis behind our training approach, you will be less frustrated by correction and you will develop an understanding of why we use the training methods and programs that we use here at CrossFit Works and Barebones Barbell! So, to my weight lifting Sisters…think “cowboy” next time you back squat!
