Courtesy of Sorinex
Angela Dendas-Pleasant, Lewis & Clark’s head strength and conditioning coach since 2013, recently kicked off the LC weight room’s annual October tradition: Squatober. Weight room regulars may have noticed the daily challenges posted to the whiteboard. But what is this month-long challenge and why does it center the back squat?
“Squatober is a month that is kind of an ode to the probably most researched exercise and oldest exercises that I think people have been doing: the back squat,” Dendas-Pleasant said in an interview with The Mossy Log.
Squatober was the brainchild of Aaron Ausmus, a former collegiate strength and conditioning coach, and Bert Sorinex, president and co-owner of exercise equipment company Sorinex. In Ausmus’ own words, “There’s a reason the squat has been dubbed ‘The King of All Exercises.’” Ausmus initially created Squatober as a grassroots challenge among his network of fellow coaches, before it began to gain traction over social media.
In recent years, Squatober has gained popularity nationally and internationally. @sorinex_squatober, the challenge’s official Instagram, has over 134,000 followers and releases official Squatober merchandise annually. Squatober’s daily challenges are posted to its official Instagram Monday through Saturday, with Sunday serving as a rest day.
While Squatober’s program includes different squat forms, such as Bulgarian split squats and front squats, it is primarily centered around the back squat. But why the back squat? What is so special about this exercise?
The modern back squat dates back to 19th-century Europe, though its early form was different from the squats performed today. Lifters performed the back squat on their toes, lowering until their thighs touched their heels before returning to an upright position. Owing to its roots in gymnastics, the initial emphasis of the exercise was on posture and grace rather than strength and power.
Things began to shift in the 1920s with the “Flat-Footed Revolution.” This revolution was headed by German strongman Henry Milo Steinborn. Steinborn, who arrived in the United States in 1921, popularized the flat-footed back squat, the same exercise as earlier squat variations, but with feet firmly planted on the ground. His innovation transformed the back squat from a precarious balancing act to a powerful exercise able to bear a much heavier load. The back squat continued to grow and evolve, becoming a staple for Olympic weightlifters, bodybuilders, powerlifters and average gym-goers alike.
The back squat is also an exercise which, in the words of Dendas-Pleasant, gives you “more bang for your buck.”
“People think it’s just legs,” said Dendas-Pleasent. But this is not actually the whole truth: while the back squat does primarily target the lower body, it also works muscles in the shoulders, arms, chest and back. “It’s everything from the neck down,” she explained. Much of this full-body exercise comes from the stabilization of the bar resting on the lifter’s shoulders. While squatting itself is a familiar movement for most people, the addition of weight changes things.
“You have to stabilize a weight right across your shoulders, so you gotta use your core,” Dendas-Pleasent said. “Now, I think if that bar gets heavier, it’s gonna require more stabilization.”
Squatting itself is a natural movement, like sitting in a chair, but adding a loaded bar raises the demand on the core.
The benefits of squatting with or without weights are numerous. Studies have shown that squatting can reduce risk of injury, promote muscle growth, and boost athletic ability.
As a fierce advocate for the benefits of squats, Dendas-Pleasent has been directing Squatober at LC for the past 13 years.
“I think it’s a good time to start the workouts that are designed and programmed for really any level,” she said. “It’s a good way to get into a routine and get a full-body-workout.”
Squatober provides a fun and functional challenge for frequent gym-goers, and an easy access point for beginners. This October, make an appointment for the LC weight room and pay homage to one of weightlifting’s oldest exercises.
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