The Slow Lifts 2: The Squat, by Mark Rippetoe - Apr 06 CFJ

The squat is the key to strength and conditioning. It is the sine qua non of barbell exercises. I usually go so far as to tell new trainees that if they are not going to squat, they should not even bother to train. No other exercise changes so many things about the body in so short a time as the squat. To omit squats because some uninformed fool said they were "bad for your knees" indicates that you probably didn’t want to do them anyway, so it's just as well.

The next time some quasi-professional health-industry type repeats this hoary old silliness, ask them how they know. If they say that the bulk of their professional practice is generated by athletes who regularly and correctly performed full barbell squats and consequently "blew out" their knees, call me and I will be there within thirty minutes with $80 million in cash.

My money is safe, of course. The truth is that the bulk of their professional practice—insofar as athletic/sports injuries are concerned (never mind the myriad injuries and conditions resulting from inactivity)—is composed of soccer, basketball, and football players with knee injuries, none of whom are ever counseled that their chosen activity will "hurt your knees." That advice is always saved for athletes participating in a structured strength program that includes squats.

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