Michele Mootz (CF-L4) discusses a common fault in the air squat, inefficient posterior chain engagement. Mootz provides simple cues to get an athlete to shift their body weight into the heels and off of the toes. “The right cue is the one that works,” she says.
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Comments on Weight in the Heels in the Squat
🤦 Why is "weight in the heels" the CrossFit standard for what a proper squat should look like? Shouldn't we be reinforcing a balance between the balls of the feet and the heels instead?
I see your point.
I'm not on the HQ staff, but I think this started as an over-correction from people having the heels float when they squat. I tend to encourage the weight to be in the mid foot, straight down the imaginary line from the shin bone. That being said, almost everyone that comes into the gym has their heels float a little when they squat, but I usually address it by focusing on hips back (esp in the bottom) as opposed to the feet... that cue tends to fix it.
Good job, Michelle and Zach!
Weight in the Heels in the Squat
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