Kevin Don here with your weekly injection of fitness facts versus fallacies.

This week I'm going to talk about the debate between squat variants.

Now, some people say that low bar squatting is best, other people say high bar squatting.

But what is the difference? And more importantly, which one is best. Other people say high bar squatting. But what is the difference? And more importantly,

which one is best? Now, we've already discussed on the show the benefits of strength training

to aging bodies, literally all of our bodies. No other training intervention can mitigate the

effects of sarcopenia, which is loss of muscle mass, or osteopenia, which is loss of bone mineral density.

Now, in terms of absolute strength movements, the squat is probably the most complete in that it has an eccentric loading phase, which is where the weight is being lowered down,

as well as a concentric or a lifting phase. This is unlike the deadlift, which is really only a

concentric lift at its heaviest end of the spectrum. Bench pressing also has an unavoidable eccentric phase, but because in squatting we're

moving so much more load, it's going to be a lot more advantageous to overall strength

development.

Now, there are multiple variations of the squat.

You've got high bar squats, low bar squats, air squats, front squats, overhead squats, and some

more unfamiliar types including Kang squats, shrimp squats, sissy squats, curtsy squats and the box

squat.

These are usually more for fixing muscle weaknesses or motor pattern

problems than they are for building pure strength. Now, to determine which squat is best for us

and how we should be performing the squat variant we select, we have to peel back the layers

and get to what's called the first principle.

In considering the first principles of the squat, we need to start with the fact the barbell

is being acted upon by the force of gravity. In all situations, the barbell is being pulled

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