Slant Squat Breakdown

A detailed breakdown of Slant Squats

I talk about slant squats a lot, so let’s break them down in more detail.

For young athletes I’m obsessed with the slant squat because of how SIMPLY it allows you to build extra leg and knee ability to help handle the demand of sports.

First I like you to master 20 reps PAIN-FREE.

Single-leg is then a legit progression without weight.

But going from two legs to one leg is a big leap:

First use two hands to assist.

Then use one hand to assist.

Then master unassisted!

10 per side PAIN-FREE is excellent! If you work through pain you are NOT doing the system as I’ve seen it work best. It would be better to do more reps at the level that doesn’t hurt, than to push into ANY pain.

Loading is another legit progression!

Progression is by load AND DISTANCE from body (closer and heavier = harder)

Kettlebell is a good way for young athletes to get used to this, but any form of loading applies. For example, you could reach out a plate, then DB, then barbell.

Context #1

I use the slant to emphasize the quads and knees, not just as a Band-Aid for ankle mobility, which I separately train with calf raises and split squats through full ankle range!

Context #2

I also recommend building above-the-norm strength on the other side, and you can almost always find something immovable.

Adding a thick pad for your knees = world class hamstrings machine!

You modify difficulty by how far you reach. Fight down, push up, repeat.

Context #3

Flexibility and strength aren’t mutually exclusive. Four-way leg swings or kicks are a great way for young athletes to get and keep excellent flexibility, while being productive for hip strength!

But what if a slant squat hurts to start?

Well then, you’re where I was.

Fifteen years of practice and coaching led me to a reverse system for youth-rehab.

Knee over toe step-up leads to improved ease in split squat leads to improved ease in squat.

And for youth I start with slant squat, then eventually teach full split squat, and then teach reverse step-up sometime before graduation.

Important closing note: DEMAND vs. ABILITY

I’ve been over 10 years without a knee problem despite some 10 years of problems prior.

The biggest shift was a route of ABILITY.

But if I kept going up, up, up on the demo below, I’d break my legs!

Pain/injury means DEMAND exceeded your ABILITY.

There’s no absolute protection, but my job is helping you learn how to improve your pain-free ABILITY bit by bit over days/weeks/months/years. That can be life-changing compared to letting your ability sink lower and lower.

CONCLUSION:

There are many ways to get the job done.

What I’ve shown you in this article is 100% accessible.

My knee problems started at 12. As a teenager, I was a depressed surgery mess.

I NEEDED SCALABLE and ACCESSIBLE.

To build your own board: Make sure it’s tall enough for your shoe. Then make sure it’s at least hip width. I like a 25-degree angle.

I’ve coached top-10 earners in the NFL, MLB and NBA to knee breakthroughs, and nothing has worked better than a simple wooden slant!

For the slantboard and shoes I’m wearing in this article: atgequipment.com.

And for my full programs: atgonlinecoaching.com.

Yours in Solutions,

Ben