In the age of short videos, here is a healthy dose of CONTEXT…
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WHY
So, why a slant?
You don’t need a slant. This works great.
And even this is great.
Heels down allows more development of the back and more total weight to be lifted.
And as you elevate your heels, your leg and knee strength become the limiting factors.
So the ANGLE of a slant allows you to develop your legs and knees with relatively less additional weight needed, and the STABILITY of a slant makes the form SIMPLE.
A slant is a broadly accessible tool which is PARTICULARLY helpful if you’re using bodyweight or light weights - or if you’re coaching kids or larger groups - but you still want to create serious results.
Furthermore…
SOLVING A YOUTH PROBLEM
Youth sports knee surgeries are up 4X since 2000!!!!
We have a deviation from a naturally balanced childhood.
Extreme repetition of force is going into the knees, but extra ABILITY is not being developed.
And the sports with the most surgeries rarely ever bend deep!
So the fact that a sport like basketball is played up high…
…is EXACTLY WHY it can be so life-changing to develop down low!
I was a teen knee surgery case and IT SUCKS.
The biggest shift of my fate came from simply balancing up my ability in deeper ranges.
Now 10 years with no knee setbacks.
I reached my 20s never close to dunking.
Now I get to live my 30s (and beyond?) dunking with ease!
It’s priceless and it boils down to the fact that I turned my weakest link into a strength.
But it’s not always as simple as just squatting deep!
REGRESSIONS
I grew up always being told NO KNEES OVER TOES and NO DEEP STRENGTHENING.
So by the time I wanted to do deep strengthening, my left knee was a surgical mess and I was told my right knee needed more surgeries
Anything deep felt horrible!
It was the ATG Split Squat that gradually made deeper squats feel good…
Higher and assisted = easier
Lower and loaded = harder
I’ve been working on it for 10 years.
It’s a gift that keeps giving.
So please, take your time and enjoy it as an exercise tool for the rest of your life - not just a quick fix.
And like the ATG Split Squat, a deep squat also scales from assisted to unassisted to loaded.
One more tip:
If you have the strength but PAIN is in the way, you may find that the counterbalance of holding weight in front of you makes it easier to get lower without pain!
Last but not least, using a sled or resisted treadmill is a super gentle way to pump strength and incredible circulation into your legs and knees.
Going forward is great, too!
But making sure you go at least as much BACKWARD as forward is particularly helpful for the knees.
Sled or resisted treadmill has been the most consistent helper of ATG Split Squat results.
And the ATG Split Squat has been the most consistent helper of deep squat results.
FINAL CONTEXT
As you’ve seen above:
It’s not flat “OR” slant.
It’s not bodyweight “OR” weights.
It’s not double-leg “OR” single-leg.
And it’s not forward “OR” backward.
They’re all TOOLS.
And it’s also not quads “OR” hamstrings.
Nor is it free weights “OR” machines.
It’s not upper legs “OR” lower legs.
It’s not calves “OR” tibialis.
And it’s not legs “OR” back.
“Don’t see life through a straw.”
That’s one of the best pieces of advice I was ever given, by my original knees over toes mentor Charles Poliquin.
Every day I get questions like “which is better?” Or “is this a bad exercise?”
I don’t believe there’s a “bad” human motion, nor do I believe there is only one route to the results you desire.
I believe in context - not absolutes, and definitely not FEAR around human movement.
I hope this helped you understand more context regarding the slant squat.
Yours in Solutions,
Ben