MAKE SURE YOU MEAN SQUAT

“Aim to do every rep of your squat – warm-up or working set – the same,” says Hamilton. “Grab the bar the same way, take the same number of steps out of the rack - ideally it should be three - and go through the same mental cues before you lift. When the weight gets heavy, you’ll go back to what you’ve done a hundred times.” Squat technique is individual, but there are constants. “Take a big breath and hold it before you lift,” says strength coach Joel Dowey. “Brace as if you’re about to be punched in the stomach. Sit down and back, as if you’re going to sit in a chair. And don’t lose tightness when you’re in the bottom of the lift, known as the ‘hole’ - you’ll need to drive back up strongly.”