Slant Board Squat

Tips

• Keep the torso upright so the quads, not the hips, do the work.
• Let the knees drift forward on purpose, that forward shin angle is the whole point.
• Build depth and load slowly, the knee-dominant position needs conditioning.

Variations

• Cyclist Squat
• Sissy Squat
• Spanish Squat
• Heels-Elevated Goblet Squat

Common mistakes

• Heels peel off the board at the bottom, which cancels the whole idea; the slant exists so the heels can stay down while the shins travel forward.
• The board is set on a smooth floor and slides out on the first rep; brace the back edge against a wall or a rack base before stepping on.
• Knees dive inward as depth increases, and on a decline that collapse is harder to spot than it is on flat ground; watch the kneecaps track over the second toe.
• The angle is steeper than the ankles can handle, so the heels grind into the board and the calves cramp; most people do well somewhere between fifteen and twenty-five degrees.
• Reps get rushed, when this variation only pays off with a slow descent; three seconds down keeps the tension in the quad instead of dumping it on the joint at the bottom.
• Feet get placed wide as though this were a back squat, which turns it into a hip movement; hip-width is what keeps the knees driving forward over the toes.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the slant board squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Three sets of 8 to 12 bodyweight reps at a three-second descent, resting 90 seconds, is the right opening dose. Keep the first two or three weeks unloaded and only add a pair of light dumbbells once every rep is comfortable the next day as well as during the set. The knee tolerates volume in this position better than it tolerates a jump in load, so add a rep or an inch of depth before you add a kilo.

How can I get the slant board squat effect without a slant board?

Standing with your heels on two small plates or a folded mat produces a similar shin angle, though a true decline is steeper and lets the knees travel further. A Spanish squat, with a band looped behind the knees and anchored in front of you, loads the quads with the shins vertical and is kind on the knee. Heels-elevated goblet squats are the closest gym equivalent, and a leg extension machine hits the same muscles from the other direction.

What is the slant board squat good for, and who should be careful with it?

It concentrates work on the quads and on the tissues around the front of the knee, which makes it popular for quad development, for tempo work, and in the later stages of knee rehab where controlled loading is the goal. Cyclists, skiers, and sprinters get good value from it. It is a poor choice as your main strength lift, since a back or front squat loads far more total muscle, and anyone with current front-of-knee pain should get advice before loading a deep knee-forward position rather than working through it.

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