Here is a popular video I posted a while ago showing a quick 4-step squat warm-up routine that we’ve been using for years to help my clients and athletes squat deeper, squat better, and help them get into better positions to improve their technique.

Unfortunately, many athletes have hips like Frankenstein and when they try to stretch the external rotators of their hip, they experience knee pain and can’t get their leg flat on the bench. This type of ‘cranking’ on the knee is similar when athletes try to do a walking cradle stretch or a seated piriformis stretch on the bench.

Here is a quick modification that you can use to fit the exercise to you and your athletes. Placing a medicine ball on the bench gives the knees a break and keeps your knees safe while minimizing stress and strain while you slide into the stretch.

Some Coaching Tips:

• Breathe deep to get deeper into the stretch
• Slide into the stretch hitting different angles
• Repeat progressively throughout the workout to continue improving technique