Squat Form For Skateboarders

Skateboarding is one of, if not, the highest impact sport there is. putting the body in the street skating element of a competition course like a 8 stair handrail, "consistently in the 9–17 times bodyweight range". Therefore correcting our landing and form will increase our eccentric strength threshold (what gravity forces we can handle) but also improve our muscular endurance to keep trying that new trick you want to land so badly. - (PDF) High impact forces in skateboarding landings affected by landing outcome.

Which means a skateboarder's knees and ankles need to have a great level of strength, this is the foundation and necessity of any sport let alone skateboarding due to the level of strength it requires to sustain the level of impact we put our body's through during practice.

According to research, excessive landing force with decreased physiological absorption causes large knee valgus, which leads to lower extremity injury. Knee valgus is when the knees cave in which according to the body's biomechanics is due to overactive muscles in the body such as the adductors, gastrocnemius muscles and hip flexors (the Tensor fasciae Latae, to be precise) which pulls the knees inward and can cause patella tendonitis and the body's inability to squat with correct form. According to the February 14 2025 paper 'Biomechanical risk factors for increased anterior cruciate ligament loading and injury, a systematic review' Knee biomechanics were associated with increased ACL loading in 100% of the respective studies (5/5), with decreased knee flexion angles leading to increased loading'. Biomechanical Risk Factors for Increased Anterior Cruciate Ligament Loading and Injury: A Systematic Review - Malachy Belkhelladi, Tanya Cierson, Paul A. Martineau, 2025

So how do we practice a good squatting form? And which exercises should we do in the gym to improve knee strength and reduce injury for skateboarding?

Well first of, it's important to practice good form and there are a number of exercises you can do for you to slowly progressively overload your body to strengthen your knees and ankles for skateboarding.

The key factors for a good squat is to aim to keep the spine parallel with your shins, for your knees to be in-line with your second and third toes in each feet and for you to use your heels to drive the weight from when you push through your feet to guide yourself back to the starting position. Don't forget that your big toe plays a huge part in activating the arch of your foot (which reduces your feet from flattening and your knees from caving inward) and keeping your balance, so make sure to keep your toes firmly pressed again the floor and push your knees outward if you are struggling to keep your knees in line with your second and third toes.

The goblet squat is a great way to utilize the weight to your advantage to keep your chest up and avoid leaning forward to practice your spine being in a good position.

Once you are comfortable with this exercise you can either move on to practicing an overhead squat. Or if you want to increase the intensity you can move on to practicing a Zombie Squat.

In my opinion the overhead squat is a great way to see if you are able to keep an upright alignment which you will know very quickly if you or not as you will find yourself falling forward when you attempt to perform this exercise. It's also a great introductory path towards Olympic lifting, for improved leg power in skateboarding. As the 'catch' element when performing a snatch, is the lower range of an overhead squat.

The Zombie squat is also an exercise that will guide you to lean back and also teach you how to keep a vertical alignment given that if you don't, the weight will fall in front of you.

Once you have improved your Zombie squats, the next exercise you can improve on for your knee and ankle health is a crossed arm Zombie squat. crossing your arms will mean that you can start adding a little more weight on the bar because you can now use your arms and hands to make sure the bar is kept stable on your front shoulders.