Did you know you can still load a back squat during pregnancy?
For many women, the uncomfortable part of a squat occurs at the bottom position-below parallel. This position creates the most demand on lengthened pelvic floor muscles. Symptoms may include pelvic fullness, the urge to urinate, or pelvic girdle discomfort. While we don’t want to continue training in the presence of symptoms, an easy solution is to decrease the range of motion!
Squatting to a box or bench may be the best option for some women. This allows us to continue training without increasing demands on an already taxed pelvic floor, and to set us up for the best success postpartum! This same strategy can be used with any movement in crossfit that involves a squat, like thrusters, wall balls, and front squats. As you progress throughout pregnancy, you may find you need to increase the height you squat to. You can start with squatting to a bench, then scale up by adding plates or switching to a taller box!
Pregnancy isn’t a time to PR your lifts. I typically recommend staying 70-80% of your previous 1RM. Practice good breathing strategies during the squat-inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up!
What other movements would you like to see modifications for? Have questions about training during pregnancy? Drop them below!