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"The Third World Squat"

The Third World Squat
By Craig Weller
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1856085&cr

T-Nation is hit or (mostly) miss, in my opinion, but I found the above link interesting. I started holding a squat sometimes when I'm watching TV. At first I had great difficulty (the muscles of my shin were the limiting factor), but now I can hold it for quite some time.

A recent trip to the Philippines really illuminated, for me, how many people actually rest in this position.

Food for thought, I suppose.

That's SOP in Iraqistan, well, for the Iraqis. I'm a solid believer in chairs.

In Korea, it's more of an occupational thing, working in the rice fields. Again, BIG fan of chairs... and mechanized farm equipment...:cool:

Not to mention I'd ruck/squat (weights)/run most of the habitual "squatters" into the ground. I'll do without the 3rd world squatting for PT!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004 (Post 215755)

I can do butt-to-heel one-legged squats, so my heel flexibility is better than the average person's, but I still struggle with doing the Third World squat. If I need to "sit" without letting my butt touch the ground, I just essentially squat down where I am standing on the balls of my feet with my butt resting on my heels.

Good work on those pistols, I initially had some problems getting back up from the bottom of the movement, but after just spending some time sitting in a squat (no more than 5-10 minutes a day) I found it much easier to rock back up from the bottom of the one-leggers.

Before I started doing this, every time I squatted down to pick something up or whatever I did exactly what you do, and I rocked up onto my toes (a position I could not hold for very long). If you look at younger children, they still have the flexibility that I lack from years of sitting in chairs and drop in and pop out of a full squat with ease, holding it for long periods of a time. I think that the few minutes daily that I've spent in the squat position has paid off in better general flexibility and more success with deeper and better balanced back and front squats in the weight room.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004 (Post 215755)

Lots of these Third world peoples grow up doing that squat from birth, I remember in anthropology class in college, we watched a video on some tribal culture where everyone walks around butt naked, but they regularly do this squat (they have no chairs).

I can do butt-to-heel one-legged squats, so my heel flexibility is better than the average person's, but I still struggle with doing the Third World squat. If I need to "sit" without letting my butt touch the ground, I just essentially squat down where I am standing on the balls of my feet with my butt resting on my heels.

Most definite repetitious use of this squat is when folks need to use the restroom for #2. Not only in third worlds, in eastern countries ie. Japan, toilet seat is a western thing and you gotta squat to do your business. Of course, one would learn quickly not to fall backward to avoid a certain mess.

The pistols is the only exercise I fit the crossfit chart of world-class athlete. I can do 15 on each leg. Thank goodness for wushu in highschool. It's supposedly really bad for the knees though.

Murder on the knees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broadsword2004 (Post 216040)

acrobatic Chinese martial performance art called Wushu

that one.

They are just watching Afghan TV

Not truly in the spirit of this thread, but...

Anytown, Afghanistan: At any given time of the day you would see males just squatting by the side of the road, in the bazaar, vehicle checkpoints...etc. They were watching everything and some were no doubt collecting intel. You could drive through the bazaar on a mission one day and come back another day and see the same jokers in the same spot. The ones that squatted on the side of the road reminded me of vultures.