04/02/2026
This is vital information for any coaches that are training young people. When performing exercises, there can be great differences in physical ability to perform certain movements.
We are all not designed exactly the same and the shape of our bone structure can be very different.
In one of Dr Stuart McGill’s lectures at Stanford University he compared the pelvic ring of various people and highlighted how different our hip anatomy can be. This research showed that Polish people had the best pelvic and hip anatomy for deep squatting and it is no surprise that many of the world’s best weightlifters come from this region of the world. A shallow roof does not allow for deep squatting needed in Olympic Weightlifting, but will allow for tremendous power with kicking as seen in martial arts.
This means that we will not all be able to move perfectly in the same movements.
This is why we cannot force people into deep squat positions as they may anatomically never be able to do much in this position. Doing this will cause you to wear cartilage and create problems. The same thing is true with deadlifts, bent over rows or anything that requires the pelvis to move into a slight anterior tilt. There will be considerable risk with loading too heavily or training under fatigue for the person is unable to maintain optimal positioning to handle this stress.
This does not mean they are doomed and should just give up for you can certainly make some great changes with specific exercises to target the mobility of the hips, but it does mean you need to be careful with certain positions.
Interestingly though a person who struggles to squat deep with good form will often demonstrate considerable strength with movements like lunges and step ups and positions that give the hips more freedom and demand more of a “posterior tilt” of the pelvis.
Even though there is a big difference in our anatomy this alone does not guarantee osteoarthritis. For, there are many people with different shaped pelvic rings with no pain or signs of arthritic symptoms. If they were to force poor movement however, then the chance of arthritis rises greatly.
Again it comes back to HOW WELL YOU MOVE!
Read this article to see more
https://noregretspt.com.au/what-you-need-to-know-about-knee-replacements-and-hip-surgery/
