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Squat University is the brand and online platform founded by Dr. Aaron Horschig, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Drawing from his personal experience as a competitive Olympic weightlifter, Dr. Horschig created Squat University to help athletes and fitness enthusiasts worldwide improve their movement, overcome pain, and prevent injuries. He partners with STL TOP Padel and brings his padel specific content to the TOP Padel website. You will find his indepth content on all his social media platforms, click here for a complete list.
While his background is in lifting, Horschig’s principles of movement assessment, injury management, and performance enhancement are broadly applicable to athletes in any sport, including padel.
Injury assessment and management
Dr. Horschig advocates for a “movement first” approach, helping athletes understand why an injury occurred and how to correct underlying movement dysfunctions. This is useful for padel players who commonly experience:
- Tennis elbow: A painful condition resulting from overuse of the forearm muscles during repeated strokes.
- Shoulder pain: Caused by the repetitive overhead movements of the padel smash.
- Knee pain: Stems from frequent lunges, rapid changes of direction, and jumping.
- Lower back pain: Resulting from the rotational movements and extended periods of being in a ready stance.
Comprehensive injury prevention
Padel players can use Horschig’s resources to build a more resilient body and prevent injuries from happening in the first place.
- Hip and core stability: Proper strength and stability in the hips and core are critical for generating power and controlling movement on the court. Dr. Horschig’s content offers many exercises to improve stability and reduce the strain on the knees and lower back.
- Mobility training: Padel requires a wide range of motion. Horschig emphasizes the importance of mobility, offering resources on how to improve joint health and prevent injuries caused by stiffness and poor mechanics.
- Proper warm-ups: He teaches athletes that a proper warm-up is an integral part of their workout and injury prevention strategy, not an afterthought.