Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the best coaches.
There is never an absolute answer to everything, except of course that you have to do your squats.
There is no such thing as "firming and toning." There is only stronger and weaker.
The spine is best at bearing a load in an arch
I recommend against a wooden squat rack, for much the same reason that I recommend against a wooden car.
Exercise is not a thing we do to fix a problem - it is a thing we must do anyway, a thing without which there will always be problems