Squat Depth

[BarBrother]

There has been a lot of talk lately about squat depth. Whether it is claims about how deep they squat, why they dont squat deep etc.

My question is :

How deep do people squat and why do they choose that depth ( is it for strength/size/injury etc)

Just for the record there alot of people who 'claim' to squat as deep as a powelrifter or even deeper in some cases, but do people actually know how deep we have to squat?

Just saying....

For me I squat as deep as i do because

A) I have to for competition

B) I would squat that deep even if i wasnt competing

[Grover]

:?

yeah but you don't actually say to what depth you squat!

personally

Being tall and unsupple to at least bench height, get a good pump from that and doms for days so any further going to do what?

[PeterDolan]

:?

yeah but you don't actually say to what depth you squat!

personally

Being tall and unsupple to at least bench height, get a good pump from that and doms for days so any further going to do what?

Will increase the force exerted by a muscle and recruit more of the muscle fibres.

Also it's the best glute builder too. I stopped going A2C for a while cause my glutes overpowered my hams. Back to it now that I have balance

[Dr Squat]

There has been a lot of talk lately about squat depth. Whether it is claims about how deep they squat, why they dont squat deep etc.

My question is :

How deep do people squat and why do they choose that depth ( is it for strength/size/injury etc)

Just for the record there alot of people who 'claim' to squat as deep as a powelrifter or even deeper in some cases, but do people actually know how deep we have to squat?

Just saying....

For me I squat as deep as i do because

A) I have to for competition

B) I would squat that deep even if i wasnt competing

Power squats and bodybuilding (high bar squats) are difficult to compare. Most powerlifters barely break parallel or the bare minimum and this makes sense for obvious reasons. Top bodybuilders will squat as low as possible which is well below parallel.

The thing that I am still learning is the real value of squatting in a bodybuilding context. Deep, high bar squats build the entire leg and not just the quads as many would think. Powerlifting squats have very little value for the quads. Most powerlifters don't have good quads.

[nate225]

There has been a lot of talk lately about squat depth. Whether it is claims about how deep they squat, why they dont squat deep etc.

My question is :

How deep do people squat and why do they choose that depth ( is it for strength/size/injury etc)

Just for the record there alot of people who 'claim' to squat as deep as a powelrifter or even deeper in some cases, but do people actually know how deep we have to squat?

Just saying....

For me I squat as deep as i do because

A) I have to for competition

B) I would squat that deep even if i wasnt competing

Power squats and bodybuilding (high bar squats) are difficult to compare. Most powerlifters barely break parallel or the bare minimum and this makes sense for obvious reasons. Top bodybuilders will squat as low as possible which is well below parallel.

The thing that I am still learning is the real value of squatting in a bodybuilding context. Deep, high bar squats build the entire leg and not just the quads as many would think. Powerlifting squats have very little value for the quads. Most powerlifters don't have good quads.

PLer vs Oly Lifter - squat technique & quad development is a good example of the difference. PLers tend to use more glutes/hams/back in the lift, which makes sence for max weight but not overall leg development. Oly full a2g squats upright & tend to have good quad dvlpmt.

Just an observation.

[HarryB]

It comes down to mechanics for the individual. I have found taller guys struggle with that real depth because in order to achieve that they have such a forward lean that it puts their low back in a very precarious position. Especially as their strength increases over time. Injuries often dictate form as well, I have moved from a shoulder width stance to a wider toes out stance to accomodate for the fact that I partially tore some ligaments in one of my knees.

Plus it comes down to why we are squatting in the first place. To shift the most weight or to force our quads to grow. Then the depth is dictated by the goal.

[BarBrother]

:?

yeah but you don't actually say to what depth you squat!

personally

Being tall and unsupple to at least bench height, get a good pump from that and doms for days so any further going to do what?

I wasnt saying right or wrong. i was asking for people to simply justify why the squat the depth they do.

FTR I am a powerlifter so squat to a minumum with the crease of my hip below the top part of my knee. But i tend to go a bit deeper than that so i dont test out any trigger happy judges.

My point was that a lot of people claim "a2g" squat but then back it up with squats that arnt even close.

I dont know how long the grass grows in some of the gyms but i bet their arse gets no were nere it :pfft:

[BarBrother]

It comes down to mechanics for the individual........

Plus it comes down to why we are squatting in the first place. To shift the most weight or to force our quads to grow. Then the depth is dictated by the goal.

Totally agree.

I was saying we all squat for different reasons. Some squat to a box, some oly squat, some wide stance squat.

People dont have to go "a2g" if there goal doesnt require them to do. They just shouldnt claim they do when the evidence would sugest other wise

[PeterDolan]

PLer vs Oly Lifter - squat technique & quad development is a good example of the difference. PLers tend to use more glutes/hams/back in the lift, which makes sence for max weight but not overall leg development. Oly full a2g squats upright & tend to have good quad dvlpmt.

Just an observation.

Possibly worth while noting also is that oly lifters tend to front squat (not sure how often they do "traditional" squats during training)

Slightly off topic but how does a overhead squat compare to the other two fore mentioned squats as far as muscle fibre recruitment goes? Obviously will be less due to weight being used but is it alot?

[HarryB]

The overhead squat recruits a lot more total muscle fibre in the whole body but not so much in your quads, simply due to the fact that you cannot support over head the kinds of weights you can in any other kind of squat. Great for your core strength! Love them as a finishing exercise.

Olympic listers do do back squats, high bar, close foot stance and right to full depth. Hurts me to watch most olympic lifters squat though because it is such a ballistic movement for them.

[Creatine]

I squat as deep as my flexibility allows (need to work on ankle and hip flexibility) which at the moment is a pinch below parallel. I use front and high bar squats for better overall leg develolpment compared with low bar. Cant lift as much as i can with low bar but feel it alot more in my quads and glutes.

[Jigga]

My point was that a lot of people claim "a2g" squat but then back it up with squats that arnt even close.

I dont know how long the grass grows in some of the gyms but i bet their arse gets no were nere it :pfft:

real talk

[jimjim83]

Not this old argument again......

[funkyfly]

Guys who squat A2G seem to take real pride in the fact, and fair enough as lifting a weight through a longer ROM takes additional effort.

Personally i go below parallel on my ligher sets and just above parallel on my heavys 10, 8, 5, 3, 1, 5, 12, 12.

I dont like going deep with a heavy weight as im worried about long term knee joint problems, which i guess is why most mags and videos say to only squat to parallel.

I have found front squats are certainly a lot easier to go A2G, your upper body stays a lot more upright, and the weight is a lot less than back squats so less stress on the knees

[Dr Squat]

The reason most people squat higher as the weight gets heavy is because it is getting harder.

[Grover]

The reason most people squat higher as the weight gets heavy is because it is getting harder.

Its not rocket science after all!

[mr natural]

yep,too many people half squat with too much weight, if it isn't a full squat then it don't mean squat.

[Ronin]

Personally, if I'm using a lighter weight and going for reps, I get as low as I can. Dunno if it's officially A2G, but definitely below parallel, hammies against calves. As the weight gets heavier, I'm more inclined to stay within the rack, which means I can only get to parallel (maybe an inch below) before the bar starts bouncing off the rack Sometimes it sucks to be short.

Obviously front squats are different as I'm more upright, so can get a bit lower. Still on occasion I drop too fast and hit the rack before I bottom out :grin:

[Jigga]

I dont like going deep with a heavy weight as im worried about long term knee joint problems, which i guess is why most mags and videos say to only squat to parallel.

I have found front squats are certainly a lot easier to go A2G, your upper body stays a lot more upright, and the weight is a lot less than back squats so less stress on the knees

I have read in a few places that squating parallel is harder on the knees because the turn around point is where your knees are weakest. As long as you aren't bouncing out of the bottom of full squats it is fine for your knees. The lower back rounding issue can be overcome by improving your hamstring flexibility.

Mags also tell you to have your elbows at right angles to your body when you bench.

[funkyfly]

Everyone is different.

ROM with squats doesnt just depend on the weight your trying to push or your flexibility.

"Some people's joints articulate in a manner that allows them to benefit greatly from squats; others may not benefit at all. If you're not too tall and have short limbs, it may be the best exercise for you, but if you're tall with long legs, it might be both ineffective and dangerous.I was stubbornly faithful to squats for years until I finally realized they were not well-suited for my body structure. After I switched tomore muscle-intensive movements, my gains in leg size were astounding."--Dorian Yates

[Jigga]

As the weight gets heavier, I'm more inclined to stay within the rack, which means I can only get to parallel (maybe an inch below) before the bar starts bouncing off the rack Sometimes it sucks to be short.

Obviously front squats are different as I'm more upright, so can get a bit lower. Still on occasion I drop too fast and hit the rack before I bottom out :grin:

If you are taller than 2ft you should be able to pull the safety bars out and put them low enough that the bar doesn't touch them.

I had them on the 3rd from lowest setting, got stuck at the bottom and had to do a front roll just to get the bar on the safety rack. I wouldn't be able to fit my head under the bar on the lowest setting. I suppose it depends on the gym you use but Unipol's cage is fully adjustable.

[HarryB]

I guess unless you are competing in powerlifting it is down to individual comfort. If you don't want to work too hard and think that 1/4 reps is the go then who are we to say that's the wrong thing.

It's not a contest after all lol

[Dr Squat]

I guess unless you are competing in powerlifting it is down to individual comfort. If you don't want to work too hard and think that 1/4 reps is the go then who are we to say that's the wrong thing.

It's not a contest after all lol

I suppose it depends if you want your legs to grow?

[Jigga]

PLers don't do full squats because they are pussies. They train around the rules in their federation. I don't think a2g squating is the only way to squat but it annoys me when people claim to squat atg and in reality it is a bit past parallel. Just as it would annoy powerlifters when someone like Big Cliff claims he can bench 605lb.

[Tonka]

...squats schmots...forget about that exercise, its overated! Leg extensions are where its at!!!