[thebeginning]

Question. What squat depth gives the best balance between strength/mass gains and safety?

I currently am doing squats in my routine and have always done them pretty low (not quite a2f but way past parallel). Would it be better to just go parallel and use more weight? I would consider my form to be pretty solid.

I've also read that really deep squats can damage your knees in the long-term...I didn't pay much attention to it, but I would obviously like to play it safe if there's any truth to that.

[chrispghmuscle]

Save your knees,, go to parallel, some will say A2G. But it's up to you..

[miggitymags]

I think the most important thing is that you do them..

I go past parallel and not quite ATG as well.

Just don't be 'that guy', load up the bar with plates, and do sissy squats..

[stateofmind25]

Originally Posted by miggitymags

I think the most important thing is that you do them..

I go past parallel and not quite ATG as well.

Just don't be 'that guy', load up the bar with plates, and do sissy squats..

^cosign, but don't you mean THOSE guys?? Cuz there sure are alot of em out there!

[Garbryn]

since this is on topic. and my weight training iis fairly new. i tried squats with a weight i can quite easily lift. and the bar was digging hard into my shoulders. quite offputting. am i just beeing a pussy? or have i missed something about the lift that im doing wrong. i ended up doing db squts instead

[Zack]

where on ur back was the bar placed?

[Garbryn]

base of my neck

[Zack]

That could be the problem man. I used to have it like that and it hurt like hell. I dropped it lower on my back to where my rear delts acted like a stopper (so to speak). Look at how most powerlifters hold their squat bars lower on their back. That may be the way that you wanna go.

[Garbryn]

ah yes that may be better thanks ill try it on my next legs day

[monkeybiker]

Originally Posted by Garbryn

base of my neck

Don't hold it on your neck or you can cause damage to your spine. When I do them I flex my trap muscles and the bar sits across them and my shoulders.


Back to original question. I squat just below parrallel as any deeper my back starts to round. I find this offers a lot of work for my legs. Sometimes on this forum I hear people talk about ass to the grass squats like it's so hard core but then they are only using like 60kg.

I think you should squat as deep as is safe for your own flexibilty. No point hurting yourself just to squat a little deeper.

[GettinITDone]

A2G is not necessary, but definitely at least parallel, preferably below parallel. I feel that my quads/hams/glutes aren't being worked to their full potential if I don't, almost as if I'm cheating myself. Like mentioned above, don't load the bar and drop down about 6 inches and think you're doing something. Post a pic/video if you want and I'll (we'll) tell you if it's "good enough." Do what feels right without risking your body of injury.

[Freakster]

Originally Posted by thebeginning

Question. What squat depth gives the best balance between strength/mass gains and safety?

I don't know, but the surest way to develop OVERALL LOWER BODY MASS IS THROUGH FULL SQUATS.

Originally Posted by thebeginning

I currently am doing squats in my routine and have always done them pretty low (not quite a2f but way past parallel). Would it be better to just go parallel and use more weight? I would consider my form to be pretty solid.

Well... as long as you reach the bare minimum depth...

Originally Posted by thebeginning

I've also read that really deep squats can damage your knees in the long-term...I didn't pay much attention to it, but I would obviously like to play it safe if there's any truth to that.

Bull****. Christian Thibaudeau, Mark Rippetoe, and some other dude in T-Nation have debunked this before. If you read that in a magazine, please do the world a favor and BURN IT!

[Cork]

Originally Posted by Freakster

Bull****. Christian Thibaudeau, Mark Rippetoe, and some other dude in T-Nation have debunked this before. If you read that in a magazine, please do the world a favor and BURN IT!

Freakster.... I like you. If you keep proper form, squats are good for your knees!

http://www.bodybuildingdungeon.com/f...-analysis.html

Also, for bar placement always go with mid traps!

This:


Is better than this:


Unless you like to kill your shoulders.

[GettinITDone]

Originally Posted by Freakster

Bull****. Christian Thibaudeau, Mark Rippetoe, and some other dude in T-Nation have debunked this before. If you read that in a magazine, please do the world a favor and BURN IT!

Could you or someone post the link to that article?! I read it a long time ago, but was looking for it forever a month or so ago. I need to print it off and leave it in my gym bag for leg day (for the onlookers). I remember it had little diagrams and everything (if I remember correctly?). Thanks!

[thebeginning]

Originally Posted by Freakster

Bull****. Christian Thibaudeau, Mark Rippetoe, and some other dude in T-Nation have debunked this before. If you read that in a magazine, please do the world a favor and BURN IT!

Whoa whoa, simma down there, breh. haha I actually thought that argument (against deep squats) was total crap, but I wanted to make sure as I hadn't seen any really good arguments from the other side.

I'd be interested in seeing that article too, if you can find it.

[GeorgeT]

work on trap thickness, squeeze shoulder blades together then place the bar. I squat till my knees are above my thigh below par above a2g basically.

[Freakster]

Originally Posted by Cork

Freakster.... I like you. If you keep proper form, squats are good for your knees!



Also, for bar placement always go with mid traps!

This:


Is better than this:


Unless you like to kill your shoulders.

Bar placement really depends on your purpose. I don't exactly know what you mean by "better"...

Olympic weightlifters place the bar high on their trapezius muscles to maintain an upright form. Why? Because this movement pattern is very similar to the recovery phase of the clean and the snatch. Their lifters are instructed to keep their torso very upright. Lower bar placement hinders this. It forces you to bend forward... which is good of you're looking for an exercise that can strengthen your posterior chain. As far as "which one is better?" is a very subjective statement.

...Oh, and thanks for liking me. lol... I'm just a fat kid. I'm nothing special.

[Freakster]

Originally Posted by GettinITDone

Could you or someone post the link to that article?! I read it a long time ago, but was looking for it forever a month or so ago. I need to print it off and leave it in my gym bag for leg day (for the onlookers). I remember it had little diagrams and everything (if I remember correctly?). Thanks!

(Here's from Christian Thibaudeau)

In case you need some ammo defending full squats to the ego-squatters, here's why they're actually safer than partial squats:

• The deceleration path is longer during the full squat. Thus the deceleration is slower during the full squat. The faster the deceleration, the greater the risk of injury.

• It's been established that the most unstable knee angle is 90 degrees. Does it make sense to stop (in a rapid manner) and change direction at the most unstable knee angle? It makes about as much sense as hitting the breaks of your car and trying for a 180 degrees turn as you hit a patch of ice! (For most of you, a squat where your knee angle is 90 degrees equates to about a 1/4 squat.)

• Full squatting can actually strengthen the tendons of the knees, making the articulation more stable.

• Full squatting leads to balanced lower body development, while shallow squatting can lead to quad dominance which is the cause of many injuries.

• In the shallow squat you use more weight (that's why it's an ego lift). If you can't full squat a weight, you have no business quarter-squatting it! Your structures (bones, tendons, ligaments) aren't well adapted enough to sustain the load and you risk injury.

• Full back squats can make more difference in sport performance than any other exercise. Notice that I advocate a close-stance full squat with an upright trunk. This is the only way an athlete should squat.

(I can't post URL until my post count reaches 15. Up to now, I can't post the source yet so... please excuse me.)

[thebeginning]

Thanks, bro! My guess is you're a powerlifter? Good to have you on the boards.

Originally Posted by Freakster

a patch of ice!

^ LOL

(noticed this forum glitch in another thread)

[Freakster]

Originally Posted by thebeginning

Thanks, bro! My guess is you're a powerlifter? Good to have you on the boards.

Thanks.

And no. I'm just a fat kid...

[thebeginning]

Originally Posted by Freakster

Thanks.

And no. I'm just a fat kid...

Well ok, I meant 'you lift for strength and focus on the powerlifting mindset'.

Not that you necessarily are a 'powerlifter'.


Just 'fat kids' don't tend to know the stuff about lifting that you do

[Freakster]

Originally Posted by thebeginning

Well ok, I meant 'you lift for strength and focus on the powerlifting mindset'.

Not that you necessarily are a 'powerlifter'.


Just 'fat kids' don't tend to know the stuff about lifting that you do

Thanks. I've spent about a year and a few months of my life researching the subject of strength development. No way I'll let any brainiac know better than me... This is my obsession... and expertise...

[thebeginning]

Very cool, man. Now's the time to keep packing on the brawn to match up with the brains (har har har).

[GeorgeT]

Originally Posted by Freakster

Thanks. I've spent about a year and a few months of my life researching the subject of strength development. No way I'll let any brainiac know better than me... This is my obsession... and expertise...

i like your attitude towards the sport, im the same way.