How low do you go?

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djfriedman81
djfriedman81 Posts: 125
in Fitness and Exercise
How low do you go when you squat?

I just started going down beyong parallel (ATG) and I am so sore today. I have been squating 3x per week for about a month now but the last 2 times I've been going lower than before. Is the extra soreness to be expected?

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  • marypatmccue
    marypatmccue Posts: 521 Member
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    How low do you go when you squat?

    I just started going down beyong parallel (ATG) and I am so sore today. I have been squating 3x per week for about a month now but the last 2 times I've been going lower than before. Is the extra soreness to be expected?

    I go just above 90 degrees. BARELY above.
    You might ask SideSteel, HeyBales, Taso, HelloitsDan.
    Great resources.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    For a properly performed squat you want to just barely break the parallel. The way to verify this is to have someone watch you from the side, or take a video of yourself. The crease of your hips should get just under your knee. It's ok to go deeper, though you won't really get any additional benefit from it. It's generally not advised to go shallower, as you will fail to activate the hamstrings and the imbalance can lead to knee issues.

    Also, regarding the soreness.. it's certainly not unusual to be extra sore if you've made a form correction.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
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    I saw this video earlier today. Very good information (it's only a few minutes).

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSQ1H93IVoI

    And Taso is right.

    Good guide here: http://train.elitefts.com/instructional/so-you-think-you-can-squat-parts-1-5/
  • marypatmccue
    marypatmccue Posts: 521 Member
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    For a properly performed squat you want to just barely break the parallel. The way to verify this is to have someone watch you from the side, or take a video of yourself. The crease of your hips should get just under your knee. It's ok to go deeper, though you won't really get any additional benefit from it. It's generally not advised to go shallower, as you will fail to activate the hamstrings and the imbalance can lead to knee issues.

    Also, regarding the soreness.. it's certainly not unusual to be extra sore if you've made a form correction.

    Thanks for hoppin' in :)
  • demorelli
    demorelli Posts: 508 Member
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    Maybe just to practice your height try box squats with a chair/box/endtable/trashcan equal height to the base of your knee. I came across these the other day searching youtube for a video on form
  • Liftnlove
    Liftnlove Posts: 235
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    I do both...when I do my heaviest squat sessions, I go to parallel. But it's a completely different challenge to do ATG squats. I like to mix it up.
  • djfriedman81
    djfriedman81 Posts: 125
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    great thank you all for the advise

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