Squats--1/2 way down or butt to ground? See pic

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minipony
minipony Posts: 194 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was reading an article from a body building site. I want to work on my booty. It said this about about squats: I perform SQUATS- real squats, the ideal depth being *kitten* TO GROUND or below parallel. Basically you want to squat until you cannot go down any further. The depth you are able to achieve may be limited to some extent by flexibility or physical handicap but always fight to get as low of a position as possible. This is crucial because as well as hitting your quads, it’s going to develop strength in your glutes and hamstrings. This glute/hamstring development is shorted big time if you squat to parallel or above.me4bk81sqvtd.jpg
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,668 Member
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    Honestly, being Asian (and skinny at that at 19) I HAD a flat butt. Currently have a well shaped butt from doing *cousin of donkey* to grass squats like above. Now of course I couldn't use as high of weight, but luckily I was going more for look than strength.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • minipony
    minipony Posts: 194 Member
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    Do you think the ones that you go half way down are ineffective for hitting the glutes? Those are pretty much the only ones they use in the classes at 24 hour fitness. I didn't even know there were ones all the way to the ground.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Glutes are still activated either way, as are hamstrings.

    For hamstrings, that picture is perfect. Hammy is going past knee and hip joints, so while the hip is making it tighter, the knee is making is looser. Unless you have some unusual body mechanics, it's probably a wash.

    But glutes a tad more on full depth, if your ankle and hip mobility allow it. As mentioned, you'll have to do less weight most find. But if starting out, that wouldn't matter.

    Shorted big time sounds like an exaggeration though. Could be, may be, sounds more realistic.

    Some info on dangers to be aware of on full squat. Tad ways down.

    http://www.exrx.net/Kinesiology/Squats.html
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    minipony wrote: »
    Do you think the ones that you go half way down are ineffective for hitting the glutes? Those are pretty much the only ones they use in the classes at 24 hour fitness. I didn't even know there were ones all the way to the ground.

    Half squats are only good for looking like chump while pretending to squat. At least break parallel. After that it depends more on the type of squat and the goals and mobility of the squatter.

    Just my 2 cents.
  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
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    There's two types of back squats: low-bar and high-bar.

    Low-bar is posterior chain dominant so it involves the glutes/hamstrings more. High-bar is quad dominant. That's not to say your glutes aren't involved in a high-bar squat, just that it's not as involved as in a low-bar squat.

    The woman in that picture is doing a high-bar squat. You will not be able to hit the depth in that picture with a low-bar squat without your back rounding.
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
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    In my experience A2G squats are the only ones that count. I started training above parallel, moved on to A2G and in the process had to reduce the weight, but it was so very worth it. As I was discovering real strength is only possible when you do a full range of motion, moving to your maximum flexibility. When you train your muscles for depth, whether it be a going all the way down on the squat or touching the bar to your sternum on the bench press, you hit the muscles at every possible angle and teach them how to dig out of difficult situations. Couple that with a heavy lifting regimen and you'll maximize your real world strength gains.

    Real strength is a combination of flexibility and power, you can have both if you train for it.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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    Bump to read later
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    DopeItUp wrote: »
    minipony wrote: »
    Do you think the ones that you go half way down are ineffective for hitting the glutes? Those are pretty much the only ones they use in the classes at 24 hour fitness. I didn't even know there were ones all the way to the ground.

    Half squats are only good for looking like chump while pretending to squat. At least break parallel. After that it depends more on the type of squat and the goals and mobility of the squatter.

    Just my 2 cents.

    but i think by "half squats" she's actually talking about full squats, which are squats to just past parallel.

    to the OP: ATG squats aren't "REAL" squats (which suggests that a powerlifting meet qualifying squat is fake). Most people will have to remove a TON of weight to have any chance of coming up from an ATG squat and quite a few people will never be able to develop the flexibility to do them (or it will take so long doing mobility work that they will miss out on 9 months of solid gains while trying to develop that level of flexibility.

    if i need to develop my glutes and hams, there's a trillion other things i can specifically to engage them without ditching 100 pounds from my squat.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Oh c'mon - I'm just managing just past parallel and now there's a frickin' sumo style one

    go away :)
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Honestly, being Asian (and skinny at that at 19) I HAD a flat butt. Currently have a well shaped butt from doing *cousin of donkey* to grass squats like above. Now of course I couldn't use as high of weight, but luckily I was going more for look than strength.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    The girl in the pic is using bumper plates so its definitely not as heavy as you think
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    My advice? Pick a squat type (low bar or high bar) that you can do with good form given your particular anthropomorphy.

    Then consistently improve it and add load to it whilst striving to maintain good form.

    Changing your squat style based on a single training article when you're not having problems with your existing set-up (or one's that can be fixed with minor tweaks) is nuts.
  • TFaustino67
    TFaustino67 Posts: 551 Member
    edited March 2015
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    There are some whose 'mechanics' simply won't allow A2G:
  • TFaustino67
    TFaustino67 Posts: 551 Member
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    Try that again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmknaFEFcF0
  • Halbared
    Halbared Posts: 24 Member
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    OP, greater ROM or movement is better for overall strength.
    Train for what your goals are, if PL 'meets' are important you train for that.
    An article that may help you.
    https://www.t-nation.com/training/dispelling-the-glute-myth
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I don't do ATG, but I do make sure to break parallel. I have to be really careful with squats (I have a hypermobile spine) so I do it exactly the way my PT instructed me.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    OP - so are you saying that if you hit parallel on a squat that it is not a "real squat"??? If yes, then I guess I am not a real squatter as i hit parallel or just below every time….
  • Lovefastball99
    Lovefastball99 Posts: 53 Member
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    *kitten* to grass B) This is how I squat. Like others have posted, the weight is less than what I can lift to parallel. I choose this method because I feel my glutes are more engaged in the way up from the grass whereas I feel my quads are more engaged in a parallel. I see absolutely nothing wrong with either one. Both are excellent exercises and neither is "real" compared to the other. My choice is personal. ATG has given me a more tight and high sitting rear end.
  • Tortitudekitty
    Tortitudekitty Posts: 67 Member
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    Squat to parrallel ....yes.
    ATG....no.

    Probably due to one ankle joint having to be fixed with meccano when I bust it back in 2001. The metalwork has been removed but the flexibility was never totally regained. :(


    Also I'm getting on a bit!

    Never mind, I still feel it the next day in my legs.
  • foursirius
    foursirius Posts: 321 Member
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    I hit slightly below parallel when i back squat. For a front squat i do atg.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I asked my physiotherapist about this same thing, because I want to build more booty but have issues with knees, and she said pretty much what @DavPul‌ said - even though the hams aren't as tapped below parallel, the other stuff I'm doing (hip thrusts, bridges, cable kickbacks, step ups, etc) more than makes up for it.

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