Squats--1/2 way down or butt to ground? See pic
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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.
^ This ^
I agree with this..from experience. I tried transitioning from high bar to low bar because I read you can squat more weight with a low bar. Really big mistake on my part because I wasn't getting to parallel on the low bar and it kind of messed with my knees. I will continue to high bar squat from now on because I can do it with good form to parallel or just below.0 -
MeganMoroz89 wrote: »I do have a question though - I only ever do squats so that my legs form a right angle before going back up. And I've always heard "don't let your knees go past your toes since it's bad for them," - but in OPs photo the knees are clearly sticking out beyond the toes.
So is that not a problem? Or does it just depend on the full movement that you're doing?
Knees going past toes is a common myth, disregard.
Most people would recommend squatting at least to parallel if not lower. When viewed from the side, your hip crease will drop below the top of the knee.
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I do a life of both. I keep a parallel squat for my heavy day and go light doing atg with a thruster. My ultimate aim is to do Olympic lifts so I'm working on the flexibility in my hips but my shoulders are not playing ball.
As long as you bring your booty back and round and you're fully engaged they're both working for you0 -
Karen_libert wrote: »I do a life of both. I keep a parallel squat for my heavy day and go light doing atg with a thruster. My ultimate aim is to do Olympic lifts so I'm working on the flexibility in my hips but my shoulders are not playing ball.
As long as you bring your booty back and round and you're fully engaged they're both working for you
That's a good goal. If your goal is Oly lifting though, you should focus on the Front Squat more than anything.0 -
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.
Good to know. I've got a bad knee that physically will not move into that position (at least not without a hell of a lot of pain. I'm happy if I can hit parallel on squats.
I'm on board with this. I think the weighted hip thrusts are helping me a lot, but they are fairly new to my workout.
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What I haven't seen in this discussion is any awareness of the factors that would cause you not to squat so low. I'm thinking specifically of lumbar flexion. Dave Tate, a 1k lb squatter, basically gives the following advice: squat as low as your flexibility will allow you to do safely but avoid lumbar flexion. In other words, if you don't have the flexibility do squat low properly, then squat a bit higher and start stretching your hips.
I don't do the oly squats as much as I should mostly because of an old bicycle racing injury to my elbow prevents me from locking my arms out overhead (hence no rest at the top makes it much less safe). I find a way to work the same muscles in a way that is safe for me.
I can tell you from experience that experience Lumbar flexion with 500+ pounds on your back is neither productive nor fun.0 -
TFaustino67 wrote: »Try that again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmknaFEFcF0
Nominate this video for a stickey! Great info, no wonder no one agrees on these.0 -
A full squat is below parallel by definition, however not everybody has the hip mobility to achieve this. As a general rule I would suggest going as far as your hips will allow, anything else and you will risk injury. You could try to improve hip mobility over time, but I wouldn't let it discourage anyone from adding weight. I've worked on bettering my hip mobility over time, when I reach plateaus and reduce weight I start by using my bettered range to work back up to the plateau weight. I can go lower all the way up the weight range because of focus on improving hip mobility. Even when struggling with hip mobility I have never experienced any issues with working glutes or any other worked muscle groups.0
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Best video on the topic ever!TFaustino67 wrote: »Try that again:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmknaFEFcF0
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Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »Karen_libert wrote: »I do a life of both. I keep a parallel squat for my heavy day and go light doing atg with a thruster. My ultimate aim is to do Olympic lifts so I'm working on the flexibility in my hips but my shoulders are not playing ball.
As long as you bring your booty back and round and you're fully engaged they're both working for you
That's a good goal. If your goal is Oly lifting though, you should focus on the Front Squat more than anything.
they are all front squats at the moment as I have a frozen shoulder and can't get the bar on my back
The other thing that is worth mentioning in relation to atg squats is hip flexibility. I have been practising sitting like a toddler and widening my knees to open up my pelvis. Not the most lady like position!0 -
"Basically you want to squat until you cannot go down any further."
No I do not.0 -
Wait - why did I post in a month old thread?
*cone of shame*0 -
in my experience, it is also dependent on how heavy one is going. When I squat lighter I can hit below parallel no problem; however, as I go up in weight I am at parallel or a tad below....
When I go heavy I go parallel or a bit below and when I go light I go as low as I can for more reps. I just bought drop shoes too and tried them out today with my quad workout. I felt I could go deeper with the flatter shoes. I adore doing squats.0 -
I really wanna build my gluttes , but I am kind of new to gym. So, I probably make a lot of mistakes , but i will try this
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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 and goals.
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.
As above, but with the bold part that I added. Obviously your body shape and mechanics are critical, but so are what you are trying to achieve.
The weightlifter is going to go much deeper than the powerlifter, who will most likely be deeper than the sprinter. Who knows what the bodybuilder is doing, probably somewhere over there on the leg press machine!
Point being, whilst you laugh at that guy doing quarter squats, he may be a sprinter and this is the optimal way for him to train. Why would the powerlifter bother going below parallel if that's all they need to get a white light? Why would the weightlifter squat in anyway that doesn't allow an upright torso, which he needs for carry over to his lift? The bodybuilder and bikini girl don't care that you are laughing at their squats, because their glutes and hams look better than yours.
Train in a way that is efficient for your goal, body type and avoids injury. If someone else is doing something different, it's not a zero sum game - you can both be right (or wrong!).
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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 and goals.
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.
As above, but with the bold part that I added. Obviously your body shape and mechanics are critical, but so are what you are trying to achieve.
The weightlifter is going to go much deeper than the powerlifter, who will most likely be deeper than the sprinter. Who knows what the bodybuilder is doing, probably somewhere over there on the leg press machine!
Point being, whilst you laugh at that guy doing quarter squats, he may be a sprinter and this is the optimal way for him to train. Why would the powerlifter bother going below parallel if that's all they need to get a white light? Why would the weightlifter squat in anyway that doesn't allow an upright torso, which he needs for carry over to his lift? The bodybuilder and bikini girl don't care that you are laughing at their squats, because their glutes and hams look better than yours.
Train in a way that is efficient for your goal, body type and avoids injury. If someone else is doing something different, it's not a zero sum game - you can both be right (or wrong!).
This is really a good answer. Much of it is definitely goal dependent and movement dependent. Some folks may not be able to hit certain depth based on sheer mechanics. There is definitely too much of an "absolutist" thought process on MFP about training and much of it is unfounded.0 -
Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »My advice? Pick a squat type (low bar or high bar) that you can do with good form given your particular anthropomorphy and goals.
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.
As above, but with the bold part that I added. Obviously your body shape and mechanics are critical, but so are what you are trying to achieve.
The weightlifter is going to go much deeper than the powerlifter, who will most likely be deeper than the sprinter. Who knows what the bodybuilder is doing, probably somewhere over there on the leg press machine!
Point being, whilst you laugh at that guy doing quarter squats, he may be a sprinter and this is the optimal way for him to train. Why would the powerlifter bother going below parallel if that's all they need to get a white light? Why would the weightlifter squat in anyway that doesn't allow an upright torso, which he needs for carry over to his lift? The bodybuilder and bikini girl don't care that you are laughing at their squats, because their glutes and hams look better than yours.
Train in a way that is efficient for your goal, body type and avoids injury. If someone else is doing something different, it's not a zero sum game - you can both be right (or wrong!).
This is really a good answer. Much of it is definitely goal dependent and movement dependent. Some folks may not be able to hit certain depth based on sheer mechanics. There is definitely too much of an "absolutist" thought process on MFP about training and much of it is unfounded.
So is parallel best for targeting glutes and hams? OMG tell me please my flat butt needs to know
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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.
This could put strain on your knees possibly and I don't think you would want to try it until you knew you had good form in regular squats. oh, and if you used to much weight it would be very difficult to get back up.
Also, I could never do that even when I was much thinner and younger. I just don't have the flexibility/ coordination. I couldn't even do it without weights. I had a home birth and it was recommended by some that you try to give birth in that position because gravity will help things along and I just could not achieve that position even in practice.0 -
What's with the fancy name? It's not even a squat! Why not just call it a lunge with a box?
I prefer straightforward names for exercises and straightforward exercises. 0 -
What's with the fancy name? It's not even a squat! Why not just call it a lunge with a box? I prefer straightforward names for exercises and straightforward exercises.
Because your leg is in a fixed position, so you're not "lunging".
Split Squat - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBSingleLegSplitSquat.html
Lunge - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBLunge.html0
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