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Squat depth

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245

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  • Return2Fit
    Return2Fit Posts: 226 Member
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    ATG or nothing...lol
  • Noelani1503
    Noelani1503 Posts: 378 Member
    edited August 2016
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    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    It seems to me that we need information on natural variance among lifters, muscle activation, and sports specific transfer . . .

    Oh. Wait.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/26252837/

    https://bretcontreras.com/finding-your-ideal-squat-depth/

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/squat-depth-the-final-answer

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/real-science-of-squat-depth

    https://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/promotions/quarter-squats-transfer-sprinting/

    Thanks for this. I hadn't read the T Nation ones.

    I have long legs and flexible joints and prefer to have a very wide, turned-out squat to get to a depth that's comfortable. I like to stick with below parallel but not quite ATG.
  • TheDevastator
    TheDevastator Posts: 1,626 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I back squat to parallel...I front squat ATG...I front squat more often than I back squat...I also overhead squat ATG.

    This is also what I do. ATG is sort of required for most Olympic lifters.
  • merryward13
    merryward13 Posts: 1,662 Member
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    Depth before dishonor. ATG
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,392 MFP Moderator
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    I generally aim for ATG but I am very flexible (toes slightly pointed out). My wife on the other hand is working on parallel. She has really tight hips and legs.
  • shor0814
    shor0814 Posts: 559 Member
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    Far enough below parallel that I never question my depth.
  • ObsidianMist
    ObsidianMist Posts: 519 Member
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    I just go as low as I can while still getting up from it lol. which is usually parallel, or close to it
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    Just below parallel but not ATG.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Below parallel is just fine. A fair number of squatters can't go ATG without losing lumbar tension, and low bar squats are hard to ATG under the best of circumstances.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I'm a low bar squatter and the only way to go atg is with a narrower stance. That's fine as some of my templates have me, for volume squatting, at narrow, normal and extra wide. So atg on narrow, very deep at normal and just past parallel on extra wide.
    All three stances hit my leg muscles slightly different with extra wide feeling like it hits the posterior chain more.
    Normal stance seems to be balanced with muscle recruitment and narrow feels like it hits my quads a bit more than the posterior chain.
  • Neanbean13
    Neanbean13 Posts: 211 Member
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    Depends on clients mobility ROM. I'd identify any imbalances and mobility issues in ankles n hips first before just getting people to go ATG.
  • Ws2016
    Ws2016 Posts: 432 Member
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    I pay more attention to my back than to how low I am, bit that said, just below parallel at this point in time.
  • Damien_K
    Damien_K Posts: 783 Member
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    ATG
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    I don't lift heavy per se, more moderate and probably very light to some! However, it's totally dependent on the day, how my knees are feeling and how my hips are feeling as I have some issues. I'm also cautious of ATG because I am VERY flexible in the lower back and without a decent mirror can't be sure my form is correct, so if I ATG it's going to be with a lighter weight.

    As to stance, former gymnast and dancer, I can squat from ski to sumo parallel to turned out very low. So again, issues with really knowing what my muscles are doing and what is poor form and relying on flexibility! (I mostly can tell but i have an incident with a dance teacher years ago ringing in my ears where i had to consciously think about sitting up straight as I was hyper-extending so I can't always tell by feel as well as I should).
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    If I don't have to stand up immediately, I can go A2G. Squat form as per a trainer or workout routine, I barely make it to parallel. I've been told not to bother doing squats unless I can go A2G because anything else is useless.

    you have been told wrong...
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,392 MFP Moderator
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    If I don't have to stand up immediately, I can go A2G. Squat form as per a trainer or workout routine, I barely make it to parallel. I've been told not to bother doing squats unless I can go A2G because anything else is useless.

    you have been told wrong...

    I would definitely agree with that. A2G has more to do with flexibility/range of motion than form. If you can hit 90 with great form, it would still be beneficial.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    psulemon wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    If I don't have to stand up immediately, I can go A2G. Squat form as per a trainer or workout routine, I barely make it to parallel. I've been told not to bother doing squats unless I can go A2G because anything else is useless.

    you have been told wrong...

    I would definitely agree with that. A2G has more to do with flexibility/range of motion than form. If you can hit 90 with great form, it would still be beneficial.

    It's funny to me because the people who told me not to do squats were the fitness advice "experts" on MFP 3 years ago.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,392 MFP Moderator
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    zyxst wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    If I don't have to stand up immediately, I can go A2G. Squat form as per a trainer or workout routine, I barely make it to parallel. I've been told not to bother doing squats unless I can go A2G because anything else is useless.

    you have been told wrong...

    I would definitely agree with that. A2G has more to do with flexibility/range of motion than form. If you can hit 90 with great form, it would still be beneficial.

    It's funny to me because the people who told me not to do squats were the fitness advice "experts" on MFP 3 years ago.

    I think it's worth striving to get A2G, but there is nothing wrong with 90°.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    If I don't have to stand up immediately, I can go A2G. Squat form as per a trainer or workout routine, I barely make it to parallel. I've been told not to bother doing squats unless I can go A2G because anything else is useless.

    you have been told wrong...

    I would definitely agree with that. A2G has more to do with flexibility/range of motion than form. If you can hit 90 with great form, it would still be beneficial.

    It's funny to me because the people who told me not to do squats were the fitness advice "experts" on MFP 3 years ago.

    Everyone here is learning. I've encountered very few real experts here, though there are a handful. The best I can tell the only reason to go ATG is to get under the bar in a clean for a jerk, or in a snatch. More power to the ones who can do it in a back squat though. The wisdom of doing so though seems to be debated among real experts. And I SAS am not claiming to be one.
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I back squat to parallel...I front squat ATG...I front squat more often than I back squat...I also overhead squat ATG.


    Are you choosing to only squat to parallel on back squats and ATG on FS and OHS or is a mobility thing with the back squat? I'm hyper mobile (as in my butt can literally touch the ground before I stand up a clean) which is good for my Oly lifts but my coach sometimes has me working on limiting my depth on back squats (still past parallel); it seems to be working to increase strength so I was just wondering if you did this for a specific reason.

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