Heavy Squat - what's your range of motion?

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mutantspicy
mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I'm just looking to get people's opinion, sort of survey of how low do you go?

Back when I first starting lifting in Middle School, a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far way. Lol., we all used to try to max out with our big 3 lifts, and everybody would go thighs parallel to the floor. More and more, I'm seeing heavy lifters go @$$ to grass, is this the common rule of thumb these days? I go deep to the floor when doing body weight and dumbells, I have never tried it with heavy plates on a bar. Its been a while since I've done any power lifting, I've mostly been maintenance lifting while losing weight, I'm almost at my target weight. So I'm consider doing some power lifting to add some mass once I get there in a couple months. Just curious what you guys are doing nowadays.

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited April 2018
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    I go parallel. I wouldn't bother with ATG unless I was training for a PL meet where it would be required.

    I like this article:

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

    When I worked with my trainer/coach, he never had me go below parallel.

    ETA: if I did go ATG, I'd wrap the *kitten* out of my knees.
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I go parallel. I wouldn't bother with ATG unless I was training for a PL meet where it would be required.

    I like this article:

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

    When I worked with my trainer/coach, he never had me go below parallel.

    ETA: if I did go ATG, I'd wrap the *kitten* out of my knees.

    Thanks good article. Yeah, I was thinking that I would have to go pretty light to get the mechanics down for ATG. Granted, I'm out of practice with barbell power lifting in general so I'd definitely start out light regardless.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
    edited April 2018
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    Here's another T-Nation article that makes the case for using a different ROM when doing squats based on your anatomy and specific training needs:

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/truth-about-*kitten*-to-grass-squats

    Parallel is the generally accepted minimum, which is what I do, but the article makes a good case for why you may actually need or want to do partial or ATG squats instead.

    As w/most things, one size does not necessarily fit all.

    NOTE: LOL! MFP's "bad" word checker converted the "a" word in the link above to "kitten." So, you can't use it as embedded in my msg.

    To find the page, you have to cut and paste the link and change the word back to the "a" word or just do a direct Google search for it using the phrase: The Truth About ATG Squats.

    Sorry for the inconvenience but it is worth the effort to read it.

  • andreaen
    andreaen Posts: 365 Member
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    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Here's another T-Nation article that makes the case for using a different ROM when doing squats based on your anatomy and specific training needs:

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/truth-about-*kitten*-to-grass-squats

    Parallel is the generally accepted minimum, which is what I do, but the article makes a good case for why you may actually need or want to do partial or ATG squats instead.

    As w/most things, one size does not necessarily fit all.

    The kitten broke your link, anyone trying to get to the page change *kitten* for @ss (with a normal a ;)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I go parallel. I wouldn't bother with ATG unless I was training for a PL meet where it would be required.

    I like this article:

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

    When I worked with my trainer/coach, he never had me go below parallel.

    ETA: if I did go ATG, I'd wrap the *kitten* out of my knees.

    ATG is not required in any powerlifting meet. Only to break parallel with the crease of hips compared to top of knees. That can be literally 1/4" if the judges have the perfectly skilled eye to see

    OP to go ATG, is less optimal and a weaker movement when you factor in it will shorten the tension on your hamstrings, thus less rebound effect.

    Powerlifting isn't necessarily a mass builder compared to strictly hypertrophy work. Powerlifting in general is a higher intensity, hypertrophy doesn't necessarily have to be hard to do and can seem effortless to some trainees . They are both governed by volume.
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
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    Good Stuff! Thanks a lot, that's exactly the kind of input I was looking for.
  • Silkysausage
    Silkysausage Posts: 502 Member
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    This is interesting, I go atg thinking it was better but now I won't get so low.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
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    I go as deep as feels comfortable. I lift at a higher intensity for powerlifting. Which means I should just break parallel. But I personally would rather be safe than sorry in regards to my depth when training alone. Since with low bar squats I find it much more difficult to determine my depth by feel.

    I do however know I'm going to low when my lower back gets tight. Which is generally from a butt wink and stress on my SI.

    You can go as deep as you'd like. But never to the point where it compromises form or your body.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
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    Agree with thre above. I just break parallel when going heavy on squats.
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
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    Silkysausage wrote: »
    This is interesting, I go atg thinking it was better but now I won't get so low.

    Well I think there is some benefit to doing full range of motion lifts, I tend to do that with Body weight and or dumbells. From the second article linked, they seem indicate you can isolate the bottom bells of your quads and booty with atg, but if your going max intensity and max quad strength parallel allows you to lift bigger.
  • jamesakrobinson
    jamesakrobinson Posts: 2,149 Member
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    I go a2g on my lighter warm ups but I just crack parallel on heavier working sets or PR attempts.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
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    Wide stance slightly greater than shoulder width - Full ROM possible on a squat machine (front squats)...which comes close to A2G. Hamstrings touching calves if using a barbell (again front squats)...have not been to "snap city" yet but have had older gym goers tell me it's not such a great place and they wish they had my knee flexibility
  • mutantspicy
    mutantspicy Posts: 624 Member
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    Keto_Vampire wrote: »
    Wide stance slightly greater than shoulder width - Full ROM possible on a squat machine (front squats)...which comes close to A2G. Hamstrings touching calves if using a barbell (again front squats)...have not been to "snap city" yet but have had older gym goers tell me it's not such a great place and they wish they had my knee flexibility
    I can see that. I feel like its less scary. LOL to go lower with a front squat.

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