Squats - all the way down!

[paradigmer]

I finally quit being a big wimp and started on full squats this week--going all the way down--ass to ankles.

Wow....big difference. I used a much lighter weight than I'm accustomed to with just going down to parallel and it still kicked my ass!

I've had jello legs all week.

Much harder!

[CJPopovich]

More isn't better; better is better. I emply both full and parallel (as well as those a touch over parallel) squats. I am a big fan of full squats, but think the important thing is that you put a heavy bar on your back and go deep. I really like using both to mix it up. Especially if I have some minor injury (besides knees) then doing the full squats lets me use lighter weight for a bit. All good tools.

[russy_russ]

It depends on your goals. If your looking to improve olympic lifts such as the clean & jerk and snatch, doing full squats will be beneficial (you're joints in good health of course). Otherwise, parallel squats are ideal.

[thaOrleanyte]

I cant do full squats, I think it's just my physiology. When I go deep my back rounds and and my heels lift. I cant stop it.....any suggestions to keep this from happening

[Mulletsoldier]

I cant do full squats, I think it's just my physiology. When I go deep my back rounds and and my heels lift. I cant stop it.....any suggestions to keep this from happening

What is your head positioning during the descent? I.e., is it pointing upwards, downwards, or parallel? Are your neck and traps taut, or loose? The spine goes where the head takes it, and it is the very first thing which will throw your entire form off; it is also the last thing most people consider..

[smshannon001]

also mentioning physiology
the longer your femur the harder it will be to do full squats because it displaces your weight further back the lower you go
one of my kiniesatrics teachers was mentioning proportions of ankle to knee length and knee to hipjoint length.. if the knee to hip section of your leg is longer then the deeper squats will be much harder

[Rah22491]

think of it this way 1/2 way down 1/2 the results all the way down=fully developed monster quads. Ever since i started going parrallel i have seen amazing gains in leg development. Its rough but you gotta do it

[cable626]

hey guys, to learn low bar squats search "mark rippetoe squat"
do a 5x5 routine and see how fast your whole body grows doing low bar squats below parallel. I love it and it's the single best thing i've ever done to step up my training.

[Steveoph]

hey guys, to learn low bar squats search "mark rippetoe squat"
do a 5x5 routine and see how fast your whole body grows doing low bar squats below parallel. I love it and it's the single best thing i've ever done to step up my training.

Just did 8x8 of low squats today, and they are amazing. You'll never go back to knee bends

[dedlifter1]

think of it this way 1/2 way down 1/2 the results all the way down=fully developed monster quads. Ever since i started going parrallel i have seen amazing gains in leg development. Its rough but you gotta do it

parallel is halfway down. So your getting half the results? Or your doin full ass to ankles? Im confused. I go until my hip crease goes below my knee joint.

[jasonschaffin]

I cant do full squats, I think it's just my physiology. When I go deep my back rounds and and my heels lift. I cant stop it.....any suggestions to keep this from happening

Some people are not built to do full ATG squats, but SMR/Foam Rolling can make a huge difference in your flexibility.

[UKStrength]

I cant do full squats, I think it's just my physiology. When I go deep my back rounds and and my heels lift. I cant stop it.....any suggestions to keep this from happening

I have this problem, I tried for years with different foot placements and core stability work thinking it was just a 'weak core' that was preventing me getting lower in my squat.

Turns out my femurs are actually longer than most peoples'...

Solution...?

Bought a pair of olympic lifting shoes, ATG squats are no problem now

[smshannon001]

Turns out my femurs are actually longer than most peoples'...

thats what ive been sayin.. glad to hear a second
ill have to check out the shoes ... my lifting shoes are POS

[cable626]

I go until my hip crease goes below my knee joint.

+1

[cable626]

thats what ive been sayin.. glad to hear a second
ill have to check out the shoes ... my lifting shoes are POS

I have a pair of rogue weightlifting shoes, the new black ones, but I feel the heel is too high for me and it makes my knees drift too far forward.
I feel most comfortable in good old chuck taylors.

[AE14]

I try to stick with typical cross trainers, relatively flat soles. I cant always get down to A2G, however parallel is usually sufficient for most

[n87]

I heard that you need to do them in front of the mirror. The main point is to be able to see your own sphincter in the reflection, that would constitute the "full" squat.

[russy_russ]

think of it this way 1/2 way down 1/2 the results all the way down=fully developed monster quads. Ever since i started going parrallel i have seen amazing gains in leg development. Its rough but you gotta do it

The further you go passed parallel, the less force your skeletal muscles are producing due to a reduction in myosin crossbridges. This has no added benefit for hypertrophy, but does cause a stronger binding state of actin to the myosin heads at those particular ranges of motion (with training of course). Which, like I stated before, aids tremendously for olympic lifters.

[thaOrleanyte]

I do have long upper legs....skinny short lower...haha

I think is a flexibility issue also. I'm not rigid at all really, but being that im mostly torso and long femurs, getting ~5-10 below parallel is the lowest for me. I have to sit back more, and its alot easier with lighter weight.... below parralel for me (real heavy) throws off my force generation cause im trying to keep my back from rounding...or going into a good morning

sooo and I focused on keepin strict form today with some light squats. I find that if I focus more on where my hips are going, it helps me get below parallel and drive out of the bottom. Better hip drive kept me in tempo, less bending over slightly during lift.

[UKStrength]

thats what ive been sayin.. glad to hear a second
ill have to check out the shoes ... my lifting shoes are POS

Yeah they're pretty awesome mate. They're not cheap unfortunately but are a decent investment if you think you'll be squatting for many years to come and might save you an injury or two.

I have a pair of rogue weightlifting shoes, the new black ones, but I feel the heel is too high for me and it makes my knees drift too far forward.
I feel most comfortable in good old chuck taylors.

I still love my chucks and would never deadlift in anything else but these make squatting a breeze Maybe try what I did for a while (before I could afford the shoes) and just elevate your heels slightly by resting them on some 1.25kg plates?

I try to stick with typical cross trainers, relatively flat soles. I cant always get down to A2G, however parallel is usually sufficient for most

Cross trainers were the WORST thing that ever happened to any sort of resistance training. Some people swear by them, but I've had more injuries in them than I dare think about. Chucks, proper shoes or even bare feet for me!

I do have long upper legs....skinny short lower...haha

I think is a flexibility issue also. I'm not rigid at all really, but being that im mostly torso and long femurs, getting ~5-10 below parallel is the lowest for me. I have to sit back more, and its alot easier with lighter weight.... below parralel for me (real heavy) throws off my force generation cause im trying to keep my back from rounding...or going into a good morning

sooo and I focused on keepin strict form today with some light squats. I find that if I focus more on where my hips are going, it helps me get below parallel and drive out of the bottom. Better hip drive kept me in tempo, less bending over slightly during lift.

That certainly helped me for a while and did make my squat a little deeper. As soon as I added weight though the strain shifted off the leg muscle groups and predominantly onto my hip flexors (not good).

It wasn't a flexibility issue either, I can do a box and front split and my dynamic flexibility is also very good (axe kicks etc.). All I'd say is listen to your body and ignore any idiots who try to convince you it's your technique/flexibility/core stability.