Parallel Squats versus Ass-to-grass squats

Parallel Squats Vs. Ass-to-grass

  • Parallel squats, state why.

    Votes: 47 55.3%
  • Ass-to-grass squats, state why.

    Votes: 36 42.4%
  • Other, state why.

    Votes: 2 2.4%

  • Total voters
    85
TexasLifter89

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Which do you prefer and why?
-Scientific Reasoning for preference
-Injury related reasoning
-Muscle growth

I personally have always done parallel simply because thats how i was brought up, are their any benefits to going over to ATG version?
 
Emerge

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I'm also interested in this topic. BTW I will PM you when I start the osteo sport, if you are still interested.
 
james1

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ATG squats are great, but being a track runner, the ATG squats tear apart my knees. IMO I get almost the same workout from ATG squats and parallel squats, only difference is the ATG squats work my hamstrings a whole lot more then parallel's. So from my experience, the ATG would have slight advantage due to extra hamstring stress
 
TexasLifter89

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Yeah I generally do Parallel and don't feel much in my hamstrings, therefore i always do some hamstring workouts in quad day. Always learning, hearing, and willing to try something new!
 
james1

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Maybe a little more depth is all you need lol. And for trying new things x2!
 
RenegadeRows

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ATG targets hamstrings as well as quads and glutes. That being said, I don't like to go too far down in fear that I'll lose my balance. Especially when I have more than 200 on my back. I voted parallel
 
suncloud

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both for me, but ATG is by far my favorite. i do an ATG day, then another day to parallel, where i use more weight.

if the bigger the muscle, the more test is released from your testes, which muscle releases the most? the quads, which are the longest, or the glutes, which have the most size?

for that reason, i do both. ATG seems to tear me up more though.
 
lategainer

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parallel

I go parallel on squats only because of questionable knees - been thinking of wrapping them up and see if it helps.
 
whiteonblackL

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ive always done ATG... parallel just doesnt feel like it does anything for me, ive had 3 knee surgerys and it doesnt hurt me one bit..... (knock on wood)
 
Resolve

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ive always done ATG... parallel just doesnt feel like it does anything for me, ive had 3 knee surgerys and it doesnt hurt me one bit..... (knock on wood)
ATG for the same reason - parallel just doesn't do nearly as much for me. Hitting rock bottom has really helped with total leg development, whereas parallel seems to make squats much more of a "quads only" movement. I mean, I'll walk away from ATG squats and everything is sore - even my calves. Also have found that they really have made progress with my vastis medialis.
 
whiteonblackL

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ATG for the same reason - parallel just doesn't do nearly as much for me. Hitting rock bottom has really helped with total leg development, whereas parallel seems to make squats much more of a "quads only" movement. I mean, I'll walk away from ATG squats and everything is sore - even my calves. Also have found that they really have made progress with my vastis medialis.
haha ya i know what you mean, i did ATG yesterday and my calves are still feeling it:head: i love it
 
rxp1997

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both for me, but ATG is by far my favorite. i do an ATG day, then another day to parallel, where i use more weight.

if the bigger the muscle, the more test is released from your testes, which muscle releases the most? the quads, which are the longest, or the glutes, which have the most size?

for that reason, i do both. ATG seems to tear me up more though.
According to "Practical Programming for Strength Training", exercise does not lead to an increase in test production; the higher the intensity relative to 1RM, the greater the decrease in circulating testosterone. You might have been thinking of growth hormone, that definitely increases, particularly from compound/multi-joint execises.

As to ATG vs Parallel, i do either above, below or at parallel. I use other exercises to tax the hamstrings in the way ATG does.
 
suncloud

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According to "Practical Programming for Strength Training", exercise does not lead to an increase in test production; the higher the intensity relative to 1RM, the greater the decrease in circulating testosterone. You might have been thinking of growth hormone, that definitely increases, particularly from compound/multi-joint execises.

As to ATG vs Parallel, i do either above, below or at parallel. I use other exercises to tax the hamstrings in the way ATG does.
squats, deads, and bench all release huge amounts of testosterone. the problem is all the literature doesn't suggest if its the glutes or the quads, or a combination of, that is responsible for this testosterone release. most likely a combination of, but how much degree glutes or quads release on their own, is entirely up to speculation - there's no articles for this anywhere, from what i've seen (or lack thereof).

growth hormone is released from a combination of compound moves and limited breaks - i.e. supersets, trisets, etc. growth hormone also thrives with limited/no carbs.

trust me on this.
 
KLaw666

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id rather use lighter weight and go deep personally. . . . the funny thing is that the majority of ppl i see in the gym hardly even make it to 45 degrees let alone parallel. people who throw on a sh1t ton of plates and then go down 2 inches and call it a squat p1ss me off:smite:
 
ozarkaBRAND

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Parallel gets it good for me, will depend on the width of your stance though.

I notice that if I attempt to really go ATG with a wider stance that there is no way to prevent my lumbar spine from rounding. It's an anatomical sad-face causer.
 
Kristofer68SS

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ATG..

for me it means more function of actual strength.........

Example- Like the ego(leg) press, guys put on 12-14 plates, get everybody in the gym looking. Or anybody that doesnt know better. Then scream doing it. lol

But, the same guy cant ATG 225.........

I guess its impressive. Dont know. I dont do that lift. I find that it rounds the back.

In the real world, squats and deads are a function of real strength.......At least IMO.

To each his own.......

Parallet or ATG......... If your doing squats, kudos.
 
ozarkaBRAND

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ATG..

for me it means more function of actual strength.........

Example- Like the ego(leg) press, guys put on 12-14 plates, get everybody in the gym looking. Or anybody that doesnt know better. Then scream doing it. lol

But, the same guy cant ATG 225.........

I guess its impressive. Dont know. I dont do that lift. I find that it rounds the back.

In the real world, squats and deads are a function of real strength.......At leaset IMO.

To each his own.......

Parallet or ATG......... If your doing squats, kudos.
I feel you on the leg press. I have lots of back issues with that exercise especially.
 

wrkn4bigrmusles

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I can never tell if I'm parallel so I just bottom out, so I just ensure the safety bars are set the right height to catch the bar if i drop out
 
bolt10

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ATG here i personally think you are doing yourself a disservice to do only Parallel and cutting yourself short of full benefits

with that said nothing is ever absolute..i have a friend 6ft5 and i continually work on his flexibility to get real low but its hard for him..so i get him to go as low as possible(hes also had surgery to repair a torn ACL but that doesn't seem to bother him)
 
VolcomX311

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Subjective to knee function and leg extremities. I like beyond parallel, but I'm not a purest on @$$ to grass. Some people have such long legs that an @$$ to grass position places their torso too far tiled forward, and they have to overcome a good-mornings exercises while attempting to squat. If you have shorter legs and can maintain a straight torso, then @$$ to grass; greater range of motion, activates other muscles such as glutes and hips in a deeper fashion, the further down you travel, the greater force is required to reverse that negative momentum, which has enormous implications on muscle force, requires greater core contraction the further down you go, as it requires greater stability and balance....etc., I could go on. However, as mentioned before, I'm no purest. I think there are plenty of situations where parallel will suffice, much has to do with knee conditions, lumbar conditions and again, leg and torso extremities. When an @$$ to grass turns into a good-mornings/squat, then I'm for parallel. If you can go @$$ to grass without a diminished performance due to awkward body positioning, then @$$ to grass holds many more benefits then parallel.
 
ShiftyCapone

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I voted parallel because I have a hard time keeping anything even remotely resembling "good posture" when going ATG.

Plus, I do weighted lunges and leg curls to work my glutes and hammys...
 
boogerboy

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I do both, but when I go ATG i def lighten up a bit. ATG also benefits the "teardrop" shape: the vastus medialis.

I always see people that go light and still barely go lower than 45 degrees and the guys loadin the leg press and barely go down 3-4 inches . . . what a waste! STFU and squat
 
Emerge

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I just started ATG. Coming from a medial miniscus tear. And, I can honestly say that my knee has felt MUCH better after doing these ATG squats.
 
drivehard

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just past parallel only - after two knee reconstructions, they can't take ATG. I do deads and hammy curls to make up for it.
 
Kristofer68SS

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I just started ATG. Coming from a medial miniscus tear. And, I can honestly say that my knee has felt MUCH better after doing these ATG squats.

My knees have gotten better since doing squats.

They may get sore, well my whole leg gets doms, but overall function and mobility is ALOT better for me.
 
LoPips20

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regarding people who said they don't feel much in their hamstrings during squating. This could be from the distance between your feet as well. I always seem to find the more narrower my feet are to eachother, the more they work my quads, while the further they are, the more the squats work my ass and hammys.
 
surive123

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I used to go ATG all the time. Ever since switching to par, I have been having knee issues :(
 
LoPips20

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I did ATG squats today for the first time in a long time. Different parts of my legs are sore than normal, seemed significantly harder. Also, knee's were alil sore.
 

CHAPS

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I do atg for front and back squats, not everyone is built to go atg, you can actually see the spine flex on someone who goes to deep for their body type. I like atg because i like the longer range of motion and the extra glute/hamstring activation. I recently bought some olympic weightlifting shoes and hitting atg feels super natural pm me if anyone wants info on the shoes.

If your having problems with your squat depth first look at your ankles, ankle mobility is a big reason why you see alot of shallow squaters, also stretching your hip flexors helps.
 
Aggravated

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I like the idea of saving my knees. I do parallel squats, because of this.
 

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I always do parallel. Thats the way i have always been taught. Also i am a catcher so i try to take it as easy on my knees as possible and i have found that going any lower seems to strain the knees a little more than i want. So i always try to pair an RDL or another hamstring lift with my squats.
 
slanno

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ATG squats put less strain on your knees, and it works your hams more thus adding more support to your acl's once your hams get strengthened.
 
fritzer

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2 inches below parallel or it didn't even happen
 
John Smeton

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I go atg. Ive been doing it for four years or so. Many guys when they go parallel they stack on so much heavy weight(I used to do this) and skimp a lil bit on parrell and go higher and skimp some more. no doubt you blow you upper legs this way; however there's a study on mindandmuscle (in an article, been a long time since i even been on that site)I believe that said going parallel or above is worst for the knees than atg. Now I have in the past used half squats to put on a couple inches on my upper leg, which does work. as far as squatting though I do atg because so many guys once they start going moving up in weight on the squat go higher and higher in till there basically doing a half squat. IF you think you need to go lower you do.
 

OzzY SluGGa

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My legs are my body part that grows easiest so I def dont mess with ATG. Why risk injury, and added knee pressure when you can get the results from Parallel? but hey, every ones bod is diff i guess...
 
Pikaberdot

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I don't think that going to a certain depth is what has any sort of impact on your knees. What does have an impact is where your weight is distributed on your feet. You don't want your feet too close together, or too far apart.

I go as low as I can while making sure my HEELS stay planted. As soon as the weight shifts to your toes, that's where the stress on your knee occurs. That said I go just below parallel, but not ATG, because my heels start to come off the ground.

Also make sure you "Stand Proud" throughout your squat motion: Chest Up, Ass Out. Looking straight ahead, NOT up in the sky, or down at your feet.
 

OzzY SluGGa

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ATG..

for me it means more function of actual strength.........

Example- Like the ego(leg) press, guys put on 12-14 plates, get everybody in the gym looking. Or anybody that doesnt know better. Then scream doing it. lol

But, the same guy cant ATG 225.........

I guess its impressive. Dont know. I dont do that lift. I find that it rounds the back.

In the real world, squats and deads are a function of real strength.......At least IMO.



To each his own.......

Parallet or ATG......... If your doing squats, kudos.
Amen, to everything in that post
 
raginfcktard

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atg...used to do parallel and was getting knee pain at max weights, sometimes down into my shins.

i finally swtiched when i read a quote from whom i can't remember and went something like "half a rep means half the development", i lowered the weight and focused on full range reps. have had more development this year than throughout my lifting history especially in the glutes and tie'ins!
 

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Sorry to bring up an old thread but I was trying to find something out and couldn't get any results through the search feature.

I've been doing squats to parallel and then found out about ATG squats and I have noticed that my hams don't really get too sore from parallel.

Gonna lighten up the weights next leg day and try ATGs but I've noticed that if I just do a body-weight squat, once I go down to a certain depth my ass/hips seem to kind of roll inward and I can't see that being a good thing when I'm doing it with more weight.

Any tips on how to avoid that? Also, should I widen my stance past shoulder-width? Keep feet pointing straight ahead or slightly outwards?
 
fritzer

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people can preach positioning to you all day long. You gotta find what is best for you, and yeah, that can be a big chore but you have to do it.

I am 6'5 and i go pretty narrow, feet right inside my shoulders. toes slightly outwards.
generally bodybuilding squats are around shoulder and toes a little out. BUT DO WHAT FEELS BEST AND MOST STABLE/NO PAIN

As far as depth i think you have to break parallel at least a couple inches. The inward roll, if it is like a sort of "bee sting" action happens to a lot of people and can be considered normal. If that is uncomfortable or scary just at first start by going a couple inches below parallel and then re-asses in a few months if you want deeper or not.

Anything that breaks parallel by a couple inches is A-OK in my book. With time you will get stronger and more flexible and you will go deeper
 

iDShaDoW

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Well, tried ATGs today and man was it rough.

Considering I've never done legs before I thought I was getting decent gains. Was at 200lbs for parallel and working my way up steadily.

Dropped it to 5 reps @ 130lbs for ATG and had to drop like 20lbs off each successive set and found I was really struggling to get out of the hole at the bottom of each rep (at least I know to start real low next time though). If I managed to get out of it, it was no problem though once my quads could take over.

Guess my hams/glutes are fairly weak compared to my quads from doing only parallel.

It's pretty damn embarssing seeing myself struggle with a bar with such a small amount of weights on each side compared to what would be there if I were doing parallel...

I also noticed that my adductors were being hit along with my hams (glutes not so much). Is this due to bad form?
 
JIXXER

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Which do you prefer and why?
-Scientific Reasoning for preference
-Injury related reasoning
-Muscle growth

I personally have always done parallel simply because thats how i was brought up, are their any benefits to going over to ATG version?
Yea you blow out your knee caps....:shocked:

Parallel for me too!
 
JIXXER

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Weight Lifting Belts

Not trying to derail everyone...but

What about using a weight belt? Who likes to and who dosen't?

If your unsure of why I ask is because, research has show that you can do more damage than good, when using a weight belt.

How..?...U ask..read on:veryhappy:

Stuart McGill’s research.

* If you never injured your back, wearing a belt adds no safety.
* If you injure yourself while wearing a belt, the injury is more severe.
* To get the most out of weight belts, you must lift with bad technique.
* If you want to lift a few more pounds, wear a weight belt.


Why I Never Recommend Weight Belts. Guy subscribes to a gym. Does Biceps Curls like the other guys. Gets stronger. Hyper-extends his back on each rep to get even stronger. Gets lower back pain.

He wears a belt upon recommendation of the gym people. No more pain. Back to curls, but still hyper-extending his back. Pain comes back, but worse. Doctor diagnoses him with a hernia. Weight lifting gets bad reputation again.

It was Biceps Curls, but it could have been Squats or Deadlifts. If you don’t lift correctly, you’ll injure yourself. That’s why I don’t recommend belts: they give a false sense of security. And according to McGill, injuries get more severe.

Here is the link for all you guys that want to get more in depth info on this. Great reading for novice and advanced:bigok:
h t t p://stronglifts.com/weight-lifting-belts-to-wear-or-not-to-wear
 
fritzer

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i only belt up for max lifts when i do a heavy run
for 8 weeks:

4reps
3reps
2reps
2reps
2reps last set with belt and wraps
 

thehighway

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Yea you blow out your knee caps....:shocked:

Parallel for me too!
Actually, you're wrong.

Are deep squats bad for the knees?

Parallel Squat Position
Added by Tim Donahey
Deep, controlled squats are not only NOT "bad for the knees", they are, in fact, good for the knees. Properly performed, they evenly and proportionately strengthen all muscles which stabilize and control the knee (in addition to strengthening the muscles of the hip and posterior chain, upper back, shoulder girdle etc). When the hips are lowered in a controlled fashion below the level of the top of the patella, full hip flexion has occurred, and this will activate the hamstrings and glutes. In doing so, the hamstrings are stretched at the bottom of the motion and they pull the tibia backwards (toward da' butt) which counteracts the forward-pulling force the quadriceps apply during the motion. As a result, the stress on the knee tendons is lessened since the hamstrings assist the patellar tendon in stabilization of the knee. A muscle supporting a tendon which supports the kneecap is going to be better than the tendon having to take up the entirety of the strain by itself..
Think about Olympic lifters. They squat VERY deep (almost ridiculously deep) all the time, frequently 5 or 6 times weekly, with very heavy weight. If deep squats were so bad for their knees, they wouldn't be able to squat that deep, that often, and that heavy.

Partial squats, however, will NOT activate the hamstrings, and the amount of shearing force on the patellar tendon increases exponentially. What WILL happen if you do partial squats is that your quadriceps will become disproportionately strong as compared to your hamstrings, and the following are likely results:

In partial squats, the hamstrings aren't activated, which means the patellar tendon takes up all the strain/stress/pull during squats. As a result, fatigue and damage to the tendon can accumulate because tendons recover MUCH slower than muscles. Any type of action involving knee bend can then cause further stress and strain during daily activity. This is asking for trouble. If the hamstring is strong, it drastically reduces the amount of stress on the patellar tendon. Full squats make the hamstrings strong. Partial squats allow the hamstrings to become weak. Weak hamstrings are bad Bad BAD.
Partial squats develop the quads and neglect the hamstrings. Weak hamstrings coupled with strong quads result in hamstring pulls while sprinting, starting or stopping suddenly, playing sports, etc.. They frequently occur as the result of muscular imbalances across the knee joint. Strong quadriceps and weaker hamstrings result in a knee joint that is unstable during rapid acceleration and slowing, and the hamstrings are unable to counteract the powerful forces that occur during sudden stops and starts. In other words, you do a sprint with extra-strong quads and weak hammies, and you are begging for a pulled hamstring because your hamstring isn't as strong as the quads and isn't able to perform an adequate eccentric contraction to keep your knee joint from hyperextending during a sprint. As a result, you strain the hamstring because, although it isn't strong enough to do the job, it will hurt itself trying.
In sports, your acceleration will be weak, as will your jumping ability, as a result of underdeveloped hamstrings and hips. Poor speed/acceleration = poor performance
You will end up using stupidly heavy weights in the partial squat due to the mechanical advantage afforded by partial squats, and you put your back and even shoulder girdle at risk due to the extreme loading of the spine.
 
Torobestia

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Even though it's an old topic, I'll contribute. I think there's certainly a place for both, and going parallel will develop you. ATG will also develop you, but know you absolutely have to have the genetics and/or proper conditioning for it. Some people, myself included, don't have the leg dimensions to do ATG. Others, myself included, don't have the ankle and hip mobility required for ATG. Most people I've seen try ATG squats, which have been about 5 people total, round their backs at the bottom. This is tremendously bad form and will lead to injury over time. Thus, I recommend squatting to parallel, though breaking parallel should not be a big problem, either.
 

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I'm surprised that there are more votes for parallel. ATG squats are Superior in my opinion because a fuller range of motion recruits more muscle fibers in any exercise. And it is not bad for your knees at all. You think lifters who compete in the Olympics have bad knees? **** no, so why would it be bad for a normal person to do. It's actually bad for the knees to do those 1/4 squats not full ones.
 
oogaly_boogal

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I'm surprised that there are more votes for parallel. ATG squats are Superior in my opinion because a fuller range of motion recruits more muscle fibers in any exercise. And it is not bad for your knees at all. You think lifters who compete in the Olympics have bad knees? **** no, so why would it be bad for a normal person to do. It's actually bad for the knees to do those 1/4 squats not full ones.
Actually their joints are eventually shot to hell. Improper form of ANY squat is bad for you. Hell I believe its somewhere around 1200lb of pressure on your knee simply walking up stairs.
 

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I break parallel with a relatively wide stance, but I also concentrate on hip drive (see Mark Rippetoe's videos if you're unsure). ATG squats tend to make the low back/butt roll inwards which breaks the hip drive form. Your butt should stick out at the bottom of the movement.

Although I voted for parallel, I should probably have voted for 'other' since I do go below parallel, but I do not go so far as to roll inwards. This method definitely keeps tension on hamstrings and glutes and results in less shearing than partial squats.
 

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