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how far is a legit squat?

  • Thread starter Thread starter 84bandit
  • Start date Start date

84bandit

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is it parallel? or just under?

i cant go atg because of a torn acl. it really limits my atg weight
 
Vary the heights, You can get benefits from below parallel, at parallel, and above parallel. The lower you go the more aesthetic benefits you will get and increased overall development. Going to parallel is going to teach you how to do a competition squat if you plan on competing, and above parallel can be used to test proper movement patterns when first learning the squat or for overloading the nervous system through the overload principle.

I would highly suggest you allow your ACL to heal completely before squatting and when you do return to it, utilize box squats to keep your depth where you want it.
 
so a legal comp squat is parallel? i was wanting to get a squat max, but i didnt want to be accused of the whole "2in" leg bend deal
 
For a competition squat you must break parallel. To accomplish this your hip crease must be below the top of you knee's horizontal plain. If you have correct form and practice box squatting you will begin to know when you break parallel, but it is always good to have someone call it for you as well.
 
pmiller383 said:
Vary the heights, You can get benefits from below parallel, at parallel, and above parallel. The lower you go the more aesthetic benefits you will get and increased overall development. Going to parallel is going to teach you how to do a competition squat if you plan on competing, and above parallel can be used to test proper movement patterns when first learning the squat or for overloading the nervous system through the overload principle.

I would highly suggest you allow your ACL to heal completely before squatting and when you do return to it, utilize box squats to keep your depth where you want it.
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How would going above parallel help someone learn how to squat? I've always had people go below parallel just so they get in the habit of breaking the plane.

Just curious.
 
Steveoph said:
It uses your strong range of motion, and you can lift heavier due to mechanics. Increased overload leads to muscle growth/adaptation.
Click to expand...

So if I had someone who just started squatting, the advice is to start them going above parallel rather than at or below it?
 
Caferacer said:
How would going above parallel help someone learn how to squat? I've always had people go below parallel just so they get in the habit of breaking the plane.

Just curious.
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Gotta crawl before you can walk. Make sure people get the motion down without pulling something by going to parallel.
 
SilentBob187 said:
Gotta crawl before you can walk. Make sure people get the motion down without pulling something by going to parallel.
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Thats weird, I always had the walk before crawl mindset training; I just started them doing 8-10 reps with a light enough weight to reach parallel.

In once case having the guy hit parallel also helped with his flexibility.

*shrugs* differences in training methodologies are a dime a dozen.
 
Caferacer said:
Thats weird, I always had the walk before crawl mindset training; I just started them doing 8-10 reps with a light enough weight to reach parallel.

In once case having the guy hit parallel also helped with his flexibility.

*shrugs* differences in training methodologies are a dime a dozen.
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I'm with you 100%, I'd rather do light weight and complete range of motion (or at least to parallel in this case) I'm just commenting on what I've seen the trainers do with folks at the gym.
 
Squatting above parallel for a beginner allows them to engrain the proper motor patterns for the movement. With a lot of people you will find that there form will break at a certain point when they first learn to squat, by using a box that stops them right before their form breaks you teach them to use that form every time, then gradually lower the box to below parallel which will teach them a proper squat. This can be extremely effective with teaching people to arch their back, or people with tight hip flexors, usually they will round their back at the bottom and try to find the box. So if you can teach them how to hold a proper posture by not forcing them to round at a certain depth you can have them keep good habits while they begin to gain flexibility with soft tissue work and mobility training.

A higher squat for advanced trainers that already have the movement down will increase neural activation and strengthen stabilizer muscles. This is particularly effective for competing lifter who will use a squat suit or briefs because it will produce confidence and help prevent injury when putting on your gear and using significantly heavier loads.
Paul Anderson actually use to dig a hole a squat out of it which would lower his range of motion a lot. Then each week he would add dirt to the whole so that his range of motion became greater until he was completely squatting the weight. ( <-- little history lessen for you :) )
Besides theses special occasions where partial range of motion can be productive, nothing beats a deep squat with perfect form for strength, size, and athleticism.
 
I have never tried box squat (didn't know what it was/is) After reading this thread, I did some searching, and found some vids (bit confused now). I saw some with guys going all the way down, practically sitting down, then lifting up. Then I saw one that has a box about bench height. I copied this link for some feed back on the routine and what is a good idea on how to do "correct" box squats
Invalid Link Removed
 
Pmiller's Guide to a Proper Box Squat
  1. Place the bar on your back and get a strong grip - squeeze the bar
  2. drive the bar out of the rack with your hips, not your traps
  3. take as little steps back as needed to set up your stance
  4. Focus your eyes one something a little higher then eye level and dont take them off it for the whole movement
  5. Take a big breath of air into your stomach and fill your mouth with air as well, close your lips and hold the air
  6. Begin your decent into the hole by sitting your hips back, not down
  7. Keep your head up and arch hard on the way back, try to keep your chest up
  8. Keep sitting back until you reach the box
  9. Control yourself onto the box, do not flop onto it
  10. release your hip flexors to break the eccentric/concentric energy (hard to explain until you have it, if you can't figure it out dont worry) at this point you should be sitting on the box, do not just touch and go
  11. Dont rock on the box, stay tight
  12. Drive your head into the bar and begin your upward momentum
  13. Push your knees out and try to spread the floor apart with your feet
  14. Stand the F&*@ up
  15. Take another breath and repeat
 
pmiller383 said:
Pmiller's Guide to a Proper Box Squat
  1. Place the bar on your back and get a strong grip - squeeze the bar
  2. drive the bar out of the rack with your hips, not your traps
  3. take as little steps back as needed to set up your stance
  4. Focus your eyes one something a little higher then eye level and dont take them off it for the whole movement
  5. Take a big breath of air into your stomach and fill your mouth with air as well, close your lips and hold the air
  6. Begin your decent into the hole by sitting your hips back, not down
  7. Keep your head up and arch hard on the way back, try to keep your chest up
  8. Keep sitting back until you reach the box
  9. Control yourself onto the box, do not flop onto it
  10. release your hip flexors to break the eccentric/concentric energy (hard to explain until you have it, if you can't figure it out dont worry) at this point you should be sitting on the box, do not just touch and go
  11. Dont rock on the box, stay tight
  12. Drive your head into the bar and begin your upward momentum
  13. Push your knees out and try to spread the floor apart with your feet
  14. Stand the F&*@ up
  15. Take another breath and repeat
Click to expand...

NICE!!

Glad you included point #6, too many beginners begin the squat movement by flexing the knees instead of using the hips first, applies to box and regular squat.
 
Box squats have been a great tool I have used in the past to help train for a meet. I usually set the box height so I just break parallel. As far as doing more weight than usual with less ROM, I feel it does allow your body to adjust to the increased load over time. I have even done just walk offs, where I take a weight I know I can not squat, but just practice lift off and step back int position and re rack the weight. Walk off with 600 then when ya squat at 500 it seems light to un rack. Squating with limited ROM is no different than benching with boards, which we all know works.
 
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