Dont go below parallel!!

[turbozed]

When the squat is performed to a parallel depth, it is the knees, which take the majority of the stress involved in stopping the downward momentum of the squat. When the squat is performed to a full depth, this same braking stress is transferred to the larger, powerful muscles of the hips, hamstrings and buttocks. It is obvious that the squat must be performed with a great deal of control and that any type of rapid rebounding, whether it is done at parallel or at full depth will be detrimental to the knees.

Most people just don't understand this point. I think people start to feel the braking stress applied to the knees as people go further down in the squat towards parallel. Their mind begins to register 'lower equals more knee stress' and people just don't realize that, past parallel, all of this pressure shifts back towards the hips. One problem is that beginners don't even have the flexibility to get to the point where below parallel is comfortable so it's a realization that they will never achieve.

For people who do have the flexibility and I tell them to do a very slow bodyweight squat and actually concentrate intently on where the pressure is--towards the knees as they descend and back towards the hips as they break parallel--they will instantly get it on the first rep. 'Okay, yeah, I feel that happening.' It's a point that should be obvious to anybody, which is why I wonder why 'experts' constantly miss it. It seems to me that, if knee health is the issue with squats, then either squat full depth or not at all.

 

[Ian Coe]

ummm.....fuck off...you confused me.

Ian Coe is throwing down gang sines...

I thought he was just trying to take the thread off on a tangent...

Winnage.

 

[Gierrod]

This is the perfect squat!!

 

[RusViking]

Squat is obviously full range of motion.

I really loathe seeing people quarter squat. I can't think of one good reason for pausing your lift halfway. Seems like an injury waiting to happen.

I also think that the full squat (just squat period!) is essential for any kind of explosive athlete. There is no explosion in the quarter or half squat, where as in the squat, you really learn to utilize your drive.

Some people have to stiff legs to do full squats though. Soccer players or long distance runners in particular have problems squatting in my experience. The rest are just scared they won't be able to get up again and they're probably right.

 

[Baconator69**]

A guy told me that at my gym once. His face had a chalk imprint of my right palm on the left side of his face.

No one has bothered me since

 

[ExtremeStandard]

Big thread lol.
IMO squat parallel if your goal is power lifting because parallel is as low as you have to go. If you in Olympic lifting doing a complete squat is necessary because during the clean and jerk and snatch and other lifts involving the squat need that full ROM. Because if you snatching 300 pounds doing a quarter squat or parallel squat is gonna land you in the hospital. And lastly if you are doing the squat as part of a general fitness routine you best to be doing full ROM to gain the most benefits out of each exercises.
Just my 2 cents.