Use of High Bar, Olympic Style Squats with Athletes
Posted by John P. Wagle
The depth of squat used in training with student athletes is an often debated topic. The debate goes back and forth on whether the powerlifting style (parallel) squat or Olympic style (hamstrings cover the calves) is the proper training tool. The toughest part is that there are so many factors to consider, such as: safety, physiological benefit (strength, power, hypertrophy, etc.), ability (the athlete's ability to even execute the movement), among countless others. I personally prefer to have the student-athletes use an Olympic style squat (front, back, or overhead), but do see a value in using the powerlifting style squat in certain occasions.
First, I would like to give my take on injuries and using the Olympic squat. I am of the belief that the likelihood of both acute and chronic injury is less using the Olympic squat. For starters, most injuries are seen when significant fatigue sets in and muscle and joint proprioceptor activity is decreased, regardless of squat depth (Schoenfeld, 2010). The point is, that the enemy in this case is not the squat or the depth, but actually reaching excessive amounts of fatigue. There are greater forces and anterior-posterior joint displacements using the Olympic squat instead of the powerlifting squat, but large forces and displacements are seen in sport very often (Swinton et al., 2012). If student-athletes are going to face these challenges in competition, where everything is random and reactive, then I believe we should train them in similar planes. At least in training, coaches get to control the amount of force, stress, volume, and other variables that may effect the safety of the athlete. Even if these forces are greater in the Olympic squat, the magnitude of forces seen through the hips and knees are well within the typically tolerated forces of these joints (Schoenfeld, 2010).
That being said, using the full range of motion (ROM) Olympic squat has been shown to actually improve flexibility and joint ROM through hip extension and flexion, knee flexion and extension, and ankle dorsiflexion (Kim et al., 2011; Monteiro et al., 2008; Morton et al., 2011). Improved joint ROM decreases the likelihood of injury and makes it more likely that the athletes stay in competition and are able to train for full offseasons, thus making the cumulative effects of your training that much greater.
With this increased joint ROM, athletes are capable of unlocking more strength than they otherwise would having limited joint ROM, especially around the ankles (Macrum, 2012). Training at a full ROM gives athletes strength at a full ROM, making it easier for them to have to ability to apply force during competition, no matter what situation arises. Using this ROM has relatively the same peak force, velocity, and power when compared to the powerlifting squat as well (Swinton et al., 2012). The Olympic squat keeps all these metrics the same, while decreasing the absolute load, which may provide a benefit in itself. Either way, the name of the game is increasing magnitude and rate of force production, and those metrics of performance are very attainable using the Olympic squat.
Along with these physiological benefits of the Olympic squat, testing also becomes much easier. Not only do loads decrease as a result of the depth, but the amount of depth becomes standardized for everyone. There is no more question of, "Did he/she get low enough?" If the athlete hits rock bottom, then they were low enough, if not, no repetition. I realize that not all athletes are going to be able to achieve this position, which presents movement dysfunction for the athlete to improve upon. For testing, just make note of the depth and let the athlete test with the rest of the team as long as doing so is not dangerous for the athlete. For training, the athlete still needs to gain strength, power, and fitness, and should perform powerlifting-depth squats (still high bar positioning, however, because athletics happens with an upright torso, so train that way). If the athlete continues to fight for depth and work on specific mobility issues (and probably some glute-activation), then his or her depth is likely to improve, thus improving the dysfunction and likely improving performance in the weight room and in competition.
Some athletes will take up issue of the humbling aspect of performing this difficult lift. They will not be able to lift as much as they can with the powerlifting squat. Those that cannot hit the depth may get upset that they have to drop weight to do the lift correctly or just be frustrated in general they cannot execute the movement. If the culture you create in training is executing movements perfectly and you consistently encourage good technique over big weights, the athletes will catch on. Reward them for taking pride in quality of movement over the amount of weight lifted and stress the importance of the squat and the rest of your program in improving their performance, decreasing the likelihood of injury, and all the other goals of your programming. Ultimately, high level athletes should have the capacity to perform basic movements to full ROM, and it starts with the squat.
