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How far to go down when squatting?

  • 15-02-2006 1:30pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,111
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    Hey - wondering about this, I've seen a few different people in the gym squatting and have only really started it myself.
    I thought the idea was to go down till your upper leg is parallel with the floor, with this I can do about 50-55kg. Going down right the way to the ground however, I dropped the weight to 30 and it was still tough, but felt like I was working a whole lot more, gluts kind of area.
    Advice?


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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,479 t-ha
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    Olympic squatters will go down to the floor (Ass-To-Grass) whereas powerlifters go typically 1 inch below parallel (and losers go a quarter of the way down with too much weight). You're completely right in that the full squat is a more complete exercise but generally requires a lighter load.

    If you did 30 ATG first time you tried it then well done - that's 30kg more than me :D . I do ATG alot myself, but supplement it with much heavier leg pressing, hack squats and romanian deadlifts to really work the leg muscles.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,198 Baldie
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    joker77 wrote:
    Hey - wondering about this, I've seen a few different people in the gym squatting and have only really started it myself.
    I thought the idea was to go down till your upper leg is parallel with the floor, with this I can do about 50-55kg. Going down right the way to the ground however, I dropped the weight to 30 and it was still tough, but felt like I was working a whole lot more, gluts kind of area.
    Advice?

    Deep squats will work your gluts and hamstrings more then doing parallel squats. Some people say that deep squats are bad for your knees, because when you go deep, your knees are coming past your toes and it is putting excess strain on your knees. If you are comfortable with doing deep squats then their shouldn't be a problem. Just remember to look up towrds the ceiling, this will keep your back straight, and don't lean forward and on the way back up. If you get a pain in your knees when doing deep squats, then don't do them. Simple as that. I usually do parallel squats, put every now and again I like to go deep to work that extra part of my legs.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,111 joker77
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    t-ha wrote:
    If you did 30 ATG first time you tried it then well done - that's 30kg more than me :D .
    ha ha, yea but I know my quads are going to be like rocks for the next few days after 3 reps of parallels and 3 reps of ATG, and I'm supposed to have football training tomorrow night and a match on Saturday..... I'll be f*cked


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,250 babypink
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    ASS-TO-GRASS


    i have to admit that for a long time i refused to go ATG on back squats (inexplicable i have to say), i'd go down close to 90 with a heavy weight, 130/140kg.

    About 5 weeks ago i decided to change my legs day a bit, with back squat i tried ATG, had to drop it to 60kg (and that was a struggle...believe me). Long story short - last week got 4 out at 100kg ATG (with a small spot)...God i'm looking forward to legs on friday :D

    As for knees - as long as you respect and control the weight on the way down your knees shouldn't suffer.

    Though i do as t-ha does, and do heavy heavy leg press too on top of deep squats.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,111 joker77
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    cheers babypink, and wow - 100kg, f*cking hell that's serious!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22,819 g'em
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    babypink wrote:
    About 5 weeks ago i decided to change my legs day a bit, with back squat i tried ATG, had to drop it to 60kg (and that was a struggle...believe me). Long story short - last week got 4 out at 100kg ATG (with a small spot)...God i'm looking forward to legs on friday :D
    Good on ya dude ;)

    ATG can however put excess strain on the knees so its not something I'd recommend for everyone. Make sure your form is top-notch before attempting, if you have any kind of over-strike or problems with knees or even feet (my flat feet mean my knees tend to bend inwards as I squat if I don't pay attention) the just below parallel level is fine.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 405 Patto
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    I don't do ATG. I have a dodgy knee and I'm a bit terrified I'd never get back up again. I have a 36" inside leg so its a long way up and down. I do 140Kg to parallel, I knock it down to 60Kg and do reverse lunges for the ass and hammers. Bring your trailing knee down to an inch off the floor and you will really feel it. Keep as much weight as you can on the front leg. A reverse lunge is basically a squat with one leg.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,497 Dragan
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    I was always go to the bottom but just make sure you have the bars in your squatting rack set properly. I shudder when i see people squatting any decent weight and not bothering to put the bars in. It only takes a few seconds and you could be save yourself a huge amount of trouble.

    the thought of racking out at the bottom can be scary at first, but believe me, it's a really safe thing to do and something you should get used to just to be on the safe side. Back in the day, i had to rack out with 200Kilo's at the bottom of my third rep, i just wasn;t going to get back up for love nor money. That was a few years ago though, before a training gap, these days i'd be lucky to hit 140Kilo's, though that is on the increase since i got back to serious training. still, regardless of the weight i will go down below par.

    God bless squats!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,479 t-ha
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    g'em wrote:
    ATG can however put excess strain on the knees so its not something I'd recommend for everyone. Make sure your form is top-notch before attempting, if you have any kind of over-strike or problems with knees or even feet (my flat feet mean my knees tend to bend inwards as I squat if I don't pay attention) the just below parallel level is fine.
    Totally agree, ATG is not a problem for a healthy knee but your form has to be spot on. That's why I started from zero weight and worked up (screw egos). I have only seen four other people in my gym squat properly (three going to just below parallel, and 1 going ATG), so if any of you lift in Crunch UCD you are probably doing it wrong :eek: ;) . I have the world's crappiest joints but have squatted ATG without injury for about 8/9 months now - in fact my knees feel stronger than ever. I would not recommend 'bouncing' out of the hole though.

    The other point I highlighted in g'ems post was going below parallel. At parallel the squat transitions between being a quad dominant and ham/glute dominant exercise. It's the point where your skeletal structure typically has least muscular support and is therefore not a good place to try and change the direction of the movement (when stresses are at a maximum). For the sake of you knees, carry on below parallel and put your ass into it. ;)

    P.S. Dragan, apparently Mariusz Pudzianowski ATG's 310kg :eek:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,057 amazingemmet
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    Isn't the key to atg hip flexibility that if your flexible enough you won't strain your knees as you can keep em vertical, i'm open to correction on this


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,497 Dragan
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    t-ha wrote:
    P.S. Dragan, apparently Mariusz Pudzianowski ATG's 310kg :eek:

    Oh for crying out loud, that really isn't right!!! that was most likely a no-no-no aswell. And there was me happy with my measly 200, which i will get back AND beat by the way. Just give me time!!!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,479 t-ha
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    Isn't the key to atg hip flexibility that if your flexible enough you won't strain your knees as you can keep em vertical, i'm open to correction on this
    Your knees go forward and your hips come back in an ATG squat. The knees should only go past the toes a little though, and the weight should stay in the back third of your foot (towards the heel). If your hips are properly flexible then your lower back can remain straight right to the bottom of the lift.

    In powerlifter style squats your shins stay vertical and your butt pushes back.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,057 amazingemmet
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    Might just be but when i ATG my knees don't go over my toes and my back stays straight


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,513 BrianD3
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    I'm new to squatting myself too. I do them with the weight at arms length overhead and a 1.5x shoulder width stance. I always go down as far as I can but do worry a bit about my knees. Not sure what "knees coming past toes" means - does if refer to the knee moving forward and out over the toes or does it mean the knee bows/turns inwards and ceases to be inline with the toes.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,057 amazingemmet
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    Knees coming past toes refers to your knees moving forward you want to avoid at all cost your knees bowing as this compromises your knees stability and can do some serious damage


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,483 daveirl
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    This post has been deleted.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,057 amazingemmet
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    Sorry me know good at punctuation i meant you want to avoid the bowing at all cost not toes going forward


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,497 Dragan
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    daveirl wrote:
    This post has been deleted.

    Actually, the same has started to pop up in a lot of sites and fitness articles. I've read similar in MD and Flex.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 507 RPGGAMER
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    Full or BREAK paralell. this means hip crease BELOW knee. many positive reasons like all the most great suggestions here esp. knee health and balanced muscular development.

    or just as a badge of not being average. As a Reminder to yourself every time you squat..

    side note:
    read up on box squats..performed well they can yield great progress. in my exp. more than free squats in begginers/intermediates.


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