How Deep is your Squat???

[SisterSteel]

I personally squat deeper than parallel but that's due to my Olympic weightlifting career which took place before I decided to switch to powerlifting. I only need to squat to parallel for my current sport but I never have to worry about depth.

Another good question is... Do you squat? I see MANY bodybuilders staying on the leg press or some other machine and never venture into the dangerous squat rack/cage.

So let's hear it....

[babablacksheep]

I squat every leg day....I would say I do a average of 10 sets of squats(including warmup) but I just started doing this when I decided I wanted to compete a few months ago....until then I would do only 3 sets.....it is the foundation of my leg day....I squat wide to hit my hams and Glutes and I squat with my feet closer together for my quads....and I almost always go below paralell unless I'm goin super heavy....they used to be uncomfortable for me but that was all because of my form ....once I started pressing from my heels everything lined up better and the e resize became much more comfortable

[SisterSteel]

Re: How Deep is your Squat???

Yeah, you don't want to have the weight on your toes. That will wreak havoc on you.

[Orange24]

I squat regularly at about parallel. Right now I'm trying to get more flexible so I can squat deeper than parallel and also learn to overhead squat. I'm not able to overhead at all. Arms stray forward when I begin to dip

[NTL]

I squat parallal back and front squats every leg day 4 sets each not including warmups.I also never skip a leg day.

[Fit Guru]

Squat all the way down to the ground . Baba I wouldn't worry about the wide stance for hams and glutes if your competing. They should get their own attention. Don't take away from the quads.thats like some trainers have their figure girls working their glutes on the treadmills. Treadmill is for burning fat. Work the glutes on their own !

[SisterSteel]

Re: How Deep is your Squat???

I squat regularly at about parallel. Right now I'm trying to get more flexible so I can squat deeper than parallel and also learn to overhead squat. I'm not able to overhead at all. Arms stray forward when I begin to dip

You want to work on your hip flexibility and also shoulder flexibility. OH squatting is a very difficult movement so be patient with them and start light. You're going to really feel it in your core and lower back after you're done OH squatting.

I squat parallal back and front squats every leg day 4 sets each not including warmups.I also never skip a leg day.

Now, this makes my day. It seems like more and more men these days spend their timing working their arms and not working their legs. Back and front squat should be staple lifts in everyone's routine.

[chrisotpherm]

Re: How Deep is your Squat???

I need to go deeper to get a better cut on my legs. I am going to start this week as I am entering my cut phase. Not looking forward to it at ALL!!! LOL.

[MuscleAddiction]

Re: How Deep is your Squat???

Parallel to the floor to keep it in my quads more, yes hams and glutes get worked but I am not doing it for powerlifting. Then I hit hams on their own day with back.

[mj_0360]

Re: How Deep is your Squat???

I squat all of the way down to where my ass touches the back of my ankles. I figure that a nice full squat with 225lbs is better than half a squat with 315lbs. I usually do 4 sets of reg squats followed up by 3 or 4 sets of front squats. Love these!

[SisterSteel]

Re: How Deep is your Squat???

Parallel to the floor to keep it in my quads more, yes hams and glutes get worked but I am not doing it for powerlifting. Then I hit hams on their own day with back.

Your foot position and stance will dictate the muscles worked moreso than the depth of the squat. The deeper the squat the more time under tension which will cause more growth so I'm not sure why you'd cut that short since you're squatting for aesthetics and not powerlifting.

[kazman68]

Re: How Deep is your Squat???

Another thing to consider is where the bar is placed on the back and how upright the stance is..when I powerlifted I had the bar lower down the back, with a little more forward lean, I could move more weight that way. Now since I'm not worried about poundage I do more "Olympic" style squats, bar high on back (traps) upright stance...I think old school powerlifter Roger Estep said the upright stance really hit his hams so much so that he needed to do very little 'assistance' work for them.

[BigBones]

Ass to grass baby! Driving from my heels up and hips. Best feeling ever. Back squat front squat form is all the same.

[babablacksheep]

Squat all the way down to the ground . Baba I wouldn't worry about the wide stance for hams and glutes if your competing. They should get their own attention. Don't take away from the quads.thats like some trainers have their figure girls working their glutes on the treadmills. Treadmill is for burning fat. Work the glutes on their own !

So should I just do an average stance all the time then?

[red crayon]

Re: How Deep is your Squat???

I dont know how deep I squat? Maybe some day I will watch myself squat and see. Seriously though I go below parallel but thats all I know. I also know I cant squat low enough to touch my heels, lower calves, etc. because my legs are to big. My legs arent that big (IMO) but they only bend so far.