Ass to grass vs. Parallel squats

@gr8whitetrukker for arguments sake what is so wrong with working out to look good and not care what your numbers are on the big lifts? I feel like goals are more important them you're making them out to be
I think you got me all wrong. I AM into real bodybuilding. But still have to maintain acceptable levels of strength. Maybe not as much as say a powerlifter who trains exclusively for 1 rep but enough to not be laughed at
 
I've had multiple reconstructive knee surgeries, as well as ankle surgery, and I STILL go ASS TO GRASS every time (current 1RM is 475). If people are experiencing pain in their knees or lower back from going lower than parallel, then sorry, but you're doing something wrong. With good technique (chest up, hips back, posterior chain engaged, knees OUT not forward), I have ZERO pain, and that's saying a lot considering I have almost no meniscus left in both knees...
Also, at the bottom of the squat, it shouldn't be a "bottoming out" or "bounce" to initiate the upwards movement. In a controlled squat, A2G is just as much about reversing momentum as a parallel squat. For people that butt wink at the bottom, causing the lower back to round out, THAT'S WRONG. It's not a matter of going too low either, it's a matter of: 1). mobility, and 2). CONTROL! With proper control and technique, I can sit in the bottom of a squat with no pain and no tension, while keeping my knees behind my toes and my back straight. Not trying toot my own horn here, but seriously, if you're having pain its most likely something you CAN fix. Whether it be by stretching regularly or relearning technique... or both.
 
In my younger years a2g was my shit. Now with age I go slightly below parallel. I still hold out at the bottom.

People are ridiculous when it comes to legs. Either they won't EVER do legs or if they do leg presses only! Oh I have bad knees. The excuses come pouring out. At my gym or any gym I've ever been a member of its quite rare to see any body do a real squat routine
Same in my gym no one squats and if they do their in the smith machine. Squat rack should have my name on it since I'm the only one who stays in it well except for them sorry ass curling bitches in there fluorescent socks @Voltrader.

Im with you on squats.
Against you on deadlifts.

Its unpopular and I dont care. The only mother fuckin exercise that is literally tailor made for injury
I agree deadlifts have been responsible for every time off I've had to take off from the gym. I only do high reps low weight

Its just gotten managable ..been foam rolling, ill give it a try
I use a pvc pipe to roll on religiously before I workout and after then at night. I get a lot of weird looks but I don't give a fuck the shit works.
 
Anatoly%20Pisarenko%20Back%20Squat.jpg

Anatoly Pisarenko
 
Speaking of which. Lately I spanked my PR and got 425 on squat. NOW I feel like its legit and can be proud of that. Ya ya there are many others with higher numbers but for this guy I feel good! Nobody can legitimately laugh at over 400
Shit no. I always believed good form at 400 on squats beats out 8 plates on leg presses. I hate when them leg pressers think their out doing you loading up all the 45's. Just maybe one day I'll ask the to switch just to listen to their bad knees excuse.
 
Leg presses is not impressive to me on any day of the week. Its an auxiliary exercise. Meaning I do them after squats when form fails me but still have power and endurance left.

Leg presses are for pussies. I can say that cuz for years I avoided squats like syphilis. Ya I still built nice legs BUT I WAS NOT a squatter
 
Going to parallel or slightly below is all you need to reap the benefits of the squat. Going ass to grass is cool and can be helpful but most ppl lack the flexibility to do so properly. Many lack necessary hamstring flexibility which in turn causes you to loosen your hamstrings to get depth, A2G in this case. By loosening the hamstrings you take away the stretch reflex out the bottom as well as effectively removing the hamstrings as a primary mover.
 
Gotta tell a story while we're talking about squats...
When I first met my now wife, we were at the gym and she was working out with her boyfriend at the time. He was sitting by the squat rack with 405 on the bar, looking smug. I didn't know him at the time, but I could tell he was a fucktard, and sure enough he started squatting... No joke, he was barely bending his knees. Not sure if he thought they were good squats or what, but I had to mess with him. So I set up in the squat rack next to him and warmed up a bit, then put on 405 and sat my ass down on my heels and started doing pause reps lmao the only thing better than the look on his face was the look on his girl's face, so I started talking to her while he was doing his next set of "squats."
This is where the story gets good.
He came up to me and started talking about how it's "bad for your knees" to go that low blah blah blah, and he thought I should join him in doing partial reps, so I put 7 plates on and started doing his lil 'knee dips' and laughing at myself in the mirror... Gotta admit, 675 felt like a bus on my back, but my legs hardly got a workout from whatever the fuck those dip things were.
I got his girlfriend's number that day, took her out that weekend, and now we're married.

Moral of the story: Squats for Twats.
 
Leg presses is not impressive to me on any day of the week. Its an auxiliary exercise. Meaning I do them after squats when form fails me but still have power and endurance left.

Leg presses are for pussies. I can say that cuz for years I avoided squats like syphilis. Ya I still built nice legs BUT I WAS NOT a squatter
Same here I don't even do them. Too many people waiting in line. Rather do 15 to 20 sets on the rack.
 
I've been doing 10x10 on squat lately. I put on 255 and take 60 second breaks between sets. It's just enough to get a solid pump by the 2nd set, but not too much to cause bad form as you get closer to that last set. Then I move over to leg press for a nice burnout. Ya'll should try it.
 
I too use the leg sled to burn out after squats

I keep on progressively loading the squat bar. Currently I do 5 sets 315x8. Then I feel like dying
 
Gotta tell a story while we're talking about squats...
When I first met my now wife, we were at the gym and she was working out with her boyfriend at the time. He was sitting by the squat rack with 405 on the bar, looking smug. I didn't know him at the time, but I could tell he was a fucktard, and sure enough he started squatting... No joke, he was barely bending his knees. Not sure if he thought they were good squats or what, but I had to mess with him. So I set up in the squat rack next to him and warmed up a bit, then put on 405 and sat my ass down on my heels and started doing pause reps lmao the only thing better than the look on his face was the look on his girl's face, so I started talking to her while he was doing his next set of "squats."
This is where the story gets good.
He came up to me and started talking about how it's "bad for your knees" to go that low blah blah blah, and he thought I should join him in doing partial reps, so I put 7 plates on and started doing his lil 'knee dips' and laughing at myself in the mirror... Gotta admit, 675 felt like a bus on my back, but my legs hardly got a workout from whatever the fuck those dip things were.
I got his girlfriend's number that day, took her out that weekend, and now we're married.

Moral of the story: Squats for Twats.
Lmao please tell me you asked her for her number right in front of him.
 
Ass to grass was natural since the day you were born. If it feels unnatural you fucked yourself up in the past and need to fix the problem so you can squat naturally again. It puts more stress on your body to stop the weight anywhere other than atg.

Watch how any child squats naturally before a lifetime of incorrect and harmful movements. There is your answer.

2bee2aa9adea05202b7f77bd6983a975.jpg
910096da0b2201a903d580dc4db5a570.jpg
 
Ass to grass was natural since the day you were born. If it feels unnatural you fucked yourself up in the past and need to fix the problem so you can squat naturally again. It puts more stress on your body to stop the weight anywhere other than atg.

Watch how any child squats naturally before a lifetime of incorrect and harmful movements. There is your answer.

2bee2aa9adea05202b7f77bd6983a975.jpg
910096da0b2201a903d580dc4db5a570.jpg

To start going ATG you need to completely start over. Well, I had to at least. Drop the weight to 135 and go up from there. Last year I could do 365x8 parallel, brutus got me into ATG in September maybe? That's 5-6 months ago and I'm still trying to build back up to that 365. It feels much better for me and I won't go back.
 
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