Do you go past parallel for squats?

[ThE SiCkNeSs]

I never went past parallel while squatting until recently when my boy convinced me to start doing it. I thought it was a bad idea at first but then read up on it and it seems to be actually safer to a degree and it will improve your overall squat. But I was at the gym in an old timer who says he's been working out for 30 years yelled at me and told me how bad it is for me. Just wondering what's the consensus out there if you guys all go past parallel and what's your thoughts on whether you should or shouldn't

 

[Docd187123]

It depends on what you're squatting for (whether competition or not), how you squat, and your mobility.

 

[cdoubleu]

I vote for: go past parallel. How far past should be gauged by the person though and their body mechanics.

I know for myself when i was first getting into lifting i had read and was told to stop at parallel. Squating always felt ackward. I finally stopped focusing so much on that just tried to squat more naturally, the way i would without the bAr. pushing the hips back and getting low. This takes me down below parallel and feels much better on the knees even though my range of motion is much deeper than before. When i used to focus on staying parallel it seemed like i put way more pressure on the knees.

 

[Boilermech]

I used to workout with an Orthopedic Surgeon that could bench over 500 and squat around 600. He done low-bar squats and went ass to the grass. His thought was stopping at parallel put the most stress on your knees. He told me going past parallel put the knees in a stressful spot for just a second while going down then back up. At the time I was just going parallel. Once I started going ass to the grass it felt better. Of course I had to lower my weights for a while to be able to go past parallel but my strength quickly came back.
Was the Dr. correct about the stress on the knees? I don't have any clue but it sounded logical to me and seeing how much he could squat I didn't really care if he was right or not I was dang sure going to listen to him [emoji4]
Take this for what you want but it came straight from a bone Doctor so that's how I do it. Of course he might of just wanted to get me as a patient after I tear the shit out of my knees, lol.

 

[Oregongearhead]

^^^ A low squat is a happy squat

 

[juicebaby]

Just past parallel when the ass is slightly lower than the back of the knee

 

[flenser]

a2g with anything up to 315. An inch or two higher with heavier weight. I tore something in my groin twice coming out of the hole with 4 plates on the bar, and don't ever want to feel that pain again. I can't even make myself do it now. My whole body seizes up when I try.

 

[Mayne]

ATG olympic here

 

[showstoppa]

Atg high bar

Look its pretty simple, think of your legs as a simple iron beam. At 90 degrees (parallel) if i place a weight at the end of the beam it will put the most stress at the joint.

Same goes for your body. Its simple statics. The whole atg squats tear up your knees was started because of a misinterpreted study.

You are safest when you can bounce out the hole using the hamstring rebound. But in the end mobility is going to play the biggest role for many in determining the depth they can go. As yiu work on mobility you can go deeper.

 

[ruckin]

Look at how infants/todlers squat down and there's your answer. It's the natural way your body is meant to squat.

 

[tattedlegend]

As deep as I can go without causing lumbar flexion

 

[rigs]

i go as low as possible but only because it feels better for my knees. now i cant confirm its better or worse, but i can squat longer with less knee pain. BUT BUT BUT, i dont nearly squat as much as some of the guys here. so i dont know. hope that helps

 

[insertnamehere]

Depends on the individuals ability to do it safely but going past parallel is best IMO

 

[NovaFlex]

I'm not squatting massive numbers (yet) but I always go ass to grass... Until my legs get too tired. Then I stay parallel

 

[lunk666]

Id say it depended on your goals. Going lower may recruit more muscle fibers and thus cause more damage that with recovery could produce more muscle growth. Now if your a powerlifter it depends on if you have the gear on ,or you dont. With gear on your not going in the hole anyway so why bother training that way... and I think( just my opinion based on a lot of experience with both) when your training to just break parallel why bother going lower? In the powerlifters case you can always use your assistance work to build up the legs. If you dont have the mobility to get down there get that down pat first. Try checking out the mobilityWOD for some tips and videa on opening the hips and working on ankle flextion. Either way it is a matter of choice.

 

[ebkallday]

ASS TO GRASS!!!!!!!

 

[Masters Power]

My experience in working out at gyms across the country for over 20 years was that 1/2 squats were preferred by at least a 10 to 1 ratio over ATG!

 

[Docd187123]

My experience in working out at gyms across the country for over 20 years was that 1/2 squats were preferred by at least a 10 to 1 ratio over ATG!

In the 3-4yrs I've been a member at my current gym I can count the people who squat to parallel or lower on one, maybe two, hands.

 

[Masters Power]

In the 3-4yrs I've been a member at my current gym I can count the people who squat to parallel or lower on one, maybe two, hands.

And your gym is no different than 99% of the public gyms around the country Doc.

 

[lunk666]

It is funny when you watch guys trying to figure out the squat on their own. Knees going in... heels coming up ...rounded backs where the squat starts to look like a good morning. I go to a few gyms to mix it up so I get to see a lot. Sometimes I offer help and it works.. other times I offer help and once I walk away the heals come back up ,or the feet become inverted. I learned how to squat when I was much younger and got lucky where the person helping was a good at squating. Online coaching is challenging, but if thats all you have use it. I go low bar myself because it feels right to me.. Im old and I lift for fun these days so I dont always go all the way as low as I could , but my focus is different at this stage in life.