The old squat question - Parallel or below parallel

[asim]

Simple question posed to all those here.

Squats. Do you do them? If so do you go to parallel or below parallel? Do you like low or high reps?

Thats all I want to ask. Would like to see what peoples views are on this.

 

[rAJJIN]

Asim...
Personally I go pretty deep (parallel maybe a bit deeper) On the Barbell Free Squat.. Now on the Hack Ill do em Feet together and Rock bottom.

Good question And Im interested Myself
to here some replys from some of the Pros or More advanced Guys in here.

 

[tbonus]

I'd like to hear some of the big boys on this one too. When I was in high school a coach use to yell at all of us that's not low enough. I'd go ass to calf pretty much and he'd tell everyone to watch me. I wasn't squating a ton, but I was going deep. I still go below parallel most of the time, and still not lifting a ton of weight.

 

[nandro]

depends on your bio-mechanics. not everyone can do deep squats without problems. example... someone with long femur (taken into consideration that flexiblitly isn't a problem)

 

[joshbarnett]

butt to the floor or dont do them. i just feel that unless you r going below parallel you put too much stress on the patella and for BB's you wont get as much muscle growth on top of it. breaking parallel takes the stress off the patella and puts it on the glutes and hammies where you want it. i think that people with biomechanical disadvantages should just use a weight they can handle and get deep. personally, i think its just an excuse most of the time not to squat.

 

[xcelbeyond]

I guess everyone's a bit different but if I go very far beyond parallel, I really feel it too much in my knees. I just go down to parallel or slightly lower and feel it too much in hams and glutes - feel like it's not hitting quades hard enough

 

[TooPowerful4u]

I think some people misinterpet "deep" the wrong way and take it a little too far. I have experimented with lots of different types of squats and talked to tons of different bodybuilders and found what the majority likes. Fuck ass to the floor, soon as your hams are pressing against your calves, you are deep enough. Thats slightly below parallel.

 

[joshbarnett]

hams to the calves is far enough. unless someone has a previous knee injury etc. then there is no reason not to break parallel. if you feel you arent hitting your quads enough then switch to front squats.

 

[BigWilly]

my ass and hams drop below parallel...but I try to keep the top of my thigh about parallel, maybe just a bit below.

BW

 

[bigbaldbulldog]

At this point i go to my ass touchs a chair...any farther and my knees feel like they are going to bust outta my caps...i still feeel sore in all the same places except i don't feel the knee pain any more...

 

[joshbarnett]

i always use inzer wraps when i hit my heavy set. this will significantly help with the knees

 

[MikeS]

Everyone is different.
But like BBB, ass to the bench and pop up!
No not knowing how far you are going, just touch and BAM!

I was doing very deep squats every 3-4 leg sessions, for about 12-18mo.
I really got no bebefit, like extra power out of the hole or anything.
All that happened is I had to take an extra plate off each side.

 

[jerrywear]

myself i am going all the way down,other vise i dont feel it.

 

[bigbadasian]

Reply

|--[\\\\]>--------- Ever since i met up with Tom Platz at my gym and had him revamp my entire squat, my legs have grown MUCH more over the past 4 mths then they ever have, and basically, i wasnt squatting 'deep' enuff. i was going parrallel b4, and building strength, but i wasnt 'feeling' it like i do now. i had to check the ego at the door b/c i am doing lower weight now, but my form is dif. and i am working every single muscle fiber down there. B4, i'd do 4 plates and a 25 on each side parrallel, now 315 is my absolute max, and i go WAY below parrallel and let me tell you that is enuff weight for sure, i'm totally taxed after 4 or 5 reps! I do the same on hacks now, all the way down to the pegs and back up.

 

[KillerStack]

Check out Ruhl's half squats:

**broken link removed**

 

[Wana B Big]

im with slantie eyes on this one ;smith matchine squats ,less lower back in those last 3 to 4 reps ,i keep the reps around 10 - 15 . 2 work sets ,works for me.

 

[jahras12]

I think this is a matter on how you fell while doing the squat-its an age old question to go parallel or below parallel- but I think if you squat to parallel youll get great gains- below is fine too but instead of hitting my hams on leg day I focus on quads and the hams have their own day to get nailed and grow-you cant take platz- the man already had great legs genetically and is very flexible- also is ronnie- not everybody can be that flexible and some people it really takes a toll on them to squat at all- I would reccomend the right weight for 12-15 reps squatting only to parallel-

Jon

 

[dragonfire101]

My physical therapist use to be a powelifter and he says not to go below parallel if you dont want to tear up your knees. That might not be an objective opnion though since he is a P, but then again he has a docterates in physiolology and sports medicine so I would probably accept his opinion.

 

[da_Fonz]

Actually let me clear this up since i have had reconstructive knee surgeries as well as work as a physical theropist in a hospital in the past. Goinb below paralell puts much more stress on the patella. 9X the sheer force on the patella to be exact. So you can go below if you want but the risks do not exceed the gains. I do go to parralell but not below.

 

[dragonfire101]

Goinb below paralell puts much more stress on the patella. 9X the sheer force on the

Goinb below paralell puts much more stress on the patella. 9X the sheer force on the patella to be exact. So you can go below if you want but the risks do not exceed the gains. I do go to parralell but not below.

Thats wha he was saying. He doesn'y advise going below paralell with heavy wieght, but believes in doing those polymetric exercises below parallel with no wieght.