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What are your thoughts about deep squats?

In 1961, Karl Klein, from the University of Texas, published a paper showing that deep squats loosened the knee ligaments (J Assoc Phys Ment Rehabil, 15: 6-11, 1961).
 
Based on this study, the American Medical Association recommended against deep squats. This paper caused several generations of American men to practice ‘curtsy squats’ and leg presses in the gym. Since then, many well-controlled studies showed that deep squats when practiced correctly strengthened and stabilized the knee joint.
 
These studies showed that the forces on the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments in the knee decreased as the knee flexed.
 
Performance goals should determined squat depth. Squatting to parallel builds the quads best, while squatting lower puts greater loads on the glutes. People with healthy knees can do deep squats, but they are not recommended for people with arthritis or chondromalacia (sore kneecaps).
 
Posted by Robbie Durand ..musculardevelopment.com

Any exercise, when done incorrectly, can be dangerous. If you have proper mechanics, deep squats actually put less sheering force on your knees than quarter- and half-squats since the brunt of the work being done isn’t centered around your knee, but your hips while activating your glutes and hamstrings.

Nice Spitz could not have said it any better myself.
 
Butch

Nice spitz thanks!!
 
Does your stance width (while deep squating) make a differance? I would assume so

Stance width really only plays a factor in flexibility/anatomical positioning. If you have enough flexibility in your hips and ankles and you can squat deep from that position, it would have the same impact as squatting from a wide stance, although you would see more quad activation at the top half with the narrow stance. The wider stance might take a little bit of pressure off your back as well, but again it’s all based on your flexibilty and strength in particular muscles/areas.

If you have long limbs, or lack flexibility in your hips and ankles, you will probably need to use a wider stance and point your toes out a little more in order to be able to reach the deep squat position.

What’s up with people stepping on weights (heels lifted) when squatting…? Can this help with squatting deeper?

 
If you lack the felxibility to get down really deep, maybe from long limbs or bad ankle flexibility, then plates can definitely help you get deeper. They essentially change the angle by pushing your shins and knees a little further forward and make it easier for you to get your butt lower. Plates can be unstable and a good pair of lifting shoes will do this same thing for you without the instability, so I wouldn’t recommend using plates.

I have never done a half squat intel the other day when I tried it to see what it would feel like and it was awefull!  I cant squat any weight at all that way, to me it is much harder to stop your momentom and then stand up.  When I squat I bounce at the bottom and that helps me stand up, I can do much more weight squating ass to the floor than stoping half way down.  I would think more people would squat low and bounce to lift more weight but I guess people can squat much more stoping half way down, why is that?  Plus it hurts my knees very bad when I do half squats, its very hard on my knees, is that normal?  but when I full squat its very comfortable and easy. 

 
 
That is interesting… I find deep squats are harder then half squats… Maybe it is because I don’t bounce when i deep squat, I hold the position a few seconds and then extend up… I am curious to know why you find them easier..
 
Is it because you bounce??? Different stimulation from what you are use to, knee stability ect…  
 
 
To clarify… What do you consider a half squat?? Because …if i were to squat with more then a 90 degree angel then it would be harder…
 

I consider a half squat a 90 dagree squat.  If you breaking 90 just a little bit than that to me is still kinda a half squat, my athletes and myself always squat ass to the floor, BECUASE thats where you catch the snatch and the clean.  But even the kids in other sports that do weightlifting but lets say football, I always make them squat as low as they can go becuase it helps with there hip flexibility, works your hamstrings much much more and “the lowest man wins!”  hahhaha Thats what every football coach will scream at you on the field, so screw it, we are going to train like we are on the field and LEARN HOW TO GET LOW BABY!  I really dont know why full squats are so much eaiser for me, I think its becuase its all I have known.  I was lucky enough my whole life from high school to JR college to a university to have always had a great strength coach that made us squat ass to floor for football, and it helped me alot on the field.  So its all I know and I think thats why, plus the BOUNCE does work like wonder bread!!!!!!!!!    2012

Jon… Maybe it would be a good idea to improve your half squat?
 
It would be a different stimulation and strengthen different muscle..
 
Glenn!! Don’t worry… I am not suggesting that he do this all the time but it might be relevant to through in the mix… MAYBE it would help strengthen muscles around his knee…
 

I heard that half squats lower your testosterone, is that true? 

 
Half squats are not really a viable option,  too hard on the knee.  If we wanted to strengthen the top for whatever reason, we would use bands or do something off of a high box.

  
  what if you wanted to train for power/speed for explosive squats.. wouldnt half sqauts work better??

The biggest mistake I made when I first started training was not doing
full squats. I was a victim of the full squat myths. The price for that mistake
was years of lagging growth for my quadriceps. 
I started full squats at 55 years of age. My quads have improved in
spite of starting full squats in my fifties. 
I’m at the point where I only go below parallel. I full squat with less
weight than when I was squatting just parallel. But the full range of movement
has resulted in better quads development.  Squatting to parallel feels awkward.

   
  what if you wanted to train for power/speed for explosive squats.. wouldnt half sqauts work better??[/QUOTE]




No, they wouldnt.