[url=http://www.fitness.ee/artikkel/1330/valiku-kusimusideaalset-harjutust-ei-ole-olemas-ehk-raagime-jalle-kukist-i-osa]A matter of choice: No perfect exercise—squats revisited, part I[/url]
How deep should you squat?
To answer that, we first need a brief overview of the different types of squats and the thinking around squat depth.
As I see it, there are actually four types of squats:
1. Deep squat
2. Squat
3. Half squat
4. Quarter squat
Deep squat
Almost anyone who takes the gym even remotely seriously probably knows what this means. In brief, it is a squat so deep that your backside almost touches the ground and your hamstrings and calves practically touch. As the name suggests, then…a deep squat, known in English-language training literature as an “ass-to-grass” squat…means squatting as deep as possible. We also know how all serious lifters—or a very large proportion of them—recommend that if you are going to squat, deep squats are the way to do it. Although I am no gym statistician or observer, I will venture to say that virtually nobody actually performs deep squats. This is where theory and practice part ways: even the most vocal advocates of deep squats never squat as deep themselves as they tell others to. If you claim that you always squat deep and never do any other kind of squat, you are lying. If anyone does use them, it is perhaps only Olympic weightlifters in training. Why do I say this? Because there is actually no need to use deep squats, except in Olympic weightlifting…they make bodybuilders’ glutes too big, and powerlifters do not need to go that deep even under competition rules. So why recommend them?
Squat
By a squat, I mean lowering yourself until the top of your hip is slightly below knee level. I think this is how most of us define a squat, and it is how a bodybuilder should actually squat. I also think many people consider this a deep squat, but it is not. As far as I know, this is also how powerlifters squat, by this same criterion, both in competition and in training.
Half squat
My definition of a half squat is almost the same as a squat, except that your hips are level with your knees or very slightly above them. The difference between a squat and a half squat is actually very small. Viewed from the side, the lifter’s thighs are still slightly above parallel.
Quarter squat
By a quarter squat, I mean a squat position somewhere between the starting position and a half squat—or, indeed, a squat. In other words, you squat only far enough for your thighs to reach an angle of approximately 45 degrees.
…
As I said, deep squats are necessary for only a very small group of exercisers. Quarter squats, half squats and squats are quite sufficient for both bodybuilders and powerlifters. I would stress, however, that quarter squats should be reserved for occasional training phases. Serious lifters should perform the vast majority of their squats to a depth that qualifies as a squat by my definition.
As mentioned, you cannot completely eliminate glute involvement when squatting, but by avoiding deep squats and staying within what I call the squat category, you have done all you can to minimize it. Your glutes work very hard as you rise from a deep squat; they also work as you rise from a half squat, but less so.
As for the risk of injury when squatting, it has long been shown that squats carry a considerably lower injury risk than even leg extensions, for example (4, 5, 6). Any exercise carries a risk of injury if performed incorrectly. Naturally, that also applies to squats, particularly deep squats. If you drop at speed to the deepest possible position on every repetition of a set of ten with, say, 100 kg, you can practically hear the cruciate ligaments connecting your thighbones and shinbones creaking. But no sensible person squats like that, at least if they know anything about technique.
It is true that squat depth also directly increases the risk of knee injuries. The deeper the squat, the greater the strain and overload on both the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) (7, 8, 9, 10). The ligaments holding the knee joint together are also under abnormally high strain when you squat with your heels off the ground (9).
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So, if the competition were to see who could injure a knee fastest while squatting, here is how you would do it:
Squat with a heavy weight, drop rapidly all the way to the bottom, let your knees travel far past your toes and lift your heels right off the ground as you descend. As you rise, let your knees cave in or collapse outward.
No, no, that was a joke, of course. I recommend keeping your heels on the ground when squatting, especially with heavy weights for low repetitions. I am not going to lecture professional powerlifters with years of experience, who presumably already know how to squat. Still, they too should be aware of the different options and risks. To develop their quads, bodybuilders should clearly also squat from time to time with their heels elevated on a block (2 – 3 cm), pushing through the balls of their feet. Quad development also calls for occasionally letting your knees travel farther past your toes than usual, although this technique clearly increases the strain on the ligaments holding the knee joint together. When squatting this way, you should definitely use light weights, perform higher-repetition sets and make progress through prolonged, continuous tension. Extreme caution should be your watchword!!! With heavy weights, you should place more emphasis on driving up through your hips, though your quadriceps are, of course, still working.
As for squat depth, you have squatted well if you reach the depth defined earlier as a squat. I do not recommend deep squats, and, let us face it, they are not functional in any way either. While squatting, look straight ahead or slightly upward. Do not look down at the ground, because your body tends to follow your gaze. This tendency becomes even stronger with a weight on your back, when you are prone to tipping forward as you rise. Your back should be straight or slightly arched, ideally throughout the entire squat. As for stance width, I certainly would not recommend that bodybuilders go wider than hip-width—you can go narrower—or, at most, only a little wider. A very wide stance once again makes you rely more on your hip extensors and places less emphasis on your quadriceps. Of course, the stance width that allows you to descend depends largely on the length of your torso and legs. People with an average-length or long torso and short legs have a build better suited to squatting than those with a short torso and long legs. The latter group achieves better squat technique with a wider stance.
For the average gym-goer, I recommend a more hip-dominant squat to spare the knees; as mentioned, the hip joints can tolerate much heavier loads. If you want to develop the front and back of your lower body equally, you need to find a happy medium (let your knees travel slightly past your toes, but not all the time). You should also avoid always pushing the number of squat working sets sky-high, and if you want to give your quads some extra work, include other exercises too (hack squats, leg extensions and leg presses).
Another important rule: when you watch someone squat from the side, the bar across their upper back should stay more or less over the middle of their feet throughout the movement—the weight should remain over the base of support. Try it: if you lean forward so that the bar moves away from the middle of your feet, you will fall flat on your face. The same principle applies to falling backward.
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As for bar placement, an interesting fact is that the lower the bar sits on your back, the shorter the distance between the bar and your lower back, and the more your glutes contribute to the squat. A high bar position allows you to keep your torso much more upright as you squat, achieve greater depth and emphasize your quadriceps. However, because the bar is farther from the center of your body in this position, it also places greater stress on your lower back. So, as you can see, whichever way we go, we have to make choices: there is no upside without a downside, and no downside without an upside. Attentive readers will certainly have noticed that this article has described the load on the spine as high with both high and low bar positions. This is exactly the kind of contradictory information you find in different articles about squats. It leaves you feeling that no option is any good. And that is how it is: with 200 kg on your back, whether you position the bar high or low, your back and spine are still under stress because the weight is on your back. Still, (my) logic suggests that a low bar position should place less stress on the back (torque or shear forces acting on the vertebrae), since the bar and its weight are then closer to the body’s center of gravity. Of course, if you start tipping forward, your back will be loaded regardless of whether the bar is high or low. With the bar higher, you simply tip forward sooner, and the harmful loading is even greater. Yet placing the bar lower on your back means pushing your buttocks and hips farther back as you squat to avoid falling over…which in turn brings your glutes more into play…a closed loop.
Another important point is that you certainly cannot rely on squats alone to give your hamstrings enough work (7, 11, 12, 13). Their contribution to the squat is simply not that great. That is why it is important to include separate hamstring exercises as well (good mornings, leg curls and stiff-legged deadlifts). Developing your hamstrings in balance with your quadriceps reduces excessive stress on that same anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during squats.
So, I hope this has once again given fitness.ee readers food for thought, but above all some useful guidance and information to put into practice in your gym workouts.
References
1. Fry, A.C., C. Smith, and B.K. Schilling. Effects of knee position on hip and knee torques during the barbell squat. J. Strength Cond. Res. 17:629-633. 2003.
2. Caterisano, A., R.F. Moss, T.K. Pellinger, K. Woodruff, V.C. Lewis, W. Booth, and T. Khadra. The effect of back squat depth on the EMG activity of 4 superficial hip and thigh muscles. J. Strength Cond. Res. 16:428-432. 2002.
3. Ninos, J.C., J.J. Irrgang, R. Burdett, and J.R. Weiss. Electromyographic analysis of the squat performed in self-selected lower extremity neutral rotation and 30? of lower extremity turn-out from the self-selected neutral position. J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 25:307-315. 1997.
4. Beynnon, B.D., R.J. Johnson, B.C. Fleming, C.J. Stankewich, P.A. Renstrom, and C.E. Nichols. The strain behavior of the anterior cruciate ligament during squatting and active flexion-extension. Am. J. Sports Med. 25:823-829. 1997.
5. Escamilla, R.F., G.S. Fleisig, N. Zheng, S.W. Barrentine, K.E. Wilke, and J.R. Andrews. Biomechanics of the knee during closed kinetic chain and open kinetic chain exercises. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 30:556-569. 1998.
6. Jenkins, W.L., S. Munns, G. Jayaraman, K.L. Wertzberger, and K. Neely. A measurement of anterior tibial displacement in the closed and open kinetic chain. J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 25:49-56. 1997.
7. Escamilla, R.F., G.S. Fleisig, N. Zheng, J.E. Lander, S.W. Barrentine, J.R. Andrews, B.W. Bergemann, and C.T. Moorman. Effects of technique variations on knee biomechanics during the squat and leg press. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 33:1552-1566. 2001.
8. Spanu, C.E., and M.S. Hefzy. Biomechanics of the knee joint in deep flexion: A prelude to a total knee replacement that allows for maximum flexion. Technol. Health Care. 11:161-181. 2003.
9. 29. Toutoungi, D.E., T.W. Lu, A. Leardini, F. Catini, and J.J. O’Connor. Cruciate ligament forces in the human knee during rehabilitation exercises. Clin. Biomech. 15:176-87. 2000.
10. Zheng, N., G.S. Fleisig, R.F. Escamilla, and S.W. Barrentine. An analytical model of the knee for estimation of internal forces during exercise. J. Biomech. 31:963-967. 1998.
11. Andersen, L.L., S.P. Magnussun, M. Nielson, J. Haleem, K. Poulsen, and P. Aagaard. Neuromuscular activation in conventional therapeutic exercises and heavy resistance exercises: Implications for rehabilitation. Phys. Ther. 86:683-697. 2006.
12. Augustsson, J., A. Esko, R. Thomee, and U. Svantesson. Weight training of the thigh muscles using closed vs. open kinetic chain exercises: A comparison of performance enhancement. J. Orthop. Sports. Phys. Ther. 27:3-8. 1998.
13. Escamilla, R.F., G.S. Fleisig, N. Zheng, S.W. Barrentine, K.E. Wilke, and J.R. Andrews. Biomechanics of the knee during closed kinetic chain and open kinetic chain exercises. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 30:556-569. 1998.
Author: Janar Rückenberg
Come and train! ArtGym
