It’s always advocated in any intelligent training article you come across on the subject: Learn to squat deep.We understand its importance and know that squatting deep allows your body to hit all the muscles of the lower leg, improve knee health, lower back health, and increase time spent under tension. We don’t need to answer “why” anymore.
Proper Position
What we do need to answer is the “how”. In many cases it’s much easier said than done. Having a good depth squat takes plenty of maintenance work to be able to (re)achieve ideal positioning. Here are a few helpful tips.
2 of 6
Take a Look at Your Stance
The hip sockets (acetabulae) are not located in exactly the same place on every lifter. Depending on how wide or narrow they are situated on your pelvis, lining the legs up in a corresponding width can promote a deeper squat due to less restriction of movement from an offset placement.Quick Test: sit on all fours beside a mirror, and mimic your favourite squat foot and leg width while on your knees. Keeping all four points of contact with the floor, “sit” your way down to your heels. Note where your pelvis starts to tuck, and your back loses its arch. Experiment with various foot widths, until you find the width that gives you the deepest range of motion. Use this same width when actually squatting.
3 of 6
Make Sure to Stay Tight
This can go without saying – we all know staying tight is key. But how much tension are you applying voluntarily? It’s important to actively use tension – especially in the upper body and core – to promote a deep and stable squat. Fascia can link many groups of muscles together, and increased tension can send tightness through entire fascial lines. Take advantage of that by bracing the core, pulling apart on the bar, and squeezing the fists tight.
4 of 6
Tissue Quality Matters
The most predictable of the 5 tips would have to be to consider your muscle quality to promote deep squatting and full ROM. When more people think of tissue quality, they think of flexibility training – but I prefer to resort to self myofascial release first. Grab a foam roller and make it a focus to roll on the quads, glutes, IT region, and hip region. This will make the tissue more supple, promote more circulation, and allow the muscles to “give” more in your negative phase, without staying totally wound up and restricted. After, give the hip flexors a good stretch. Further, adding mobility drills like spiderman walks (seen below) are a great way to open up the hip capsule and tap into some mobility.
5 of 6
Make Your Ankles Mobile
Poor dorsiflexion is a hindrance to optimal squatting depth since the knees can’t track forward enough to let the butt drop lower. Especially if you’re a taller lifter, not having the ability to let the knees track forward past the toes is the recipe for a consistently shallow squat. Long legged people need not worry about the knees passing over the toes – it’s not injurious, and it’s quite necessary. Take a look at my squat (see video below) to see what I mean. At 6’4” it’s a long way down.
Fixes for Immobile Ankles
Do toe raises. Some performance gyms have special machines for this, but if yours doesn’t, simply use a dumbbell or plate, OR use a band. This will strengthen the tibialis anterior muscle, which helps keep the toes up.Walk on the heels. I recommend stretches of 10m, for 3 sets at a time, there and back.Stretch and release the calves. Tight calves can counter the involvement of the shin muscles so that the ankle can’t dorsiflex as far as it should. They’re often a link that go unnoticed in squatting hindrances.
6 of 6
Use the Right Assistance Movements
Using exercises that can help improve you squat ROM and mobility is a smart move. Here are a few suggestions.Single leg training! – the rear leg elevated split squat is my go-to for squat supplementing. It combines the strength training of the lead leg and its stabilizing muscles, with an active stretch for the hip flexors. Plus the posterior chain gets to work along with a focus on the knee joint.VMO work – Peterson Step Ups and Terminal Knee Extensions are both great tools to zero in on the VMO more exclusively. Adding strength to the VMO can help knee stability close to the bottom end range of your squat.Posterior Chain training – to make sure you have the glute and hamstring strength necessary to get deep in the first place!
Squat Low or Go Home
After reading this, you should have no excuses left for why you squat with a four inch range of motion. Friends don’t let friends skip leg day, and they don’t let them get away with pansy level squats. It makes us look bad. Time to work those wheels and get big in the process!
It’s always advocated in any intelligent training article you come across on the subject: Learn to squat deep.
We understand its importance and know that squatting deep allows your body to hit all the muscles of the lower leg, improve knee health, lower back health, and increase time spent under tension. We don’t need to answer “why” anymore.
Proper Position
What we do need to answer is the “how”. In many cases it’s much easier said than done. Having a good depth squat takes plenty of maintenance work to be able to (re)achieve ideal positioning. Here are a few helpful tips.
Take a Look at Your Stance
The hip sockets (acetabulae) are not located in exactly the same place on every lifter. Depending on how wide or narrow they are situated on your pelvis, lining the legs up in a corresponding width can promote a deeper squat due to less restriction of movement from an offset placement.
Quick Test: sit on all fours beside a mirror, and mimic your favourite squat foot and leg width while on your knees. Keeping all four points of contact with the floor, “sit” your way down to your heels. Note where your pelvis starts to tuck, and your back loses its arch. Experiment with various foot widths, until you find the width that gives you the deepest range of motion. Use this same width when actually squatting.
Make Sure to Stay Tight
This can go without saying – we all know staying tight is key. But how much tension are you applying voluntarily? It’s important to actively use tension – especially in the upper body and core – to promote a deep and stable squat. Fascia can link many groups of muscles together, and increased tension can send tightness through entire fascial lines. Take advantage of that by bracing the core, pulling apart on the bar, and squeezing the fists tight.
Tissue Quality Matters
The most predictable of the 5 tips would have to be to consider your muscle quality to promote deep squatting and full ROM. When more people think of tissue quality, they think of flexibility training – but I prefer to resort to self myofascial release first. Grab a foam roller and make it a focus to roll on the quads, glutes, IT region, and hip region. This will make the tissue more supple, promote more circulation, and allow the muscles to “give” more in your negative phase, without staying totally wound up and restricted. After, give the hip flexors a good stretch. Further, adding mobility drills like spiderman walks (seen below) are a great way to open up the hip capsule and tap into some mobility.
Make Your Ankles Mobile
Poor dorsiflexion is a hindrance to optimal squatting depth since the knees can’t track forward enough to let the butt drop lower. Especially if you’re a taller lifter, not having the ability to let the knees track forward past the toes is the recipe for a consistently shallow squat. Long legged people need not worry about the knees passing over the toes – it’s not injurious, and it’s quite necessary. Take a look at my squat (see video below) to see what I mean. At 6’4” it’s a long way down.
Fixes for Immobile Ankles
Do toe raises. Some performance gyms have special machines for this, but if yours doesn’t, simply use a dumbbell or plate, OR use a band. This will strengthen the tibialis anterior muscle, which helps keep the toes up.
Walk on the heels. I recommend stretches of 10m, for 3 sets at a time, there and back.
Stretch and release the calves. Tight calves can counter the involvement of the shin muscles so that the ankle can’t dorsiflex as far as it should. They’re often a link that go unnoticed in squatting hindrances.
Use the Right Assistance Movements
Using exercises that can help improve you squat ROM and mobility is a smart move. Here are a few suggestions.
Single leg training! – the rear leg elevated split squat is my go-to for squat supplementing. It combines the strength training of the lead leg and its stabilizing muscles, with an active stretch for the hip flexors. Plus the posterior chain gets to work along with a focus on the knee joint.
VMO work – Peterson Step Ups and Terminal Knee Extensions are both great tools to zero in on the VMO more exclusively. Adding strength to the VMO can help knee stability close to the bottom end range of your squat.
Posterior Chain training – to make sure you have the glute and hamstring strength necessary to get deep in the first place!
Squat Low or Go Home
After reading this, you should have no excuses left for why you squat with a four inch range of motion. Friends don’t let friends skip leg day, and they don’t let them get away with pansy level squats. It makes us look bad. Time to work those wheels and get big in the process!
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