How deep should you squat?

How deep should I squat? "How deep should I squat?"

It is a very common question among trainers. Some people think that half-squats pressure on the lower back is less pressure on the lower back, and some people think that squats actually have less pressure on the lower back and will be more efficient. Do you have correct squats and understanding?

"How deep should I squats?" It is a very common question among trainers. Some people think that half-squats pressure on the lower back is less pressure on the lower back, and some people think that squats actually have less pressure on the lower back and will be more efficient.

    Research and experience show that when you squat until the angle between your knee and hip is lower than the horizontal line, squats are the safest and most effective.

   There are some traditional views that squats are the safest when the knee is 90 degrees to the hip, but this view is currently outdated. Although squats of 90 degrees will reduce the pressure on the knee by about 28&, the pressure on the lower back will increase by more than 1000%!

    As long as you maintain the correct spinal curve and keep the knees in the same direction as the toes, squats with hips below the knees can become a completely safe movement! (Related research: Strength and Conditioning Journal (2007) Volume: 29,Issue: 6,"Optimizing Squat Technique").

   If your hips are higher than your knees, commonly known as semi-squats, then this action will focus on training your quadriceps. If you continue squatting down until your hips are lower than your knees, your biceps and hips will start working to help your quadriceps share more pressure.

    After activating the hips and biceps, the pressure on your lower back will be reduced, and because more muscles are activated, the squat movement will also help you consume more calories and increase more muscles, because activating more muscles to participate in the work means more hormone secretion.

Here are some common questions:

1) Will squats (hip is lower than knees) cause the knee to receive more pressure?

 As mentioned earlier, squats parallel to the ground will reduce your ACL by about 28%. So, when the hip is lower than the knee, will the additional 28% pressure cause ligament damage?

   This is a good question. The answer is: Because squats with hips lower than the knees activate more muscles to participate in the work, and they can help you stabilize your ligaments. Therefore, it can be understood in this way that deeper breeze positions do increase the pressure of the ligaments, but no matter how high this pressure is, as long as the ligament is maintained, this pressure cannot cause damage to it!

 Another study shows that when you are doing isolated quadriceps such as leg flexion and extension, it actually puts more pressure on your ligaments, and when doing isolated flexion and extension, there is no other muscle to help you keep your ligaments stable. So, as long as the squat posture is correct, this movement is safer than isolated leg flexion and extension!

2) If I want to squat deeper, then I will have to reduce the weight load. Will this affect the training effect?

   This is an inevitable problem. You have to start training with a lighter weight and take a long time to return to your original weight bearing level, but such sacrifices are very rewarding because once you are injured in an incorrect posture, you will lose everything. (Impathy!)

3) What should I do if I can't squat until my hips are lower than my knees while keeping my back straight?

 Most people are actually unable to squat until their hips are lower than their knees while keeping their backs straight. This is because they lack the necessary flexibility to activate muscles. Cucking their backs during squatting means that your core strength is insufficient or that your spine is bent due to insufficient flexibility in the calf. Of course, it may also be because your knees and spine are injured. In this case, you need to change your training methods, use front squats, or GlobetSquat (unable to translate, it seems to be a squat with a wide station distance and your hands are put on your chest).

  I sincerely wish you all good health! Have a chance to train for life!