There seems to be much confusion amongst trainers and trainees as to whether squats should be performed all the way down or just half way. In most gyms today, a common instruction during squats, deadlifts, and lunges (as taught by many personal training organizations) is not to allow the knees to travel beyond the toes. Doing so will ultimately cause the destruction of your knees! I do not agree. There are certain instances where partial range of motion (ROM) is indicated, but for the most part, I teach people the full squat for the following reasons:
* It is the most primitive movement pattern known to man; our ancestors used to perform many daily functions (i.e. harvesting, gathering, hunting, cooking, eating, etc.) in a full squat position.
* Also, in case anyone hasn't noticed, we spend 40 weeks in the fetal position (which is basically a full squat) prior to entering this world - do we come out with bad knees?
* We should strive to train in full ROM for each and every exercise. The squat is no exception.
* Every exercise produces stress around a joint - the body then adapts to this stress.
* Cocontraction of the quadriceps, hamstrings and gastrocnemius maintains integrity around the knee joint.
* Sheering and compressive forces do occur around the knee joint (as opposed to only sheering forces that occur in some open kinetic chain lower body exercises, such as the leg extension); however, the large contact area of the patella with the femoral groove (as knee flexion increases during the full squat) helps to dissipate compressive forces.
* Therefore, not only is the squat - as a closed chain exercise - considered a natural movement pattern with high functional carryover, but it is also a safe exercise if performed correctly (and that includes full ROM!)
* Drawer tests are performed at a knee angle of 90 degrees because there is a greater amount of laxity in the knee joint at that specific angle. So, does it make sense to only go down half way where you are most vulnerable especially when greater loads can be used (because you are much stronger in this partial ROM?)
* According to Ironman contributor, George Turner, the fulcrum moves to the knee joint in a parallel squat as opposed to the muscle belly of the quadriceps in a full squat.
* Think about it, if you constantly trained in a limited ROM, the likelihood of injury increases if one day you happen to squat beyond your trained ROM.
* Partial squats performed on a regular basis will decrease flexibility.
* There is a low incidence of lower back pain and knee injury in Aboriginal and Oriental societies which perform full squats on a regular basis.
* Even Olympic weight lifters who practice full squats have quite healthy knees compared to other athletes.
* Although you may find some research that indicates full squats as potentially harmful to the knees, only one study has ever proved this to be true. However, it was performed on a skeleton - the same results do not hold true with surrounding connective tissue. On the other hand, numerous studies show the benefits of full squats.
Unfortunately, many personal training certification courses are teaching half squats as a safe version suitable for all individuals and this has now become written in stone. God forbid that you deviate from this golden rule to do something that our bodies are meant to do! Read this carefully: squatting should be performed in a full ROM where the hamstrings make contact with the calves (so that no light can be seen passing through your legs at the bottom position.) It is okay for your knees to travel beyond the toes (just do not relax the knees in the bottom position.) In other words, keep the legs tight and try to stay as upright as possible throughout the exercise. So, next time some fitness instructor approaches you in the gym and advises not to go deep while squatting tell him/her that they don't know squat!
John Paul Catanzaro is a certified kinesiologist and professional fitness and lifestyle consultant with a specialized honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science. He owns and operates a private gym in Toronto, Ontario providing training and nutritional consulting services. For additional information, visit his website at www.BodyEssence.ca or call 416-292-4356.
Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More
Let's face it, most guys who start lifting want two... Read More
Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More
Every set was taken to positive failure, with three or... Read More
Are you looking for a simple and effective way to... Read More
Before wasting your money on a pile of bodybuilding supplements... Read More
I know what many of you are thinking reading the... Read More
You can only build muscle if your body is in... Read More
Would you like to know how to get more out... Read More
When it comes to exercise, resistance training is often overlooked.... Read More
One of the most time consuming and frustrating parts of... Read More
Would you believe that your ability to provide quality customer... Read More
Supersets give you the most bang for the buck. They... Read More
Q: I've heard you mention that you don't need tons... Read More
Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her... Read More
These are not the reasons we do Lactate Threshold Training.What... Read More
My career began in the eighties. I never found myself... Read More
Wouldn't it be great if you could get rid of... Read More
Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body... Read More
You may be wondering, "How can I possibly do resistance... Read More
My Legs Are Already Big Enough. I Keep Hearing Working... Read More
Adding muscle seems to be a mystery to most, yet... Read More
A dumbbell exercise program is effective with the right equipment... Read More
Dumbbell workouts have been around for many years, especially as... Read More
Some supplement companies will go to any lengths to prove... Read More
Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More
In my 3 decades of training experience I have identified... Read More
Have you heard the term, focus on the core? No,... Read More
Do you find gyms intimidating? Feel lost while doing your... Read More
Until I started following a routine to eat, my gains... Read More
In order for muscles to grow, three things are required:... Read More
The lower body contains some of your biggest muscles which... Read More
Before you say, "yeah, yeah, yeah I know to drink... Read More
It's a very simple training system. Consisting of using your... Read More
You may be wondering, "How can I possibly do resistance... Read More
Success came to me at an early age. However, it... Read More
What turns out to be a small, yet annoying pain... Read More
Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More
Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More
Visualization can play an important part in gaining weight and... Read More
You have two main windows of opportunity when your training.... Read More
Repetitions are the basic building blocks of any strength or... Read More
The Pulldown is an excellent exercise for working the Latissimus... Read More
The key to rapid muscle growth, is to perform all... Read More
Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her... Read More
L-glutamine remains the supplement of choice for many bodybuilders. It... Read More
Another critical factor to be aware of, is the efficient... Read More
One of the most common fitness questions this time of... Read More
BMI, Body Mass Index, is the most popular and simple... Read More
The aim for beginners to weight training must be to... Read More
Some supplement companies will go to any lengths to prove... Read More
Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More
Something interesting happened as my triceps workouts continued in their... Read More
Push ups are the most convenient way to build up... Read More
Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body... Read More
Anabolic steroid use appears to be on the rise. With... Read More
Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More
Crazy, ripped, hard abs. That's the key to showing an... Read More
WHY WEIGHT LIFTING?What's the one thing that you can do... Read More
You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate... Read More
Many individuals judge the quality of their exercise session from... Read More
It's an unfortunate reality that throughout the years there has... Read More
Chaos is the scientific study of orderly disorder. It offers... Read More
1. Eat smaller more frequent meals - not only is... Read More
Other articles in this series looked at a number of... Read More
The number of myths about natural bodybuilding are too numerous... Read More
Muscle Building & Bodybuilding |