I always had trouble going very deep on squat. When I go to full range of motion ( eg 90° that’s it ) I tend to feel my ass more and not so much my quads.
In this situation would you recommend going heavier with a lesser range of motion or keep working at full range ?
If you are trying to work the quads you definitely want as much flexion through the knees as possible.
Use lifting shoes with a raised heel or a different squat variation such as front squat to get more depth. Or consider a different exercise altogether. If you’re concerned with quad hypertrophy then half squats aren’t the way to go
@bort Breaking parallel is what’s necessary for a squat to be competition legal in powerlifting. It’s not the full range of motion of the knee or hip and is not optimal for hypertrophy.
Ideally you would go until your butt touches your heels.
@bort 90° is not a "half squat", the usual advice is to "break parallel" which means just under 90°.
My advice would be to do the full ROM and just aim to increase from there. If you want, you could do squats twice and do one session with lower weights & more ROM, and one with higher weight to 90° for that dopamine boost!
@darknessb4themorning 90 degrees of actual knee flexion is way above parallel, but I think a lot of people just mean “parallel” when they say “90 degrees”.
@kimbly This angle is entirely dependent on an individuals' bodily proportions, which is why one person should never judge their squat entirely by someone else's. Parallel and breaking-parallel are better, more useful form-cues for this which many people use
@darknessb4themorning Eh… 90 degrees of knee flexion is above parallel for everyone regardless of segment lengths most likely.
Also some people could squat on wedges and get full knee flexion while still not breaking parallel. You could also squat low bar, hips back, close to vertical shins, folded over like a taco, and break parallel without getting close to full knee flexion.
If you’re trying to target quads, I think knee angle is the most important thing to look at… get as much knee flexion as possible to stress the quads in their lengthened position and ensure that they are contributing maximally to the lift.
@bort For a better ROM I use smith machine and use less weights.
I use small plates under my heels and even lean into the bar a bit so I'm not directly under the bar, my heels might be a foot and a halfs length in front of the bar.
I use quite narrow stance too for this kind of squats.
50-60% of your squats 1rm might be a good place to start with for reps.
These are gonna hit your quads a bit different.
@trubaduren Agreed. I was blessed with flexibility ( athlete parents) plus soccer tae kwon do and other sports made me flexible af . I squatted 315-465 ATG full
ROM. But always used knee sleeves and did mobility, dynamic warm up Matt ogus style
@bort Keep working at full ROM. Maybe I’m crazy, but that feeling you’re feeling isn’t a bad one. Plus your quads are almost certainly getting more stimulus from that larger range of motion.
@bort I was pumping my numbers up on the squat only to find my legs still lagging in size. Turns out I was using all posterior chain and virtually no quads
I instead ditched true squats in favor for smith machine squats with squat shoes. Lowered the weight, got full rom, felt the burn and pump in my quads, and now I’m finally starting to get substantial growth
I think my anatomy makes it very tough for me to get deep on true squats to where it always feels awkward and painful in my lower back. The smith machine takes that element away and allows me to focus more on quads and overall helps with bracing which in my mind helps reduce lower back flexion. Over time, I should get better mobility, already noticing it’s easier to squat all the way down without having my right heel pop up
@claudiabrinkmann1566 Nice to know! I feel the same way about squats and especially the lower back akwardness. I'll try out more Smith Machine into my workout to see how it works out for me.
Do you do the version with your back against the machine or where the weight only rests on your shoulders?
How do you find leg presses? I find they hit my quads in a really nice way, but I still get discomfort in my lower back even though I keep what I believe to be good form (I notice a lot of strain on the lower back when I'm at the very bottom of the move to keep my hips from rotating in)
@bort Without a video we’re all going to be shooting in the dark. But in general if your form is right and you feel compounds in a different way, it means that is your deficient body part and it’s straining to keep up.
However, if going parallel is killing you, doing half or quarter squats with more weight isn’t going to be the answer. Especially for bodybuilding. You want a maximal stretch with load. So “lighter” weights with a deeper rom and more time under tension will do you better than “heavier” weights, with little to no stretch and shorter time under tension. Of course what is lighter and heavier is relative to everyone’s personal strengths.
If you really want to hit only quads, there are always alternatives to the traditional barbell squat like cyclist or sissy squats. Also unilateral movements like lunges to name a few.
@bort By 90 degrees are you actually meaning parallel to the ground because actual 90 degrees is a slight knee bend and that’s maybe not even halfway to full ROM? If you’re having trouble going ass to grass or even just parallel because of ankle mobility either get weight lifting shoes or elevate your heels to make sure you don’t stand on your tip toes.
You should definitely be trying for a deeper squat if possible before adding weight. You’re stretching your quads the most at the bottom of the movement and that’s the most muscle-building portion of the lift so you don’t want to miss out on it. Also, squats are a big compound lift. They’re great for quad development, but if you want to target you quads primarily without hitting a bunch of other stuff heavily try hack squat, leg press, sissy squats, or smith machine squats with your legs in front. You should be feeling your glutes in your squats.
