Are you guys sure about the Squat???

[Munnings]

In my opinion, squatting below parallel is not only harmless, it is actually beneficial to the health of your knees!

arthur, that has actually been proved through studies using people with bad/ damaged knees.

[ArthurNijkamp]

arthur, that has actually been proved through studies using people with bad/ damaged knees.

Of course, I just wanted to add my own story because (at least for me) personal experiences by forum members enhance the value of what has been proven by scientific studies...

[langknow]

Wow guys, thanks for the reassurance.

Seems like everybody in the gym is doing it wrong too.

I also see a lot of people doing partial bench presses too. And I always that was teh way to do it, but after reading STarting Strength, it seems that most people do it wrong in the gym, even though theylook like they know what they're doing.

Thanks again, I have more motivation thanks to your replies, and would be bringing my starting strength book with me to the gym, to help me improve my form, and also maybe to stop get unsolicited advice, I don't mind talking to people though, it's just a bit annoying, where I have to say "thanks", when I don't really mean it.....

[Kingace]

When I stop squatting for a week or two, I get a slight knee pain when squatting without weight on my back. If I squat three times a week, my knees feel healthier/stronger and I don't feel any pain/discomfort when squatting without any weight. I would say squatting improves health of the knees.

On the contrary, I never use to have any pain when squatting without any weight on my back before I started stronglifts, perhaps I was using bad form at the start.

[itsbruce]

The other day, in the gym, when I was doing my warm-up, some guy said how nice it was to see somebody squatting deep. But maybe he just liked watching my butt. Who knows?

[eLvarouza]

All the replies here are good, but you should be able to figure it out for yourself. Look at the arguments in Starting Strength, which are supported by logic, common sense, tons of experience on the authors' parts, and anecdotal evidence, and compare that to some random guy saying "full squats are bad". Which argument would you believe?

[ricepower]

Yes, it really is. YouTube powerlifters squatting huge weights and going past parallel. No powerlifter wants to injure him/herself - if it was bad for the knees most powerlifters wouldn't be able to walk.

The knees should go outwards, not inwards, for pretty obvious reasons.

there is a clip in pumping iron where arnold is doing quarter squats with his knees close together. I think that is where a lot of these bizzarre techniques originated. I havent read the encyclopedia of bodybuilding, but im sure its in there too. I think this type of squat would isolate the quads more.

[ricepower]

When I stop squatting for a week or two, I get a slight knee pain when squatting without weight on my back. If I squat three times a week, my knees feel healthier/stronger and I don't feel any pain/discomfort when squatting without any weight. I would say squatting improves health of the knees.

On the contrary, I never use to have any pain when squatting without any weight on my back before I started stronglifts, perhaps I was using bad form at the start.

The build of muscle & tightness can cause changes in knee tracking, or cause pulling/tension of the pattella. I think the hamstring is somehow attached to the ligaments inside your knee too.

The 'cure' is sretching, foam rolling & doing unilateral work.

[FilthyMcNasty]

http://www.wannabebig.com/training/body ... the-squat/

[rere]

Concerning squats I can say only one thing from personal experience. Ever since snowboarding this year in February, my right knee has been f*cked up. I went to a doctor and he concluded that it was just bruised with some fluids in it. He said it should heal itself within 6-8 weeks. It didn't...

Couple of weeks later I started stronglifts. It was hard to squat so deep and I had to improve my flexibility and mobility a lot. However, two or three weeks into the program my knee started to get better. It has improved ever since.

In my opinion, squatting below parallel is not only harmless, it is actually beneficial to the health of your knees!

Amen

[Portillo]

there is a clip in pumping iron where arnold is doing quarter squats with his knees close together. I think that is where a lot of these bizzarre techniques originated. I havent read the encyclopedia of bodybuilding, but im sure its in there too. I think this type of squat would isolate the quads more.

I read he squatted like that cause he was too tall.

[atypical1]

Arnold and I are the same height and I can squat "normally" (correctly).

james

[jakemcmillan]

Arnold was probably trying to isolate a certain part of his quad. Bodybuilders try to develop an "outer quad sweep" or something like that.

[Portillo]

Arnold and I are the same height and I can squat "normally" (correctly).

james

He does mention something about being tall for squats in his book.

[Wellhairedbeast]

His advice regarding depth and weight is common among gyms. What shocks me is the recommendation to allow your knees to go inwards, thats a common cause of knee problems and it could screw up the ligaments quite nicely. Allowing your knees to buckle in and even recommend it is like recommending you round your back half way through a heavy deadlift.


Follow the advice of starting strength and professional powerlifting and weightlifters, if they can become a powerlifiting or olympic champion thats the highest credential in itself, watch them and learn. One squats high bar, the others low but both break parallel at a minimum.