Why You Should Always Use A Full Range Of Motion
Aug 20th, 2007 by Mehdi Posted in Weight Lifting
One reader asked:
I’m doing StrongLifts 5×5 for some weeks now. I think I’m going to stall soon on the Squat. I’m at 45kg.
Should I stop going so low? Or should I back off the weight? How far do you need to go down to involve all muscles?
Never Decrease the Range of Motion Because the Weight is Heavy. Put this between your ears. Go for a full range of motion:
- Squat: go bellow parallel.
- Bench Press: the bar touches your chest.
- Pull-ups: arms straight between each rep.
- Deadlift: lock knees & hips.
- Etc…
Squat Deep. Partial & Quarter Squats have their place in strength training. But only when it’s on purpose. In all other occasions: squat deep. As deep as you can. Squatting deep:
- Strengthens your whole legs
- Strengthens your knees
- Increases flexibility
Doing half squats because the weight is to heavy is cheating. It can also lead to knee pain & injuries. To quote Mark Rippetoe: “if it’s too heavy to squat below parallel, it’s too heavy to have on your back”.
Stalling. Here’s what you should do when the weight starts to get heavy on StrongLifts 5×5.
- Be confident. What feels heavy today can feel light the next session.
- Aim for 5 sets of 5 reps with the same weight.
- If you don’t achieve 5×5, try again for 2 more times.
- Continue adding weight every session as long as you have 5×5.
- If you still don’t have 5×5 after 2 attemps, deload.
Never decrease the range of motion.
Squat Depth. To make sure you know what I’m talking about, Here’s a video of the depth I use on the Front Squat. 107,5kg for a single.
Do take note that you should only go as far as your passive ROM will take you. That is, if mobility or flexibility issues are stopping you from squatting ATG, don’t force your way there. In fact, only go as deep as you can before your pelvis tilts forward, and your butt goes “under”, hence rounding your lumbar spine…
Or, if you can’t do a bench press with a broomstick(or something else light) until the stick touches your chest, don’t force it with a 100kg loaded barbell. Stay within your passive ROM, while working on increasing your ROM with stretching and mobility work. For squats, it’s usually the hamstrings, for bench press, it’s normally the shoulders/scaps/thoracic spine.
For the beginner program, would you recommend front squats or regular squats? I noticed you did front squats in the video and was curious about them, I’ve only done the other way before.
Thanks!
About 7 years ago I blew out my knee playing sports. During my physical therapy I learned a lot about the knee and how you should or shouldn’t lift weights. One thing I learned is that squatting that far down is terrible for your knees especially with large amounts of weight. The harm it does on your tendons far out ways any benefits it may have.
I agree that a full range of motion is important to any workout, but at the same time going to the extremes ( ie straightening your leg all the way in leg extensions, or straightening your arms all the way in bench so as to hyper-extend the joint) can reak havoc on your tendons.
I have always been told (by multiple physical therapists) to only go just below parallel when squatting.
this is wrong
from a biomechanical standpoint, the patellar tendon isn’t at risk to injury until the shins start tilting forward at a considerable angle (i.e. weight is being pushed near the balls of the feet, not the heels), and the supportive ligaments (ACL, MCL, LCL) aren’t in danger of damage unless the knees don’t follow the toes, i.e. they drift inwards during the squat, you let the bar crash on you and let your feet shift on the way down, etc.
and what you and the physical therapists that you have been treated by are trying to say is basically, the limbs of the body are constantly at risk because the ROM that they have been built for is dangerous, and therefore you should consciously limit the ROM that you let your joints move through, which quite frankly does not make a whole lot of sense - how many babies and children should be going to the ER on a daily basis because of their daily activities? aren’t their joints as fragile, or even more fragile, than a trained athlete’s ?
also there are some schools of thought in PT which advocate full ROM squatting as part of a rehabilitation program
weightlifting is a sport that basically revolves around the ability to squat deep, and while it does have its fair share of athletes who damage their knees and backs, there are also many athletes who continue to compete into their 30s, 40s, and 50s in Master divisions … like other sports, i.e. football, wrestling, etc., there is a risk for injury when competing (in the form of “forgetting” to move a certain way, allowing the body to deviate from correct positions, etc.), but that risk can be minimized through good decision-making and recovery habits
of course, no one is saying that you as an individual have to change your squatting habits, if you really believe it’s not good for you, don’t do it, i’m only arguing that as far as athletic training (i.e. weight training in a controlled, regulated environment under good supervision) goes, deep squatting is a producer of good leg strength and health, not a damager
Totally agree. Most PTs haven’t done a single squat their entire lives(other than when they were a baby) and the only people they see injured are those that get injured squatting incorrectly, so obviously they’re gonna get biased. Olympic weightlifters routinely squat ATG, so there’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, as you squat below parallel, your knee ligaments are in a tighter position to protect your knees, compared to when you’re squatting parallel, when they are that their most relaxed. Also, the more you squat below parallel, the most hamstring and glute involvement there is, again protecting your knees from damage. Bottom line, squatting ATG is a perfectly natural human movement that should be encouraged.
AFAIK he’s basing the beginner program on Rippetoe’s Starting Strength, so do back squats, not front squats. The front squats he showed are just a demonstration.
I agree with Brent. On uni I have learnt to calculate the total load on the knee in various positions….. And heck, I don’t think a professor in Orthopedics will be wrong.
Thanks for helping out galapogos.
Yes Jon, start with the Squat as laid out in the beginner strength training program. The “advanced” version of the program includes front squats. I’ll post the program in September when I get back.
Agreed galapogos. Most trainees will have problems squatting below parallel, benching with the shoulders at the correct place, pressing the weight above their head on the overhead press,… all because of a lack of flexibility/mobility.
Don’t force the movement using weight. Rather do flexibility/mobility exercises. You’ll be amazed how fast flexiblity improves with only 3 sessions of 10mins a week.
Squatting deep doesn’t hurt your tendons. Typically, it’s working a joint/muscle beyond the range of motion it was designed for that will hurt the tendon. Overstretch your biceps: you’ll tear it. Keep the lower leg stable, while rotating the upper leg: you’ll tear your acl tendon, etc…
You’re body was designed to squat deep. There’s nothing wrong with doing this. Chinese people have the habit of sitting in a bottom squat position for extended periods of time.
Keeping your knees healthy while squatting is all about technique:
-Increase the weight gradually
-Work on flexibility & mobility in hamstrings/hip joint if needed
-Don’t bounce at the bottom
-Keep your knees out
-et
PTs will advise you not to go full rom for two reasons:
-They fear you’ll injure yourself because you’re not using proper technique.
-They lack understanding of how the squat works & what correct technique is.
5 millions people are involved in weightlifting competition worlwide. They all squat deep. Their injury rate is lower than in any other sport like soccer, football,…
Your question is worth a post Peter. Thanks for giving me the idea.
Thanks for helping out Brent, Galapagos & Wimmos. Squatting deep is bad for the knees is a myth that pushes people to squat above parallel, leading to more knee injuries & more people not training their legs.
After doing some research, I would have to agree with all of you and say that my initial comment was wrong. I think the physical therapists were probably telling me that because of my physically weakened state. Not only was I weak, but had pore flexibility and coordination (if any of you have had knee surgery you know what I mean, sucks).
Thank everyone for setting me straight. Maybe I’ll do some more research before shooting my mouth off next time :).
Great to read you saw the light Peter. Never hesitate to ask questions. Nobody knows everything, I learn new things every day.
Be careful post injury. Start with an empty barbell, focus on your technique, add weight gradually. You’ll get there. Good luck.