How Low Do I Need to Squat? Ask a PT

Last week, we looked at whether you needed to perform crunches if you wanted a visible six pack and concluded that at least some form of ab-specific exercise is required. This week, we're answering the question"How low do I need to squat?".

How Low Do I Need to Squat?

Question: Whenever I squat, my workout buddy tells me that I'm not squatting low enough, but when I try to go lower it feels uncomfortable. Should I be squatting lower? Answer: Most people would benefit from squatting lower <1>, but that is usually because they tend to squat quite shallowly. But the belief that squatting "ass-to-grass" is the perfect technique for everyone is wrong. So much of gym-based confusion stems from the misguided belief that general rules apply to everyone. This is not the case, and if you think about it, the reason why is obvious. We're not all built the same. A one-armed man would have to swim with a different technique than a two-armed man. An obese person is not going to be able to perform abdominal crunches in the same way as a person with a rippling six-pack. So, telling 100% of people that they have to perform a squat to the same specifications is not going to work for everybody.

Find Out How Low You Can Squat

To find out how low you can squat, you need to practice without any weights. Stand upright with your chest pushed out, your shoulders pulled back, and your feet flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out slightly, and then slowly squat down, keeping your heels firmly on the ground. If your heels begin to rise up before your thighs are parallel to the ground, then you don't have the mobility to perform bodyweight squats. Don't worry, many people have to deal with this, and it is quite quick to correct. Learn how to perform bodyweight box squats (squatting onto a box or chair) until your mobility is good enough. If your heels stay flat on the ground as your thighs reach parallel but begin to rise when you go lower, then reaching parallel is the right depth for you. Some people find that their heels stay flat when they go past parallel, but their lower back "dips". If this is the case, then squatting to parallel is best for you. If your heels stay flat and your lower back does not "dip", and you feel you can go lower than parallel, then do so until your form breaks. Where it breaks is your ideal depth. If you can squat "ass-to-grass" then that's great. But ensure that you can also do this with a barbell on your back. If not, then squat to just below parallel until your strength and mobility increase.

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The most common mistake that people make is not squatting too low, it's squatting too shallow.

This is either because they are trying to squat too much weight, or they feel a little scared/uncomfortable about lowering themselves too far. If you are constantly squatting till quarter parallel, then lower the weight that you are attempting to lift, and focus more on squatting down lower. Hitting at least parallel should be a minimum. Though if you have very long legs, hitting almost parallel might be good enough. If it is a confidence issue, then place a box or bench in the squat rack, and squat onto that (a barbell box squat). Just keep in mind that this is going to be a lot harder than your typical barbell squat, so keep the light weight. I once got stuck performing a barbell box squat because I'd used too much weight, and it was an absolute nightmare! Don't make the same mistake as I did.

References

<1> https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31230110/