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JimiZs
06-24-09, 6:10 pm
I dont know if it matters but i see shorter guys in the gym being able to get much lower doing squats then im able to. Im 6'3 and have extremely long legs and its way more comfortable to get right above being parallel when i go down instead of going ass to calves or even parallel. DO i just need to drop the weight down enough to be able to go lower or does everybody just have to find their spot bc i still get an awesome lift and pump doing it the way i do now.

sportsfan4110
06-24-09, 6:27 pm
I feel ya bro, im 6'2 and it seems like its hard for most tall guys to go ass to grass on squats. I feel the best for me is right at parallel or just slighty above and ive made some great gains in my legs. ive tried the ass to grass but i just cant seem to get comfortable doing it, dunno y, guess cuz we have a long way down. but just do what feels right for you and if you dont like doing atg then dont do em.

BigDubbDiesel
06-24-09, 6:29 pm
yeah i'm 6'1 and 1/2 and squats used to be a bitch for me, i always squat below parallel now, and it is harder for taller guys, just gotta stick with it. my lifting partner is 6'4 and hes the one who taught me to squat deep

Big3
06-24-09, 6:34 pm
A lot of tall guys use their long legs as an excuse to not squat or squat properly. Likewise, a short guy doing a true ass to grass squat is impressive nonetheless because he is able to keep that arch in his lower back while his ass legitimately touches the calves.

For the tall guys, work on flexibility in the hips, glutes, hams, and ankles.

JimiZs
06-24-09, 6:43 pm
i feel like i loose power if i try and go below parallel and on occasion when i do get to parallel i feel my legs lock and i cant get that explosion at the bottom of my lift. is there any stance that can help with this? right now i stand a little more than shoulder width apart with my feet pointed slightly out.

Young&Hungry
06-24-09, 6:48 pm
Matt Rhodes is 6'5" and has squatted close to 1,000 pounds and benched over 600.
John Connor is 6'8" and is one of the best heavyweight pro strongmen in the United States.
Dave Ostlund and Phil Pfister are 6'7" and 6'6" respectively and have placed top 3 in the World's Strongest Man, with Phil winning it once.

Need I say more?

BigDubbDiesel
06-24-09, 7:07 pm
just gotta keep it up man, work on your form, make sure your shoes are appropriate for squatting...you'll reap the benefits from squatting deep

BigChrisF
06-24-09, 7:41 pm
Matt is 6'4" and has I believe, a best of 880 squat in the books.

I'm 6'6" and have long femurs so leverage is a bit disadvantaged. That is still no reason to not go deep. If your goals are powerlifting, then you are going to need to squat deeper with heavy weight anyway. If you are bodybuilding, it's great for working the glute/ham tie in area. So no excuses.

shizz702
06-24-09, 9:11 pm
I'm 6'3" and have no problem breaking parrallel by a few inches.

You got to work on flexibility and form.

Hit up this stretch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ETJavBsbfo

and focus on shoving your kneees out during the descension.

Mattman33
06-24-09, 10:28 pm
For the tall guys, work on flexibility in the hips, glutes, hams, and ankles.

i am 6'8 and have been working hard on my lower body flexibility. squatting is improving every day. i backed off of the weight and have been doing form work. i have never felt better and can't wait to add the weight on...calves seem to be where i have the most issues in lack of flexibility.

Big3
06-24-09, 11:19 pm
i am 6'8 and have been working hard on my lower body flexibility. squatting is improving every day. i backed off of the weight and have been doing form work. i have never felt better and can't wait to add the weight on...calves seem to be where i have the most issues in lack of flexibility.

Good to hear. You are one of the few people that makes sense. Form is always better than weight. It makes me cringe when my teammates "squat" 600lbs.....

IRBS
06-25-09, 8:57 am
Matt is 6'4" and has I believe, a best of 880 squat in the books.

I'm 6'6" and have long femurs so leverage is a bit disadvantaged. That is still no reason to not go deep. If your goals are powerlifting, then you are going to need to squat deeper with heavy weight anyway. If you are bodybuilding, it's great for working the glute/ham tie in area. So no excuses.

Matt hit a 930 at IPA World in 2007 and just missed 1000:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBlBQ7qbrek

I'm 6'3, and as Chris has said, leverage isnt great, but thats no excuse to squat high. Get down and break parallel. If you dont, then you are cheating yourself. Height is just an excuse...get your ass down past parallel.

BigChrisF
06-26-09, 2:23 am
Matt hit a 930 at IPA World in 2007 and just missed 1000:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBlBQ7qbrek

I hadn't seen that, probably because they misspelled his name so badly and it didn't come up with a search.

Do you have any idea what he did at his last meet?

Young&Hungry
06-26-09, 8:33 am
I hadn't seen that, probably because they misspelled his name so badly and it didn't come up with a search.

Do you have any idea what he did at his last meet?

From my understanding, he's bombed out of his last 2 or 3 meets.

IRBS
06-26-09, 10:03 am
I hadn't seen that, probably because they misspelled his name so badly and it didn't come up with a search.

Do you have any idea what he did at his last meet?
Nah, I have no clue. All he said was that he lifted, but didn't really give a meet report...might have bombed, who knows. He hasn't put a total together in a while though.

Young&Hungry
06-27-09, 2:38 pm
Nah, I have no clue. All he said was that he lifted, but didn't really give a meet report...might have bombed, who knows. He hasn't put a total together in a while though.

Yeah I know a couple Southside guys who said he bombed again.

Alk
06-27-09, 5:52 pm
I dont know if it matters but i see shorter guys in the gym being able to get much lower doing squats then im able to. Im 6'3 and have extremely long legs and its way more comfortable to get right above being parallel when i go down instead of going ass to calves or even parallel. DO i just need to drop the weight down enough to be able to go lower or does everybody just have to find their spot bc i still get an awesome lift and pump doing it the way i do now.

Right above = cheating to me... Ain't supposed to be comfortable haha. I'm 5'6 and as a shorter guy, it's STILL uncomfortable.

Just push through it, concentrate on your form, and lighten up the weight if you need to man. Form > weight imo.


John Connor

LOL has this guy ever met Arnold personally?

Young&Hungry
06-27-09, 7:23 pm
LOL has this guy ever met Arnold personally?

All I know is he's 6'8", well over 400 pounds, deadlifts 800+ raw and is definitely one mean looking mofo hahahaha.

Seaseldiesel
06-27-09, 7:58 pm
i'm 6'2 also... and i'm still in high school. junior this coming year. i'm one of the tallest guys in my school, yet i am within the top 5 squatters in my school. not trying to show off or anything. just showing that tall guys can squat more and better than shorter guys too.

i make sure i hit parallel every time. when i'm squattin low reps, high weight, i don't try to go down any lower than that (for sake of not hurting myself with football seasons coming up.) but when i do one week of high reps, low weight to shock my body, i do real slow, deep squats. i normally bring my feet in closer together and perfectly straight (usually i turn them a lil bit normally). that's how i do the "ass in the grass" squats.

Northman
06-27-09, 8:16 pm
just gotta keep it up man, work on your form, make sure your shoes are appropriate for squatting...you'll reap the benefits from squatting deep


...calves seem to be where i have the most issues in lack of flexibility.

I think you two hit 2 of the most important problems people have when trying to squat deep, proper footwear and tight calves.

Try to find shoes that keep your feet level. By this I mean you don't want your heels higher than your toes. If your heels are higher, it puts your knees out of position, followed by your hip, your spine, etc... (Your leg bone's connected to your hip bone...)

Make sure you stretch your calves regularly. Also try to stengthen the muscle at the front of your lower leg. There are a variety of ways to do so. One of the simplest is to put a plate on your toes and raise them as high as you can. Use some common sense, it isn't that hard.

Quadz
06-30-09, 11:59 pm
YOu should watch the Vids on Muscular Development of Ed Nunn training legs... Some tall guys are just not gonna hit those ass to ankles squats...others will Toney Freeman comes to mind...I would try lighter wieght and try to get down there but ALOT of times i think it ends up stressing out the back more than the legs for taller squaters...
Ultimatly you gotta find what works for you... Watch ronnie or branch they both are just at parallel.. So it's really how you feel it man.

willah
07-08-09, 12:40 am
I've heard this in conversation from a few powerlifters - "Well you're pretty tall so I bet squats are pretty tough"..

I'm 6'2", when I first started squatting it was a real struggle.. But that's just squats for ya.

The trick for me has been to keep it different all the time. Somedays I'll go for high weights/lower reps and others I'll hit up 20 reps. Box squats, squats in the power rack with a pause at the bottom on the saftey bars - Variety has been producing great results for me, and helped me bust a 4 month plateau.

I've started working on my flexibility and hamstrings more and now I can get my ass touching my ankles no problems.

Being tall is the reason I'd look ridiculous driving a Miata, but I'm not gonna let it determine how much I can squat.

LegendKillerJosh
07-08-09, 1:06 am
If you ask me you don't need to go BELOW parallel like an ass-to-calf. You don't have to in competition and it's hard on the knees.

Mattman33
07-08-09, 7:33 am
Being tall is the reason I'd look ridiculous driving a Miata, but I'm not gonna let it determine how much I can squat.

awesome.

IRBS
07-08-09, 8:15 am
If you ask me you don't need to go BELOW parallel like an ass-to-calf. You don't have to in competition and it's hard on the knees.

This is incorrect. The opposite is actually closer to being accurate. When you squat high, "most" people put more stress on their knees cutting it high. You need to hit parrallel or slightly below. Anything higher is a joke...especially when youre squatting raw. There's no excuse for high squatting when its just you, a belt, and the bar.

And how deep you have to go in competition depends on the federation you are lifting in. Ask any competing Powerlifter and they will confirm this.

Oh yeah, and along the lines of this subject the World Record Squat is currently held by a guy who is 6'3. Dont let your height be an excuse...

shizz702
07-08-09, 7:38 pm
If you ask me you don't need to go BELOW parallel like an ass-to-calf. You don't have to in competition and it's hard on the knees.

Without breaking parrallel your hamstrings don't come into play, which can cause imbalances over time, and on the contrary not hitting full depth places greater stress on the knees then below parrallel.

And in any reputable federation the lifter must descend to a position where the hip crease lines up with the top of the knee like this: http://www.usapowerlifting.com/newsletter/06/novice/squata.jpg in order to pass.

For most, if not all body types, especially tall guys, that is some deep squatting. I thought I used to squat deep til I started recording my lifts, and it took me a lot of stretching and form work to be able to break that kind of depth.

LegendKillerJosh
07-09-09, 11:26 am
Without breaking parrallel your hamstrings don't come into play, which can cause imbalances over time, and on the contrary not hitting full depth places greater stress on the knees then below parrallel.

And in any reputable federation the lifter must descend to a position where the hip crease lines up with the top of the knee like this: http://www.usapowerlifting.com/newsletter/06/novice/squata.jpg in order to pass.

For most, if not all body types, especially tall guys, that is some deep squatting. I thought I used to squat deep til I started recording my lifts, and it took me a lot of stretching and form work to be able to break that kind of depth.

Yes, I'm aware in competition your hip and knee line up, that is parallel and I said you don't have to go BELOW parallel.

willah
07-09-09, 10:06 pm
I was doing some research on Bill Starr's 5x5, and came across something applicable to this in the squats section - excerpt from:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/weight-training-weight-lifting/bill-starrs-5-x-5-program-variation-per-madcow2-thanx-so-here-k-up-now-375215-83.html#post5124176

See 5th paragraph:


There are several schools of thought on squat depth. Many misinformed individuals caution against squatting below parallel, stating that this is hazardous to the knees. Nothing could be further from the truth. (2) Stopping at or above parallel places direct stress on the knees, whereas a deep squat will transfer the load to the hips,(3) which are capable of handling a greater amount of force than the knees should ever be exposed to. Studies have shown that the squat produces lower peak tibeo-femoral(stress at the knee joint) compressive force than both the leg press and the leg extension.(4) For functional strength, one should descend as deeply as possible, and under control. (yes, certain individuals can squat in a ballistic manner, but they are the exception rather than the rule). The further a lifter descends, the more the hamstrings are recruited, and proper squatting displays nearly twice the hamstring involvement of the leg press or leg extension. (5,6) and as one of the functions of the hamstring is to protect the patella tendon (the primary tendon involved in knee extension) during knee extension through a concurrent firing process, the greatest degree of hamstring recruitment should provide the greatest degree of protection to the knee joint. (7) When one is a powerlifter, the top surface of the legs at the hip joint must descend to a point below the top surface of the legs at the knee joint.

I throw this out for discussion.

cartertk
07-21-09, 8:18 pm
I'm 6 ft 3 my man...the problem with me was my foot placement. I feel like if U don't go "at least" parallel then U are missing out on the whole reason for doing the squat peroid. When U get low on them squats U hit quads and hamstrings are activated as well. Now being taller I do suggest U take a wider stance just as U would most likely take a wider grip on barbell pressing movements.

Word to te wise:
SQUAT TIL U PUKE

Ironjaw
07-21-09, 9:19 pm
This is incorrect. The opposite is actually closer to being accurate. When you squat high, "most" people put more stress on their knees cutting it high. You need to hit parrallel or slightly below. Anything higher is a joke...especially when youre squatting raw. There's no excuse for high squatting when its just you, a belt, and the bar.


I would like to frame this part of the post and put it up before you even get ino the forum ..... because i see people al the time sitin there in the gym squattin half assed "almost" touhing parallel then go complain about their knees ... i used to have knee problems too ... that is until i started squatting right.... a proper full squat actually builds up the support ligaments in the knee there for yes purpose to do a full squat and not touch parallel for a milli-second...>.> ok enough rant

MVP
07-22-09, 3:10 pm
Yes, I'm aware in competition your hip and knee line up, that is parallel and I said you don't have to go BELOW parallel.

The farther below parallel you go the easier it is on your knees.

GJN5002
07-23-09, 10:15 am
I was doing some research on Bill Starr's 5x5, and came across something applicable to this in the squats section - excerpt from:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/weight-training-weight-lifting/bill-starrs-5-x-5-program-variation-per-madcow2-thanx-so-here-k-up-now-375215-83.html#post5124176

See 5th paragraph:



I throw this out for discussion.

great post

arsilva
07-23-09, 1:41 pm
I'm 6' 1" and am known in my gym for my ATG squatting. Since i started squatting deep, the only "knee pain" i have is slight soreness after a heavy leg day, which is going to happen regardless. One thing to think about: In order to go comfortably atg, i use a very narrow stance, which helps me go atg, and also gives a fantastic stretch to my glutes and hams on every rep. I leave wider stances for leg press and hacks.