If an athlete does not lift with correct form then it will all come crashing down in due time. I myself have been able to work up to a 515 pound squat weighing 167 pounds, but have NEVER had a single injury. Let me reiterate that. I have been putting anywhere from 250-450 pounds on my back every single week for the past 4 years. Thousands of reps. No injuries. Not once. Now some people think that I am lucky or I must not be injury prone. I think the latter is true but luck has nothing to do with it.
If you lift weights with bad form, like for example you squat above parallel here are the negative consequences.
- You use more weight than your body can handle. Hurting recovery and over-straining your CNS. And most importantly, increasing the chance of a serious injury!
- The muscles used aren't even the same! In the squat you need to reach parallel to hit the glutes, hip flexors, and hamstrings. If you are quarter squatting, you are only hitting the front of your thighs!
- Progress is hard to measure. If you don't squat to parallel, then when do you stop? Wherever it feels comfortable? What will end up happening is you will adjust your depth to the weight you use, so you will never know when to stop increasing the weight since it gets easier actually because you are shortening the ROM.
- It won't be fun! If you are constantly struggling with weight that you can't handle, it flat out will not be fun. And if something is consistently stressful and not fun, you will not do it. That simple.
Here are some videos I made demonstrating proper form for both the squat and deadlift. Note how it is clear that I can handle the weight I am using. Even though I go till failure on the squat, I still am not shaking or having my back bend all over the place. With proper form, you can go as hard as possible, with little to no risk of injury.
Good post! After doing a few sets of full squats down to parallel, I have been doing 1 or 2 sets with heavier weight but only like 1/2 or 1/4 squat. Does this make any sense for vert jump training?
ReplyDeleteMentally - I have felt like it would help me to gain confidence that I can put more weight on the bar and since the vertical jump is only about a 1/4 squat, I felt like this could be beneficial.
Do you think there is any value in doing a combination of full and 1/4 or 1/2 squats (for training vertical jump)? Or do you think it should be always down to parallel?
thanks man!
Actually that is an excellent point. I actually do still do half squats myself and completely agree that it can really help break through plateaus.
DeleteI have played around with different squat variations, and in the end the best way I think is having the bulk of workouts be standard full squats. But then, if you are getting stuck with the same weight or are having trouble staying tight, after your standard sets, add in a 2 sets with your 1 rep max weight. And do 4-6 reps quarter squatting it.
However, don't just quarter squat it, but rather set the pins on the squat rack so high that with the bar on the pins, you are at a quarter squat position. Then actually start with the weight off the pins, and blast out the reps resting the weight on the pins after each rep. This way you HAVE to stay tight to get the weight up. And this way you have 100% consistency and a reduced risk of injury as the tendons arent as strained, as we know the reversal of a heavy quarter squat is the hardest part
Use a belt of course and be careful! I will say that the one time I thought I might have put myself at risk was when doing quarter squats. I did 555lbs and I didnt get hurt, but I felt unstable in my back in a very dangerous way, I would say never go over your 1 rep max (maybe 5-10 pounds more at most than your max if trying to break through mental block), and never have it be difficult to complete. 4-6 reps should each be smooth and "easy" in terms of how many reps you could actually do if you went to failure.
cool - thanks man! makes a ton of sense. I love the idea of putting the pins at the reversal position and blasting up. my goal is to get to 2x my bodyweight on squats and so not too long ago i put 340 lbs on the bar and did a few 1/4 squats. i felt like i was going to break in half! it was a big eye opener to me as i have a long ways to go in the strength dept to be lifting that much. my legs felt ok --- it was my back (no belt) that felt horrible! so i will go with your recommendation to only do 1/4 squats with very close to your 1 rep max. 340 lbs is around 70 lbs more than my 1 rep max which explains why my body was not liking that much weight!
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