ATG squats vs. Parallel

[Supercows]

Which do you do?
Pros/Cons of ATG vs breaking at parallel.
If you have tried both, how is the weight comparison between the 2?

[dunkalicious]

parallel

[piszczel]

For me, there is absolutely no difference in how much I lift ATG or parallel.
I try to go as low as I can, but obviously that isn't happening 100% of the time.

Also, I hate ATG nazis with passion.

[MeinKampf]

i like to go about halfway between atg and parallel, i can always feel it in my quads at the bottom of the rep when i do it that way..
but to compare atg and parallel: 245x6-atg 275x6 parallel ..and then 265 halfway between

[subjugate]

i feel atgs work your legs much fuller, but youre forced to use less weight. Ill probably alternate between the two from time to time, but i do enjoy atg a bit more

[laxxxer]

perpendicular for me please

[Supercows]

i feel atgs work your legs much fuller, but youre forced to use less weight. Ill probably alternate between the two from time to time, but i do enjoy atg a bit more

x2.Though I'm a huge fan of full range of motion.

[Apachhe2]

parallel. but i compete, so i'm biased

[Govithoy]

Parallel for competitive powerlifters and those with freaky long spines/hypermobility in their lower back.

ATG for everybody else .

[the1satanfears]

For me, there is absolutely no difference in how much I lift ATG or parallel.
I try to go as low as I can, but obviously that isn't happening 100% of the time.

Also, I hate ATG nazis with passion.

That's odd. My ATG squat is significantly lower than my parallel squat.

[GLHF]

atg are dumb for many reasons, bbers stick to parallel or a little below that. When u go atg on a back squat its hard to have good balance.

[Govithoy]

That's odd. My ATG squat is significantly lower than my parallel squat.

x2, that makes no sense at all.

[Govithoy]

atg are dumb for many reasons, bbers stick to parallel or a little below that. When u go atg on a back squat its hard to have good balance.

Care to list a few, boy genius?

[Nonopb]

I got just past parallel, thats the deepest I can go still feeling confortable.

Would too like to here pros and cons tough

[tallthing]

i find it hard.

look at the stats.

[the1satanfears]

atg are dumb for many reasons, bbers stick to parallel or a little below that. When u go atg on a back squat its hard to have good balance.

Well, that's one reason as to why you're dumb...

[ddollar]

I go to parallel I have tried to go ATG but i simply cant it hurts my knee and i have no balance do what works for you though there are 1000s of articles that say go one way or the other it all comes down to you.

[BaGeL23]

Below parallel, not ATG.

[favori12]

Do whatever feels better as long as form doesn't break...

Personally my knees feel a little pressure when I go parallel to slightly below parallel, I guess because it takes me awhile to work my way up on each rep. Going ATG doesn't bother my knees one bit so that's why I continue to do them.

[URaged]

I mix it up but if I'm going heavy then parallel always, anyone who has the "if it isn't ATG I don't count it" attitude is an utter ****ing moron that needs nothing more than a guy to turn up on his door step and stab him repeatedly in the face.

[Govithoy]

I got just past parallel, thats the deepest I can go still feeling confortable.

Would too like to here pros and cons tough

ATG Characteristics: high bar position on traps, relatively narrow stance (shoulder width or slightly more/less), the movement starts with a knee break and you squat straight down, knees traveling well past the toes in most cases, and the hamstrings coming into full contact with the calves (and maybe ankles, if you don't have jacked fibraz yet) in the bottom position. In the bottom position, there's about 35% Quad, 10% Hamsting, and 45% Glute recruitment for a full squat.

Pros: More full development of the quadriceps and glutes, as well builds greater stability and increases strength in extreme ROM (necessary for injury prevention in sports.) Also much healthier for the knees, stopping a squat at any point *not* at parallel puts a lot of stress on the knee joints.

Cons: A lot of ectomorphic people simply cannot ATG squat safely due to the length of their spine. This requires considerable glute, hamstring, and ankle flexibility to pull off. That's it.


Parallel Squat Characteristics: Low-bar position, relatively wide stance (usually wider than shoulder width), the movement starts with a hip break and you sit back and then down, the trunk is less upright than on an ATG squat and your knees don't go past your toes if you're sitting back far enough. The bottom position of a parallel squat is somewhat more like 30% Quads, 40% Hams, 35% Glutes.

Pros: Much more suitable for an ectomorphic lifter. Good for building strength in the lower back, posterior chain, and hips.

Cons: The stress this method of squatting takes of the knees is transferred multiple times over into the hips and lower back. Lots of spinal erector and hip extensor/flexor accessory work is necessary if you intend to make this your main method of squatting.


In the end it comes down to your build, and in some cases, your sport.

[Supercows]

I go to parallel I have tried to go ATG but i simply cant it hurts my knee and i have no balance do what works for you though there are 1000s of articles that say go one way or the other it all comes down to you.

Ye, if i start with squats my knees will hurt a bit, so i go over to leg extensions to warm up my knees then im good to go.

[the1satanfears]

I mix it up but if I'm going heavy then parallel always, anyone who has the "if it isn't ATG I don't count it" attitude is an utter ****ing moron that needs nothing more than a guy to turn up on his door step and stab him repeatedly in the face.

...that's a tad extreme. This is gonna be the same argument that the bench to the chest or to parallel is. Some people do it one way, others do it another way. The way people count it is based on their personal preference.

[Supercows]

I mix it up but if I'm going heavy then parallel always, anyone who has the "if it isn't ATG I don't count it" attitude is an utter ****ing moron that needs nothing more than a guy to turn up on his door step and stab him repeatedly in the face.

got me laughing LOL
Rep'd

[Govithoy]

Ye, if i start with squats my knees will hurt a bit, so i go over to leg extensions to warm up my knees then im good to go.

Leg extensions actually shear the knee joint. You're honestly doing damage to your knees by doing this. The reason you feel better is because you now have blood flowing through the muscle and the joint's warmed up, whereas you probably just jump into work sets on squats with no warm-up other than the bar, yes?

If you're doing 275x5 for your first work set, you should be doing 2-3 warm-up sets do get the blood flowing.

But seriously, the **** from the leg extensions adds up over time.

[Supercows]

...that's a tad extreme. This is gonna be the same argument that the bench to the chest or to parallel is. Some people do it one way, others do it another way. The way people count it is based on their personal preference.

Ye, some people believe the bottom portion of bench press uses more delts than anything, so they tend to avoid it. Going to do another unbelievable back workout bbl

[GLHF]

Well, that's one reason as to why you're dumb...

Squat:
254 lb (115.5 kg)


i think i squat more then you do,
yeah im dumb

[GutRott]

Squat:
254 lb (115.5 kg)


i think i squat more then you do,
yeah im dumb

he definitely didn't change his stats..... I squat more then 254 and look at me lol.

[Govithoy]

Ye, some people believe the bottom portion of bench press uses more delts than anything, so they tend to avoid it. Going to do another unbelievable back workout bbl

It's cause BBing style bench press was created to put more emphasis on the pectorals, before that everybody benched like a PLer. PLing bench press saved my AC joint.

[the1satanfears]

he definitely didn't change his stats..... I squat more then 254 and look at me lol.

Thanks, bro. You are correct. Reps to you, negs to GLHF.