Exactly how important ARE squats?
Just a quick question because I'm rather curious..
Basically I play D-Line and my squat is rather low in comparison to my deadlift (dead = about 440lbs max and squat = about 320-350lb max) and yet I constantly find myself beating people on the line. The thing that confuses me is I've noticed that when you are actually coming out of your stance and driving on the line you're not really using your quads. It seems as though you're mainly using your posterior chain. I mean your glutes, hams and lowerback seem to be providing the driving force so in this sense are deadlifts better for the line than say squats? I'm not going to choose one over the other as I do both but should I aim to do more work on the posterior chain for football?
I may be completely wrong on all this but I just want to know
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03-23-2004, 03:14 PM #1eating pudding...
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Exactly how important ARE squats?
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03-23-2004, 03:18 PM #2Registered User
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Depending on how you do squats, they should be hitting your posterior chain. A high bar close stance will hit the quads while a wider, low bar (power lifter) style squat will hit more of the glutes and hamstrings.
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03-23-2004, 03:41 PM #3eating pudding...
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yea I do it powerlifting style and yea I do feel it hit my glutes/hams but it just got me thinking that I should really put a lot of emphasis on stiff-legged deadlifts and hamstring/glute work etc (not that I haven't been already)
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03-23-2004, 04:10 PM #4
If you do squats ass to the grass (way past parallel) then your glutes and hams will be hit hard.
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03-23-2004, 04:27 PM #5King of Links
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Squats are the single best lower body exercise. But that doesn't mean you should over-emphasize the quads. Hit the hamstrings hard and you will be really quick off the line.
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03-23-2004, 05:27 PM #6Registered User
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A trainer from U of Memphis told my football team today that the best squats you can do all-around, are ass to grass. Lighten the weight up and put your ass to the grass, do lots of reps. He said it will help improve speed also.
NSCA-CPT
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03-23-2004, 05:31 PM #7Registered User
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Can't argue with that, i've been told by every football and basketball coach i've ever had that squats are the single most important exercise you can do.Originally posted by Silent_Impact
Squats are the single best lower body exercise. But that doesn't mean you should over-emphasize the quads. Hit the hamstrings hard and you will be really quick off the line."The biggest risk in life is not taking one"
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. " - John Wooden
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing"
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03-23-2004, 09:48 PM #8
Our trainers tend to put A LOT of emphasis on power cleans and squats. So I've come to the conclusion that squats are one of the best exercises for an athlete.
About the ass-to-grass squats, I've read in numerous places that when you do A-T-G squats, it is bad on your knees; therefore, while it works your glutes, your knees are taking a beating. Also, one of the latest T-Mag articles says "Thou shall not squat past a 90-degree angle" in a list of commandments.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERELast edited by Cod; 03-26-2004 at 12:31 AM.
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03-24-2004, 06:40 AM #9Registered User
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Thats nonsense, full range of motion squats are often used by top strength coaches to clear up knee problems.
Full range squats help strenghten the VMO, which in turn improves tracking and general knee health. Particulary effective for clearing up jumpers knee.
U dont need to squat ass to grass all the time but as a begginer ur general strength and flexability base would be better served by useing them.Bo selecta!
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03-24-2004, 02:44 PM #10Registered User
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I don't see squats posing a problem to the knees unless you're squatting a load you cannot handle or have a poor spotter.
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03-24-2004, 02:59 PM #11The link isn't working for me, and I don't believe that squatting ATG will hurt your knees.Originally posted by Cod
Our trainers tend to put A LOT of emphasis on power cleans and squats. So I've come to the conclusion that squats are one of the best exercises for an athlete.
About the ass-to-grass squats, I've read in numerous places that when you do A-T-G squats, it is bad on your knees; therefore, while it works your glutes, your knees are taking a beating. Also, one of the latest T-Mag articles says "Thou shall not squat past a 90-degree angle" in a list of commandments.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
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03-24-2004, 03:07 PM #12Registered User
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ass to the grass squats.. does that mean your calf muscles are touching your glute or ham, whichever one is in the back?
in other words, as low as you can go to the ground?ALOHA
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03-24-2004, 03:15 PM #13eating pudding...
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yeh it means as low as you can go basically
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03-24-2004, 03:29 PM #14You don't have to go as low as possible. Just as low as you can comfortably go. The point is to get at least a few inches below parallel, although if you can comfortably go as low as possible then do it.Originally posted by SoButteR
ass to the grass squats.. does that mean your calf muscles are touching your glute or ham, whichever one is in the back?
in other words, as low as you can go to the ground?
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03-26-2004, 12:32 AM #15Fixed. Sorry about that.Originally posted by Heisman
The link isn't working for me, and I don't believe that squatting ATG will hurt your knees.
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