ATG squats v. Regular squats

[The Brotherhood]

I go below parallel. True ATG minimizes the load you can use way too much, and over involves your back(for most people). The extra couple of inches of stretch isnt worth the barter for heavier volume, less hamstring involvement (I like hitting my target muscle group when training it, and minimizing the involvement of secondary assistance muscle groups), and less back involvement.

Do it if your comfortable with it though.

[stella summers]

lol sorry this is a dumb question but which side is the top of the quads you are talkin about... is that the part by the knee or by your pelvis/whatever

The front part.

[whitesox3223]

uh ok...thanks for the pic of the quad. ya i know where the quad is...

[KhanPaulsen]

I go below parallel. True ATG minimizes the load you can use way too much, and over involves your back(for most people). The extra couple of inches of stretch isnt worth the barter for heavier volume, less hamstring involvement (I like hitting my target muscle group when training it, and minimizing the involvement of secondary assistance muscle groups), and less back involvement.

Do it if your comfortable with it though.

Back is only an issue for people with a weak posterior chain in general.

I don't even use a belt, and my back has never been an issue squatting. However, I've always pounded the living hell out of my posterior chain.

[The Brotherhood]

possibly true. I do almost unassisted GHRs and my RDL is like 40 lbs more than my squat..so i dont think I have a weak posterior chain.

Eitherway, its still an indication that its the posterior chain failing, and personally id rather hammer my quads and then move on to hammering my glutes/hams rather than hit it all with a bang for the buck atg squats.

[Aar*]

Atg.

[KhanPaulsen]

possibly true. I do almost unassisted GHRs and my RDL is like 40 lbs more than my squat..so i dont think I have a weak posterior chain.

Romanian Deadlift 40 lbs. more than squat? You're...different.

Eitherway, its still an indication that its the posterior chain failing, and personally id rather hammer my quads and then move on to hammering my glutes/hams rather than hit it all with a bang for the buck atg squats.

I use a medium stance (it's very close to shoulder width, just slightly outside) mostly and my quads get thrashed. Quads being hammered is more based on stance width than it is anything else.

Whatever stance someone uses they should be going as low as possible. Obviously a wider stance won't allow for as much depth, but the point is maximizing your ROM. People should be varying their stances anyway.

I hold no faith in people that vary ROM within the same stance, however.

[espm1000]

I started going slightly past parallel after a story I heard. I did use to do ATG, but they made my knees hurt even though several people said my form was spot on. Just below parallel is where it's at, and my knees hurt a lot less. If you go full ATG it wreaks havoc on the patella, or so it feels.

[stella summers]

uh ok...thanks for the pic of the quad. ya i know where the quad is...

You wouldn'tve asked such a dumb question if you knew where the hell it was, genius. No need for the attitude...

I was being serious, and I answered your question so you'd understand something so simple. LOLZ WHEREZ DA FRONT OF T3H QUAD SRY STUPID QUESTION?!

[whitesox3223]

You wouldn'tve asked such a dumb question if you knew where the hell it was, genius. No need for the attitude...

I was being serious, and I answered your question so you'd understand something so simple. LOLZ WHEREZ DA FRONT OF T3H QUAD SRY STUPID QUESTION?!

u werent being serious.

you showed me a pic of the general quad. i didnt understand what you meant by the "top" of the quad. i know there are a few, i think 4 different heads of the quad. but all you said was the quarter squat hit the "top" of the quad.

what would have it taken for you to say that the top part is by the knee? but even still you have failed to answer my question. so i dont know if by "top" you mean the area by the knee.

and im not a noob nor do i talk like one...

..real mature.

[Frank_The_Tank]

I would assume that "top of the quad" is referring to the vastus intermedius.But I'm not really sure as that is a pretty vague definition.

[stella summers]

u werent being serious.

you showed me a pic of the general quad. i didnt understand what you meant by the "top" of the quad. i know there are a few, i think 4 different heads of the quad. but all you said was the quarter squat hit the "top" of the quad.

what would have it taken for you to say that the top part is by the knee? but even still you have failed to answer my question. so i dont know if by "top" you mean the area by the knee.

and im not a noob nor do i talk like one...

..real mature.

Yes, I was being serious. And of course, I am real mature, thank you.

By the top of the quads, I simply meant the front (the rectus femoris), which the picture obviously showed.

You simply took what I said the wrong way and assumed I was somehow insulting your intelligence, when I wasn't at all. I meant well, and was trying to help you by answering your question. Plain and simple.

and im not a noob nor do i talk like one...

Then quit acting like it.

[Phucked]

i always feel it more with atg squats.

[sicdeusvult]

I can't get to parallel. I'm almost to parallel but I just can not. my hammys are decent as I can grab and hold my toes, and my quads are flexible too. i just lose balance when i get to 1/2, and that's even without any weight on the bar. hell, i fall over doing it just practicing the form of going parallel and beyond. im flat footed so i think thats why i cant. anyone have any thoughts on this? :/ i'd much rather go at least parallel and even better, atg, but i just cant do it. damnit. my balance sucks, and thats funny because i played AAA ice hockey as a goalie for 9 years...yet i cant balance in squats? wtf?

[Kmess]

Wow strong bumpage of my old thread... well I used to do atg squats but now I've decided on parallel squats. I talked to a bodybuilder/nutritionist and asked her which she recommends, she says parallel or even slightly below is better because going that extra little bit on atg doesn't really bring any bigger benefits than parellel. (Her legs are bigger and stronger than mine haha). Course everyone should do whatever feels and works best for them.

[tomdana]

I did ATG with very light weights for the first time yesterday though when up to working weights I did well below parallel, but not ATG for the first time and today really feel the added work in the glutes and hams. As well, my knees do not hurt at all today and normally do. I suspect somewhat from the lower weight for the first time with a new squat style, though as doing the squats felt less stress on the knees. I have enjoyed this thread. Appreciate all of the different points of view.

[Red_Stafford]

Is it ok to use the Smith Machine when doing squats, I used to use the Smith Machine and put the bench behind me so when I was squating when my bum touched the bench I had gone down enough and started lifting the weight back up I think this allowed me to go below paralell but not all the way down it was just about right.

[JTwood]

I do them. Less stress on the knees and fuller ROM. Squatting down only to parallel puts the brunt of the pressure on the knees as they are the ones trying to stop the weight dead in the middle of the rep in order to shoot back upwards. I consider parallel as a half rep and a half ROM.

true, to a certain extent.

depending on your form you can make the stress vary from on your kness to on your hips, your hips being a larger bone structure and for some of us more flexable you should try to "sit back" when squatting, not go straight down. this will also get the back of your legs big time.you shouldnt let your knees come past your toes.

[Delgod]

true, to a certain extent.

depending on your form you can make the stress vary from on your kness to on your hips, your hips being a larger bone structure and for some of us more flexable you should try to "sit back" when squatting, not go straight down. this will also get the back of your legs big time.you shouldnt let your knees come past your toes.

Um.. 2006.


GJDM.

[Fat_chicks_rule]

Rock bottom bitches!

[Fat_chicks_rule]

true, to a certain extent.

depending on your form you can make the stress vary from on your kness to on your hips, your hips being a larger bone structure and for some of us more flexable you should try to "sit back" when squatting, not go straight down. this will also get the back of your legs big time.you shouldnt let your knees come past your toes.

I strongly disagree, hip back squatting is a purely powerlifitng based movement and is aimed at increasing strength at the parallel position.

The squat is not a complicated motion, some inflexible ****wits bastardized it and turned into some hip back good morning mutation. Squat up, squat down, your knees will go as far forward as they naturally need to.

Do you think when I snatch or clean heavyweights I 'stick my ass out' and 'sit back?' NO! I go intp the position where my body was designed to be, in a full squat with the knees over the toes and the torso upright.

[Delgod]

Rock bottom bitches!

big_Fuzzy?

[Fat_chicks_rule]

I don't know who that is at all!

[ilbkyl]

ive been planning to try atg for awhile now, but am not sure of the form.
anyone has some videos?
btw my toes normally lift off from the ground when i sink lower down into my squats (below parallel)
anyone knows how this happens?

[yummiyoshi]

how much weight do u decrease for atg?

[burningNun]

I strongly disagree, hip back squatting is a purely powerlifitng based movement and is aimed at increasing strength at the parallel position.

The squat is not a complicated motion, some inflexible ****wits bastardized it and turned into some hip back good morning mutation. Squat up, squat down, your knees will go as far forward as they naturally need to.

Do you think when I snatch or clean heavyweights I 'stick my ass out' and 'sit back?' NO! I go intp the position where my body was designed to be, in a full squat with the knees over the toes and the torso upright.

Olympic lifters do it, so it MUST BE RIGHT!

[tbjake34]

ATG squats are VERY bad for the knees IMO.. Just stick with parrall or maybe a little lower but not ATG

[Widge]

atg is usually a narrowish stance... more quad involvement, and less weight can be handled. the wider stance will allow you to use more weight but also not go down as far if you arent real flexible. the wide stance allows more hamstring and glute involvement..

niether is better than the other really. for some people ATG squats can be bad for the knees.. there was a thread like this a while ago and they said why and pretty much proved it.

im sorry but you have been brain washed if you think ATG squats is the end all exercise... it really seems like many here have been

this

you can pile on a lot more weight using a wide stance and not going to deep

imo MORE WEIGHT>> a couple more inches of rom

especially considering if you lift in a comp you dont have to go atg

[Fat_chicks_rule]

this

you can pile on a lot more weight using a wide stance and not going to deep

imo MORE WEIGHT>> a couple more inches of rom

especially considering if you lift in a comp you dont have to go atg

LESS WEIGHT for proper quad development. I am assuming as people who want to build bigger more muscular physiques this would surely be a better way?

If you are a competitive powerlifter, sure, it makes sense. Otherwise it doesn't.

[Blue Blazer]

I do ATG's but don't go as low as some guys go, I just go a below parallel, but not necessarily as low as I can go...