Ass to Grass or 90 degree Squats?

[Little Dragon]

So had a little debate with my friends about squatting.

They kept telling me that I should only go to 90 degrees when squatting, any more and it'll hurt my knees later on.

I've always done ass to grass squats and felt they were superior. Granted I don't lift as much as if I were to do 90 degree squats but I think it would help more with growth with the larger ROM.
They do raise some good points on my knees though, that much weight with my knees extended ass to grass could tear something right?

What do you lifters think?
ATG squats good or bad?

[skandalouz_08]

I personally only do the 90 degree ones and feel like I get a great workout from them.

I think the ATG ones will eventually hurt your knees more than the 90 degree ones but I think its really just one persons opinion against anothers. Do what feels comfortable for you.

[Penguin_Racecar]

Ass to grass, because they are superior. You shouldn't be pushing with your knees when you're that low.

[Sasuke_Kensai]

I've read as long as you keep your shins vertical, that will limit the shear forces on your knee joint even with heavy weights. And with the knees tracking the toes.

[Redlined_8000]

Originally posted by Penguin_Racecar
Ass to grass, because they are superior. You shouldn't be pushing with your knees when you're that low.

ATG is NOT superior!

For lots of people including myself, body mechanics limit depth in squats, If i go lower than parallel my hips trun downwards (lower back rounding). This has injured me before in the lower back.

Squatting to parallel or even slightly above parallel is fine and IME is great.

[1-Bar]

never 90 degrees for me....knees are the weakest at this angle. Personally I drop a few degrees below 90, but if I power squat, I never reach 90.....

[krusso04]

Real men go Ass to Grass... no homo lol

[wintonyk]

I am gonna go with the NSCA. This is what I was taught when I took my trainer course as well. Slightly below 90

NSCA Front Squat

Power squats of course you stop just before 90.

[lint]

One of the best and most complete resources when it comes to the squat
http://www.youtube.com/user/johnnymnemonic2

Squat depth


lower back rounding


mobility

[KRyn]

What do you train for?

If you are training for Olympic Weight lifting you best be getting that ass to the floor if you ever plan to clean and jerk or snatch serious weight.

If you are power lifting or training for general fitness you are fine with going to ninety degrees or slightly below.

*shrug*

[whiskas]

Ass to grass is the best... but only if you have the flexibility to maintain proper form throughout.

A lot of people don't have much flexibility in their hips and their butt tends to "wink" down as they reach the bottom of the movement, which also causes their lower back to round out.

Don't go ATG right away, you won't have the flexibility to do it until you've been squatting consistently for several months.

I squat 3 times a week and it wasn't until close to a year of that until I felt comfortable with my form to get really low.

[eb0i]

sack to floor....

[max_boost]

Most people who squat or talk squat no diddly squat about squat but lint actually knows his squat.

I find with high bar placement, I can squat lower. I actually prefer this over the low bar squat. I don't have great flexibility so I break parallel and up I go.

I have to start squatting again, been really lazy. I think when I stall on my bench and press, I'll go back to doing deads and squats. I call my workout, the Bar Star or 2EFNFAST workout.

[max_boost]

Check out this hottie: 135X5

[max_boost]

This is me 1 year ago
First rep was high but the others I thought was decent.

[lint]

<--- knows nothing of this "squat" thing

[wintonyk]

Originally posted by max_boost
Most people who squat or talk squat no diddly squat about squat but lint actually knows his squat.

I find with high bar placement, I can squat lower. I actually prefer this over the low bar squat. I don't have great flexibility so I break parallel and up I go.

I find the high bar placement is more comfortable for my shoulders as well. Torn rotator cuff injury. I do find that I can lift significantly more that way. bout 80 lbs more than my front squat.

The ATG squat is like curling all the way on a bicep curl. Once you go past a certain degree you take tension off the muscle and are no longer working that muscle. Much past 90 degrees takes tension off you hammy's.

[VaN_HaMMeRSTeiN]

I find lower bar squats don't leave bruises on my lower neck and traps, a problem I found to be frustrating.

I am a 90 degree kinda guy, but I train for fitness and do quitea few reps (15+) per set

[buh_buh]

Ass to grass feels better during and after for me.
I can probably push less weight than if I went 90, but I feel like my legs get the better workout going ass to grass.

I've been trying to replace jump squats for squats every once in a while recently. Any thoughts on how low you should be going for those? I've just been doing ass to grass for these too and throwing on even less weight.

[dandia89]

i've been struggling for months to squat ass to grass and could never accomplish this. after realizing i have a really short torso, this really made me understand how hard it was to squat deeper. I'm sure some people have the same problem, and I know one person who pushes through it trying to go as deep as possible, and I know someone who just using the smith machine.