The squat has been called the king of exercises and that designation is well-deserved. The squat is one of the best exercises for building strength and athleticism. It’s a compound movement that engages most of your muscles simultaneously, making it an ideal way to get stronger. And once you’ve mastered a basic squat, you can try to go deeper into a squat and perform a deep squat using good form. Let’s look at some reasons to do deep squats.
What’s a Deep Squat?
Squats challenge most of your major muscle groups in your lower body: gluteus maximus (buttocks), quadriceps (front of your thighs), hamstrings (back of your thighs), gastrocnemius (calf), and erector spinae (lower back). They’re also a compound exercise, which means they use more than one joint to produce movement. This makes them ideal for building strength and muscle mass. This is true of all squats and squat variations.
A standard squat is a basic exercise in which you bend your knees and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. The difference between a standard squat and a deep squat is that in a deep squat, you go lower than 90 degrees of knee flexion, while in a standard squat, you don’t go past 90 degrees of knee flexion. A deep squat requires greater range of motion but is also a more challenging exercise.
Deep Squats Boost Functionality
Squatting is one of the most common positions we assume daily: sitting down, standing up, walking upstairs, squatting to pick something up off the floor. The more strength and mobility you have in your lower body, the easier and safer this movement will be. Squats build balance too, so you’re less likely to injure yourself when you squat down to do the functional moves you do every day. Because of the greater range of motion of a deep squat, they build better mobility, leading to greater functionality.
Deep Squats Build More Muscle
The deep squat targets your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back—all essential for building strong legs and hips. In fact, squats are so effective at building leg strength that coaches use them as part of athletic training programs and training regimens. Since the range of motion of a deep squat is greater, you increase the time your muscles spend under tension. Increased time under tension is a stimulus for muscle growth. As a rule, the bigger the squat, the better. That’s because the larger range of motion means more muscles firing, which means more strength gains. A study found that deep squats led to a more pronounced increase in quadriceps and boost knee extension strength than shallower squats.
Deep Squats Will Improve Your Vertical Jump Height
Do you play volleyball or basketball? Then you might be interested in improving your vertical jump height. Deep squats are better for doing this than standard squats. One study found that deep squats enhanced vertical jump height by 13% while partial squats only boosted jump height by 7%. So, deep squatting will improve your lower body strength and power, so you can jump higher when you play sports. These advantages will also come into play if you sprint too.
Deep Squats Improve Posture
Most people have some misalignment or poor posture due to slouching and sitting too much. For people who sit all day at work or school, squatting is essential to maintain good posture because it strengthens their hip muscles and lower back muscles — both of which help keep you from slouching or rounding your shoulders forward. Deep squats also strengthen the muscles in your back and core, so you stand and sit straighter.
Deep Squats Boost Flexibility and Mobility
Deep squats are an effective way to improve your flexibility, which is essential for daily activities. Flexibility is also key for injury prevention, as it reduces the chance that you’ll strain or pull muscles while doing something like squatting down or reaching up high. When you perform deep squats regularly, you strengthen the hips and thighs while also increasing their range of motion around the joints. This means your flexibility will increase, and you’ll be better able to move through your day without pain or discomfort.
Plus, deep squats improve mobility including ankle, hip, and knee mobility. Mobility refers to the ability to move your joints through their full range of motion. Without good mobility, you risk developing joint pain, muscle imbalances, and even posture problems. Movements become less safe and efficient, and you don’t perform as well in sports and when you strength train. Deep squats, due to their greater range of motion, will help you become more flexible and more mobile. Deep squats are one of the best exercises for increasing hip mobility, which can help prevent injuries to the knees and hips.
Deep Squats Build Bone Density
The squat is arguably the best exercise for building lower-body strength. It’s also one of the best ways to build bone density, improve balance and prevent falls in older adults. Along with building bone density, squats can also help prevent osteoporosis later in life by improving hip and knee stability. That’s important, especially for women after menopause.
Do Deep Squats Safely
If you have knee issues, approach deep squats with caution. Even if you don’t, use good form and stop if you feel discomfort in your knees or back. However, don’t avoid deep squats because you think they’re damaging to your knees. Studies show the force a deep squat places on your knees is safe if you have healthy knees and knee cartilage.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’re convinced that deep squats have benefits and added perks you won’t get from partial or standard squats. They’re easy to do, they don’t require any equipment and you can do them with limited space. The benefits of deep squats include increased flexibility and balance, improved posture, and increased power in your legs that will help you jump higher.
But the most important benefit of all? Deep squats are a functional exercise. Practicing them regularly will make it easier for you to perform everyday tasks such as standing up from a chair or climbing stairs without pain or discomfort.
References:
- Advanced Strength and Condition: An Evidence-Based Approach. Taylor and Francis, 2017.
- Domire ZJ, Challis JH. The influence of squat depth on maximal vertical jump performance. J Sports Sci. 2007 Jan 15;25(2):193-200. doi: 10.1080/02640410600630647. PMID: 17127594.
- “Don’t Be Afraid To Squat Low: Seven Reasons to Squat Deep.” 25 Mar. 2014, https://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/1145/Dont_Be_Afraid_To_Squat_Low_Seven_Reasons_to_Squat.aspx.
- “Are Deep Squats Bad for your Knees? | Exercise Biology.” 19 Jun. 2012, https://www.exercisebiology.com/index.php/site/articles/are_deep_squats_bad_for_your_knees.
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