Deep Squats?

J

judegirl

Cathlete
Cathe, can you please explain whether or not deep squats are safe, and why you do not include them in your workouts? I've always been fine doing the half squats in your videos and have had no knee issues, but my husband recently got into weight lifting and is using a program called Strong Lifts/Starting Strength. That program and most of the other heavy weight lifting/bodybuilding programs out there all swear that deep squats, where your hips drop below knee level, almost to the ground, are the best/only way to squat safely and effectively. I don't know what to believe!

What is your take on this? Thanks!
 
judegirl said:
Cathe, can you please explain whether or not deep squats are safe, and why you do not include them in your workouts? I've always been fine doing the half squats in your videos and have had no knee issues, but my husband recently got into weight lifting and is using a program called Strong Lifts/Starting Strength. That program and most of the other heavy weight lifting/bodybuilding programs out there all swear that deep squats, where your hips drop below knee level, almost to the ground, are the best/only way to squat safely and effectively. I don't know what to believe!

What is your take on this? Thanks!
Click to expand...


Hi Judegirl! Its not that deep squats should never be done or are not safe at all. It's that such a small percentage of people can actually do them correctly or even able to do them that deeply. Unless you are a skilled athlete looking to enhance your performance or have any other reason that requires you to be down in a very low squat position by day or night, I don't recommend them. Going to a deep level like that is not a range of motion most of us engage in on a regular basis. Therefore our bodies are not conditioned for the deep range of motion. Suddenly putting ourselves in this deep compromised position exposes us to a greater risk of injury. When I make a DVD I am putting it out there for the general public and I have no idea if the person using the workout is a beginner, an trained athlete, an enthusiastic exerciser, etc. While there is certainly the possibility that some people may be trained/skilled enough to do a deep squat safely with great technique, I can't assume that. Therefore I need to make sure my exercise choices are ones that benefit the masses while putting them at the least possible risk. If I had the ability to stand over a person and spot them one on one and I saw that they were capable of handling a deep squat (but more importantly had a specific reason to need to do deep squats) I might consider it, but because I don't, I err on the side of safety and keep them out of my DVD programs. I especially don't recommend deep squats for anyone who suffers from back pain, neck pain, disc pain, bad knees, hip pain, poor range of motion or poor balance.
Hope this helps :)
 
This is one the many reason I only stick to Cathe's dvd workouts, her integrity and her standards are very high. She really does care about us.

judegirls I'm glad you asked this question,because I know dropping it "low" is the in thing right now. I like how cathe does her squats =)
too =)
 
I am glad to hear this Cathe! I had been reading other people all of the sudden say deep squats are what we need to be doing to be effective. I am not sure but it may came from cross fit. Because years ago I heard a cross fitter say it way before it was talked about on media. But lately, I heard that this is more correct and in my mind if my knees hurt in a squat that is parallel then how can going any farther down be any better? So I would try it without weights and I can not do it correctly because my torso leans forward to far even if I am putting my weight on my heels, I would have to really spread my legs really far apart to get the position to where I am not leaning to far forward. That being said once I get down that far getting up make my knees feel like they will bust. So I just think Cathe is right not everyone can do that. I just now got to do parallel sqwats with 30 pounds [emoji16] lol


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