Question about squats

[maegs]

So I know that when you do a squat, your thighs should be at least parallel to the floor. My question is if there's any pros/cons to going past parallel, or if it's a personal preference/comfort thing that decides how far past parallel to go?

[Guest Carjack]

Squatting deep enough that you get a stretch hits the most muscle fibers.

Squatting ass-to-grass Olympic style is good for hip mobility and works the positions you'll find yourself in while executing the Olympic lifts.

Low-bar squatting works hip extension more and knee extension less. Pushing out of the hole where your quadriceps are level with the ground is what makes the low-bar squat fire your glutes and hamstrings so hard. You don't need to be very flexible to get there with a flat back, but going hamstrings-to-calves would be very hard because your torso is levered forward.

Squats above parallel are an assistance exercise for advanced lifters.

[maegs]

For me it's more an issue of hip mobility, I think, since I can squat ass-to-grass and not feel a stretch (sometimes a slight one in my adductors) but there's a bit of discomfort around my hip joint & they tend to crack a bit. Do you know if one way or the other is supposed to be better for your knees? I've got a bit of bursitis that flares up on-and-off which I'd prefer not to aggravate. TIA!

[Guest Carjack]

Easiest ways to work on hip mobility:

Warming up enough so your muscles are hot and pliable (if you do weighted squats).

Sitting in a third world squat with no weight.

Those air squats in your workout log are going to look more like Olympic squats than low bar squats, but if you do low bar, they're considered easier on the knees and harder on the hips.

This might be useful to identify problems and corrections:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drsquat12.htm

If you feel pain, stop and contact a physician, then talk to somebody with a sports medicine background.

[maegs]

Thanks! I'm not quite at the point of doing weighted squats yet (those jump squats are killing my calves!) but when I start I'm definitely going to keep your info in mind.

[Guest Carjack]

Jump squats have a pretty high impact on your joints if you're not very skilled at landing.

[maegs]

I took dance when I was a kid/teenager, so I've got a pretty solid landing, but its definitely something I'm paying attention to as my #s get higher.