I’ve noticed that there are quite a few people who do ass to grass squats here. I’ve never really done them for an extended period of time but was curious as to what are the benefits of doing them opposed to doing normal powerlifting style parallel squats or box squats?
Bigger teardrop. More muscular development. At least that is what I experienced.
I personally feel far less pressure on my joints doing ATG squats. For me the movement feels more elastic. Myrecovery time is also improved as compared to parallel box squats.
Also, whatever i can do ATG i know i can handle to parallel, though there is some discomfort when attempting heavy singles to parallel after a long period of exclusively ATG squats.
This is all from personal experience and i’m sure much varies form person to person.
- Improved functional flexibility.
- Improved joint elasticity.
- Better mechanical work.
- More even distribution of force throughout all joints involved.
- Greater range of motion which causes more work per rep, which causes more even muscle growth and strength throughout a greater range.
- Greater midsection strength because greater control is needed for a lower position.
- Better balance.
- Makes you stronger in the lower ranges which allows you to be even stronger in the partial ranges.
Hope that is a start!
Oh yeah, I forgot the most important…
LESS INJURIES!
[quote]LYR wrote:
- Improved functional flexibility.
[/quote]
is this another way of saying you’ll be more flexible?
but wouldn’t a high squat (like a barely breaking parallel powerlifting style squat) be a better mechanical leverage to lift more weight?
for instance, you can lift much more doing a 1/4 squat than squatting four inches below parallel…
maybe I don’t understand what you mean?
…
the rest of your post I thought was ‘right on the money’…
[quote]Goal=Colossus wrote:
I personally feel far less pressure on my joints doing ATG squats. For me the movement feels more elastic. Myrecovery time is also improved as compared to parallel box squats.
Also, whatever i can do ATG i know i can handle to parallel, though there is some discomfort when attempting heavy singles to parallel after a long period of exclusively ATG squats.
This is all from personal experience and i’m sure much varies form person to person.[/quote]
Me too bro! I personally never do parallel for that reason. Would you bench only half way down? The motion isn’t natural to stop it half way in any exercise, plus it tears the muscle up big time and overloads the knees and lower back. It’s much smoother to go ATG because of the even distribution of force and the elastic components take the full weight in the bottom position… and you use this to initiate the motion upward.
[quote]DPH wrote:
LYR wrote:
- Improved functional flexibility.
is this another way of saying you’ll be more flexible?
- Better mechanical leverage.
but wouldn’t a high squat (like a barely breaking parallel powerlifting style squat) be a better mechanical leverage to lift more weight?
for instance, you can lift much more doing a 1/4 squat than squatting four inches below parallel…
maybe I don’t understand what you mean?
…
the rest of your post I thought was ‘right on the money’…[/quote]
No, because mechanical leverage is defined by work or torque that the muscle produces. This is determined by how far the axis of rotation is from the force line. To make it easy, the further you go down in the squat, the further away the hips and knees move from the actual force line (the weight). Therefore, the deeper you go, the greater torque is being applied to the joints. When you only do 1/4 squats, there is only a few inches of torque applied to the joints and this is why you can lift heaps more weight in a 1/4 squat. You can work it by a simple equation.
Work = weight x distance
Here is an example. If i can ATG 400lbs and the bar moves 24inches… this equals 800lbs/ft
However if i 1/4 squat 800lbs (good luck) for 6 inches… this equals 400lbs/ft.
The full range has TWICE the mecahnical work.
Sorry man, needed to state mechanical work, not leverage. My bad!
Which style of squatting (olympic/A2G or powerlifting wide stance/sitting back) is best for athletes? Currently I do more of a power lifting style.
[quote]AceDeuce wrote:
Which style of squatting (olympic/A2G or powerlifting wide stance/sitting back) is best for athletes? Currently I do more of a power lifting style.[/quote]
Both have their place. They are two different exercises targetting different muscles. Powerlifting squat really builds strong mid-section, lower back and hamstrigns. Olympic squat builds brute leg strength and is easier to recover from. All squatting variation have something to offer but, just cycle them according to your goals.
Can anyone squat and actually touch their ass on the floor? Is that physically possible? My ass ain’t touching no grass unless that grass ain’t been mowed in awhile. Even with no weight and no shoes, I can only get to about 8 inches off the floor.
[quote]Magarhe wrote:
Can anyone squat and actually touch their ass on the floor? Is that physically possible? My ass ain’t touching no grass unless that grass ain’t been mowed in awhile. Even with no weight and no shoes, I can only get to about 8 inches off the floor.
[/quote]
I think your taking it a little too literal…
[quote]Deathroe wrote:
Magarhe wrote:
Can anyone squat and actually touch their ass on the floor? Is that physically possible? My ass ain’t touching no grass unless that grass ain’t been mowed in awhile. Even with no weight and no shoes, I can only get to about 8 inches off the floor.
I think your taking it a little too literal…[/quote]
Read the tip for 5/30.
[quote]Phil Gagnon wrote:
AceDeuce wrote:
Which style of squatting (olympic/A2G or powerlifting wide stance/sitting back) is best for athletes? Currently I do more of a power lifting style.
Both have their place. They are two different exercises targetting different muscles. Powerlifting squat really builds strong mid-section, lower back and hamstrigns. Olympic squat builds brute leg strength and is easier to recover from. All squatting variation have something to offer but, just cycle them according to your goals.[/quote]
What is brute strength?
[quote]LYR wrote:
Goal=Colossus wrote:
I personally feel far less pressure on my joints doing ATG squats. For me the movement feels more elastic. Myrecovery time is also improved as compared to parallel box squats.
Also, whatever i can do ATG i know i can handle to parallel, though there is some discomfort when attempting heavy singles to parallel after a long period of exclusively ATG squats.
This is all from personal experience and i’m sure much varies form person to person.
Me too bro! I personally never do parallel for that reason. Would you bench only half way down? The motion isn’t natural to stop it half way in any exercise, plus it tears the muscle up big time and overloads the knees and lower back. It’s much smoother to go ATG because of the even distribution of force and the elastic components take the full weight in the bottom position… and you use this to initiate the motion upward.[/quote]
“plus it tears the muscle up big time and overloads the knees and lower back.”
Well, it is necessary to cause microtrauma (small tears in a muscle) in a muscle for it to regrow larger.
Overload? That’s a relative term. Any exercise down at a very challenging weight (relative to the person) will “overload” the joints and muscles. When you say lower back, do you mean the back muscles or the spine? It will only overload the spine if your are using crappy form or the weight is too heavy for you.
-MAtt
[quote]LYR wrote:
Goal=Colossus wrote:
I personally feel far less pressure on my joints doing ATG squats. For me the movement feels more elastic. Myrecovery time is also improved as compared to parallel box squats.
Also, whatever i can do ATG i know i can handle to parallel, though there is some discomfort when attempting heavy singles to parallel after a long period of exclusively ATG squats.
This is all from personal experience and i’m sure much varies form person to person.
Me too bro! I personally never do parallel for that reason. Would you bench only half way down? The motion isn’t natural to stop it half way in any exercise, plus it tears the muscle up big time and overloads the knees and lower back. It’s much smoother to go ATG because of the even distribution of force and the elastic components take the full weight in the bottom position… and you use this to initiate the motion upward.[/quote]
And the motion isn’t “natural?” I’m going to repost this from the my response in JPC’s thread a little while back.
"Once again, what would be the purpose of squatting ass to grass in real life. I wouldn’t pick up ANYTHING heavy that way. Unless you are picking up marbles or something extremely light, what real life function would it have?
-MAtt"
Other than perhaps taking a dump or squatting rather than sitting, what is the application of squatting this deep? With a heavy weight?
-MAtt
I’m surprised people are saying that they can recover faster from an ATG oly squat then a power style box squat. I can handle one serious free squat session a week or two box squat sessions.
ATG squats hit the quads a lot more effectively than box or parrellel squats, thereby leading to increased hypertrophy with less weight. You need to be nice a flexible in the ankles and hips for this, though.
Box or parrelle squats are more of a p-chain exercise than a quad exercise. You can move more weight due to mechanical advantage.
i dont know how you lift heavy stuff off the ground, but i squat all the way down and grab it then squat back up. try lifting boulders and other crap just bending the back and straight leg dead lifting it up and youll end up in lots of back pain if you arent strong enough
[quote]Matgic wrote:
LYR wrote:
Goal=Colossus wrote:
I personally feel far less pressure on my joints doing ATG squats. For me the movement feels more elastic. Myrecovery time is also improved as compared to parallel box squats.
Also, whatever i can do ATG i know i can handle to parallel, though there is some discomfort when attempting heavy singles to parallel after a long period of exclusively ATG squats.
This is all from personal experience and i’m sure much varies form person to person.
Me too bro! I personally never do parallel for that reason. Would you bench only half way down? The motion isn’t natural to stop it half way in any exercise, plus it tears the muscle up big time and overloads the knees and lower back. It’s much smoother to go ATG because of the even distribution of force and the elastic components take the full weight in the bottom position… and you use this to initiate the motion upward.
And the motion isn’t “natural?” I’m going to repost this from the my response in JPC’s thread a little while back.
"Once again, what would be the purpose of squatting ass to grass in real life. I wouldn’t pick up ANYTHING heavy that way. Unless you are picking up marbles or something extremely light, what real life function would it have?
-MAtt"
Other than perhaps taking a dump or squatting rather than sitting, what is the application of squatting this deep? With a heavy weight?
-MAtt[/quote]