I was just perusing through the literature to learn more about the biology between how Squats lead to increase GH production, and found this.
It did a test with 18 (9 paired) Male subjects (ages 18-25). Made them do either full squats or parallel squats. After 6 months, it found a statistically significant increase in muscle hypertrophy.
Colker, Carlon M.1; Swain, Melissa A.2; Lynch, Leila2 (2002). Effects of Full Verses Parallel Squats on Quadriceps Muscular Hypertrophy in Healthy Male Athletes
[International Olympic Committee World Congress on Sport Sciences: Poster Session]. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: Volume 34(5) Supplement 1 May 2002 p 81.
The article has a bit of a preamble about how a slight heal lift also helps with hypertrophy too. Apparently the Russians have known about this for decades.
You guys may need a subscription to access this, dunno.
I was afraid that the greater load (FS) would’ve stimulated more hypertrophy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I’ve been going in the right direction. I’ll have to give the raised heels a shot tomorrow, though.
This just goes along with common knowledge. If you want to work your quads more wear a shoe with a decent heal or put small plates under your heals. Front squats are also great for the quads for the same reason mentioned in that study (moving the center of gravity)
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.
[quote]bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.[/quote]
Yeah, but the measure of “quad hypertrophy” they use is circumference of the thigh midway between the knee and hip. That measurement obviously includes the hamstring, too, so it’s really more like upper leg hypertrophy.
[quote]DTLV wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.
Yeah, but the measure of “quad hypertrophy” they use is circumference of the thigh midway between the knee and hip. That measurement obviously includes the hamstring, too, so it’s really more like upper leg hypertrophy.[/quote]
Alright, but most people are quad dominant anyway. Going ATG is fine, but raising the heels is not.
[quote]bruinsdmb wrote:
DTLV wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.
Yeah, but the measure of “quad hypertrophy” they use is circumference of the thigh midway between the knee and hip. That measurement obviously includes the hamstring, too, so it’s really more like upper leg hypertrophy.
Alright, but most people are quad dominant anyway. Going ATG is fine, but raising the heels is not. [/quote]
The article said raising the heels will help in increasing leg circumference. I dont understand why you think raising the heals is bad…
[quote]Contach wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
DTLV wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.
Yeah, but the measure of “quad hypertrophy” they use is circumference of the thigh midway between the knee and hip. That measurement obviously includes the hamstring, too, so it’s really more like upper leg hypertrophy.
Alright, but most people are quad dominant anyway. Going ATG is fine, but raising the heels is not.
The article said raising the heels will help in increasing leg circumference. I dont understand why you think raising the heals is bad…
[/quote]
It does lead to more quad hypertrophy. Try it out for yourself and see how it feels. Your hamstrings don’t tend to grow as much as quads in most types of squats. This probably has to do with the tendonous nature of the hamstrings vs quads.
[quote]bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.[/quote]
I guess it just sucks that every olympic lifter out there disagrees with you.
Raising the heels helps to target the vastus medialis (the “teardrop” muscle) that is oftentime a weak point as far as your leg extensors go.
[quote]davan wrote:
Contach wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
DTLV wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.
Yeah, but the measure of “quad hypertrophy” they use is circumference of the thigh midway between the knee and hip. That measurement obviously includes the hamstring, too, so it’s really more like upper leg hypertrophy.
Alright, but most people are quad dominant anyway. Going ATG is fine, but raising the heels is not.
The article said raising the heels will help in increasing leg circumference. I dont understand why you think raising the heals is bad…
It does lead to more quad hypertrophy. Try it out for yourself and see how it feels. Your hamstrings don’t tend to grow as much as quads in most types of squats. This probably has to do with the tendonous nature of the hamstrings vs quads.[/quote]
I think a lot of people need to spend some time learning some basic anatomy. The biggest contributor to upper thigh circumference is the adductor group. If you ever have the chance to look at a cadaver, you will be amazed how much the adductors contribute to thigh mass.
[quote]wressler125 wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.
I guess it just sucks that every olympic lifter out there disagrees with you.
Raising the heels helps to target the vastus medialis (the “teardrop” muscle) that is oftentime a weak point as far as your leg extensors go. [/quote]
Olympic weightlifters wear shoes with raised heels, but they by themselves do not raise their heels.
That is, it’s not like they’re raising their heels in addition to wearing weightlifting shoes!
Unconscious heel raising is a symptom of ankle inflexibility, in my opinion.
[quote]bruinsdmb wrote:
DTLV wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.
Yeah, but the measure of “quad hypertrophy” they use is circumference of the thigh midway between the knee and hip. That measurement obviously includes the hamstring, too, so it’s really more like upper leg hypertrophy.
Alright, but most people are quad dominant anyway. Going ATG is fine, but raising the heels is not. [/quote]
You’re acting as if raising the heels will remove any hamstring involvement whatsoever, which is not the case.
Or is it that Front Squats are better than Back Squats? You can’t cheat with your back or else you die. Front Squats feel signifigantly harder on the Quads to me than back box squats done from a 12 inch plyo block.
[quote]erik-the-red wrote:
wressler125 wrote:
bruinsdmb wrote:
That study is on QUAD hypertrophy, but in the squat you don’t want the quads doing most of the work. Don’t raise the heels. going ATG is obviously good, not just for the quads.
I guess it just sucks that every olympic lifter out there disagrees with you.
Raising the heels helps to target the vastus medialis (the “teardrop” muscle) that is oftentime a weak point as far as your leg extensors go.
Olympic weightlifters wear shoes with raised heels, but they by themselves do not raise their heels.
That is, it’s not like they’re raising their heels in addition to wearing weightlifting shoes!
Unconscious heel raising is a symptom of ankle inflexibility, in my opinion.[/quote]
This is what i’m talking about. Thank you.
Olympic weightlifters wear shoes with raised heels, but they by themselves do not raise their heels.
That is, it’s not like they’re raising their heels in addition to wearing weightlifting shoes!
[/quote]
Biomechanically there will be NO difference between wearing shoes with an elevated heel or standing on an implement of the same height. Either way, the heel is elevated, and you’re muscles can’t tell the difference between a wooden heel and a 2.5lb plate.
Olympic weightlifters wear shoes with raised heels, but they by themselves do not raise their heels.
That is, it’s not like they’re raising their heels in addition to wearing weightlifting shoes!
Biomechanically there will be NO difference between wearing shoes with an elevated heel or standing on an implement of the same height. Either way, the heel is elevated, and you’re muscles can’t tell the difference between a wooden heel and a 2.5lb plate. [/quote]
I think he meant while weightlifters wear shoes with heels, they don’t physically pick their heels off of the ground as some inflexible and/or beginners do while squatting below parallel.