Are full squats less stressful on the knees than parallel squats?
Hi tat,
I am not entiely sure myself but I do remember reading that the weakest joint angle for the knee has been shown to be 90 degrees. Which is why i think parallel squats may be more stressful on the knee joint over time.
Any one else care to chime in on this one because I would like to know as well.
Full squats are less stressful on the knees. Lots of the stress is transfered to the hip joint I think at the bottom position. Someone else might be able to explain it a little better…
This is from my “Money exercises” article.
Another money lift is the full squat. A lot of athletes and coaches shy away from full squatting, instead using shallow one-fourth squats. This is solely motivated by ego ?wanting to lift more weight to impress others. They justify their method by saying that full squats are bad for the knees. As most T-mag readers already know, this is hogwash!
In case you need some ammo defending full squats to the ego-squatters, here’s why they’re actually safer than partial squats:
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The deceleration path is longer during the full squat. Thus the deceleration is slower during the full squat. The faster the deceleration, the greater the risk of injury.
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It’s been established that the most unstable knee angle is 90 degrees. Does it make sense to stop (in a rapid manner) and change direction at the most unstable knee angle? It makes about as much sense as hitting the breaks of your car and trying for a 180 degrees turn as you hit a patch of ice! (For most of you, a squat where your knee angle is 90 degrees equates to about a 1/4 squat.)
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Full squatting can actually strengthen the tendons of the knees, making the articulation more stable.
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Full squatting leads to balanced lower body development, while shallow squatting can lead to quad dominance which is the cause of many injuries.
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In the shallow squat you use more weight (that’s why it’s an ego lift). If you can’t full squat a weight, you have no business quarter-squatting it! Your structures (bones, tendons, ligaments) aren’t well adapted enough to sustain the load and you risk injury.
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Full back squats can make more difference in sport performance than any other exercise. Notice that I advocate a close-stance full squat with an upright trunk. This is the only way an athlete should squat.
I would also add that full squats develop active flexibility as well as strength through the whole range oof motion. Which will reduce the risk on injuries.
Brilliant! thanks very much CT. I full squat anyway but some people have tried to tell me that full squats are pointless unless you are an oly lifter and some people have told me they are dangerous. This just confirms my belief in the benefits of full squats.
Squatting is a very natural movement; In most of the world?especially Asia and Africa?people squat to rest, to eliminate, and to perform many tasks including giving birth. I was in the gym last week and a guy approached me and told me he was frustrated with his lifting, etc. I asked him about squats and he told me that he was unable to squat. I told him that must be really tough when you have to have a bowel movement! Human bodies are designed to squat! I advocate the full barbell squat as one of the core exercises in most any weight-training program. I believe that the full squat is of tremendous value in laying down a proper strength foundation. There are individuals who may have structural problems (knees, back, etc) which prevent them from squatting at the present time. If this is the case, then those problems need to be properly evaluated and some type of corrective or rehabilitative action taken. When it comes to your health, don?t be afraid to get a second or even third opinion. I don?t have a whole lot of confidence in health care professionals whose only advice is to avoid exercise or activities as I fail to see the positive benefits of physical atrophy of the human body.
Many fitness experts warn against performing squats past the point of parallel for fear of potentially damaging the knees. As a general rule I disagree with those experts though there are certainly individual exceptions. When the full squat is performed correctly and with total control through a complete range of motion, the knees are strengthened, not weakened. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, an estimated 50 million North Americans have suffered or are suffering knee pain or injuries and six million of them will visit a doctor for knee problems each year. The majority of these problems are degenerative in nature and are the result of disuse of the knee joint. Squatting keeps the knee joints mobile and free of pain. There are several facets on the inside of the kneecap that are all used only in individuals who squat.
When the squat is performed to a parallel depth, it is the knees which take the majority of the stress involved in stopping the downward momentum of the squat. When the squat is performed to a full depth, this same ?braking? stress is transferred to the larger, powerful muscles of the hips, hamstrings and buttocks. It is obvious that the squat must be performed with a great deal of control and that any type of rapid ?rebounding?, whether it is done at parallel or at full depth will be detrimental to the knees.
Keith W.