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Barbell Back squat depth (for barefoot powerlifters)

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Meghan O'Connell

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Hello. I have just come back to back squatting because I have a powerlifting competition in about 13 weeks, and as usual, depth is not good again re: breaking parallel; I'm currently only parallel in a back squat whereas front squat is no problem for depth. (As context, I squat for competition in deadlift slippers, not with an elevated heel.)

Obviously, I'll go back to the usual drills (more dedicated dorsiflexion practice, the StrongFirst hip flexor activation for the active pull down).

One other approach that I am considering exploring, though: I did notice while doing @Brett Jones ' Indian clubs course lately that the "slam" revealed that I am not actually very spring-ey at the bottom of a squat (which explains why my deadlift feels so much stronger, because I haven't typically experienced such a great benefit from eccentric pre-load). So I am thinking of practising some plyometric movements under a slightly heavier load, such as a a few light (25 lb) bar jump squats in the warmup.

Any experiences or insights appreciated!
 
Video would be helpful. Are you asking more about depth or pop out of the hole?
I guess both, to be honest -- the depth is for IPF rules, and the pop out of the hole is for technique. Here is a squat video from a few months ago (May), which was the last time I back squatted.
I do hip mobility work every single day to help with squat depth.
Thanks! I do hip mobility daily also, but obviously I have to focus a bit more now on squat-specific for a while. Much appreciated :)
 
If depth gets two whites, you're good..

What I would recommend is work on your rep speed in training with 60%
 
Your depth issues don't look like a hip mobility issue at all - more like a "it's heavy and I don't want to get buried so I shave it short" issue than anything else. Learning to feel depth is a skill to develop that comes more naturally to some, and I assume you're generally careful about always hitting depth in training, but low box squats, setting safety pins right at the point you reach depth (with competition stance, posture), using video/training partners to check depth, etc are things to use to help this in the gym.

As far as the reversal/amoritization phase/pop out of the hole, I'm a fan of bands and chains, and using weights in the 50-70% range for "speed" work. Someone might suggest pause squats, but I'm not a fan.
 
Thank you also :)

Don’t see any issues with depth.

However, pause squats seem to help ANY and ALL aspect of squats, including your initial inquiry. You almost have a pause in your competition style, but pauses help entrain that bottom position, committing it to muscle memory.

Even just pausing on your warmup, with a nice slow eccentric (I think it would benefit you to try this) can help you get the feel of not only the perfect bottom position, but also the perfect path to getting there.

Really, with these two things you’re still just squatting…but highlighting and focusing on specific details of the movement.
 
Your depth issues don't look like a hip mobility issue at all - more like a "it's heavy and I don't want to get buried so I shave it short" issue than anything else. Learning to feel depth is a skill to develop that comes more naturally to some, and I assume you're generally careful about always hitting depth in training, but low box squats, setting safety pins right at the point you reach depth (with competition stance, posture), using video/training partners to check depth, etc are things to use to help this in the gym.

As far as the reversal/amoritization phase/pop out of the hole, I'm a fan of bands and chains, and using weights in the 50-70% range for "speed" work. Someone might suggest pause squats, but I'm not a fan.

I was thinking the same thing -- it looked like inhibition due to weight.

This may be a weightlifter / high bar /bumper plates trick that doesn't apply to PL / low bar / iron plates, but learning how to dump and bail was important for me to get over fears of getting buried on max attempts.
 
However, pause squats seem to help ANY and ALL aspect of squats, including your initial inquiry. You almost have a pause in your competition style, but pauses help entrain that bottom position, committing it to muscle memory.

Even just pausing on your warmup, with a nice slow eccentric (I think it would benefit you to try this) can help you get the feel of not only the perfect bottom position, but also the perfect path to getting there.
We'll have to agree to disagree on pause squats. Imho, one of the few things pause squats might be good for is figuring out and ingraining kinesthetic awareness/proprioception of depth. We discussed this in a different thread, but pause squats have never done a thing to help my 1rm and, in fact, I'd argue actually made my squats slower.
 
but pause squats have never done a thing to help my 1rm and, in fact, I'd argue actually made my squats slower.

Ditto.

I like pause squats during warm up or if I'm trying to make a light weight (e.g. KB front squats) feel heavy.

But they are an anti-pattern for me practicing the use of the stretch reflex to pop out of the hole.

If I pause, the stretch reflex energy dissipates.
 
All 3 squats looked deep enough to me. Your 2nd squat looked like your 1RM or very close to it so no surprise that the third one didn't go.

You and I both are size small human beings. I have found the most success squatting by continuing to bring my hands in closer and closer until I felt like my lats were really firing, which in turn just made the whole lift tighter. Put another way, you want your grip to be narrow enough to make it a challenge to get the bar down on your back where it needs to be - that challenge will make you tighter.

Based on what I saw, your observation about what springiness at the bottom of the squat may be misplaced - you don't need to be springy at the bottom of a heavy powerlifting low-bar back squat. Some people will look more springy than others, of course, but I don't think that should be your focus.

-S-
 
As to pause squats, they are part of the "make your light weights feel heavy so your heavy weights feel light approach." Works for many people. I am still relatively new to the squat and bench press in powerlifting, but the above approach is part of many of my squat sessions, e.g., I will start with light squats performed almost like a prying goblet squat, with not only a pause but also exhaling at the bottom, looking for maximum depth, then I'll inhale to repressurize and come back up. As the weights go up, I will keep the pause but hold my breath. As the weights go up more, I'll get rid of the pause, and as the weights go up more, I'll aim for competition depth only.

-S-
 
This is excellent advice.

Based on what I saw, your observation about what springiness at the bottom of the squat may be misplaced - you don't need to be springy at the bottom of a heavy powerlifting low-bar back squat. Some people will look more springy than others, of course, but I don't think that should be your focus.
 
Your depth issues don't look like a hip mobility issue at all - more like a "it's heavy and I don't want to get buried so I shave it short" issue than anything else. Learning to feel depth is a skill to develop that comes more naturally to some, and I assume you're generally careful about always hitting depth in training, but low box squats, setting safety pins right at the point you reach depth (with competition stance, posture), using video/training partners to check depth, etc are things to use to help this in the gym.

As far as the reversal/amoritization phase/pop out of the hole, I'm a fan of bands and chains, and using weights in the 50-70% range for "speed" work. Someone might suggest pause squats, but I'm not a fan.
Another great tool is use a soft foam pad instead of a box to give feedback when you’re below parallel. Less tempting to sit on than traditional box squats.
 
I am not actually very spring-ey at the bottom of a squat,,,because I haven't typically experienced such a great benefit from eccentric pre-load).

Squat Stretch Reflex

One of the keys to Squating more weight is to elict the "Spring-ey" Stretch Reflex.

The Streach Reflex provides a Rubber Band Effect with the connective tissue; once assertively stretched you Rebound out of the hole with greater force.

Research shows that up ot 18% more forces is produced when the Stretch Reflex is elicited.

Dr Tom McLaughlin's Research
PhD Exercise Biomechanics/former Powerlifter
The Last Word on Squatting, Men's Health, Seotember 1998

"An overlooked aspect of the squat is the transition between descent and ascent. "You don't want to bounce, but you don't want to stop, either," says McLaughlin. "You want a slight recoil - enough that the change in direction utilizes some of the energy transfer in your body."

"As for the ascent, ... Where you avoided momentum on the way down, use it to your advantage on the way up. An explosive drive will provide enough impetus to help you finish the move."


I am thinking of practising some plyometric movements under a slightly heavier load, such as a a few light (25 lb) bar jump squats in the warmup.

Training The Stretch Reflex

To optimally develop the Stretch Reflex, it needs to be trained. Thus, performing some plyometric movements are essential.

1) Jump Squat are an effective method.

2) Touch and Go Box Squats with a Moderate Load (48-62% of 1 Repetition Max) and Low Reps (1-3) per Set is another.

Thus, if your 1 Repetition Max was 145 lbs, Touch and Go Box Squat with 70 to 90 lbs could be used.

Regardless of the Squat Training Load/Percentage, "The Intent" in each Repetition is to drive the Weight Up as hard and fast as possible.

That means "The Intent" is to try and Jump when performing each Repetition. Doing so, innevates and develops the Fast Twitch Muscle Fiber necessary producing more Force.

I haven't typically experienced such a great benefit from eccentric pre-load

The Eccentric Speed Component In A Max Squat

As you stated, the Eccentric Component "Pre-Loads" the Stretch Reflex.

To optimize that Stretch Reflex with a Maxium Load, the following protocol needs to be implemented.

How Fast You Lower The Bar

Your dropping down TOO fast. Dropping too fast increase the bar weight.

Speed Kills Powerlifting USA Research Article
McLaughlin

Research demonstrated that allowing the bar to drrop too fast MAGNIFIES the bar weight up to 149%.

That means if your drop too fast with let's say a 300 lb Squat, your going to encounter a force (weight load) of 447 lbs in the hole position.

It appears that you final attempt was 65 kg/144 lbs. Base how quickly that you dropped that means your Weight Load in your Squat at the bottom was around 96 kg/211 lbs.

McLaughlin's reaserch determined that by slowing the Eccentric Bar Speed down, the magnitute of the load only increase 112%. Thus, if you had slowed down your Eccentric Bar Speed, the force would have been around 72.f8 kg/160 lbs; something much more managable, especially with a "Springy" Stretch Reflex Recoil.

What You Need To Do

McLaughjlin, The Last Word On Squatting

McLaughlin...all the great squatters he's observed favor the slow, controlled descent... "You want to lower the weight slowly, even during the first six inches of the descent,",,, "Too many lifters start the squat very quickly and think they'll slow down halfway, but the momentum of the bar increases very quickly, and they end up effectively lifting more than the actual weight. The top lifters have velocity and acceleration patterns that are uniquely geared this way compared to beginners and intermediates."

What You Need To Do


1) Slow your descent in the Squat down. In other word, ride the brakes during the majority of the downward movement.

2) A couple of inches from parallel, allow the downward movement speed to increase. Basically, you want to drop into the hole to elicit the stretch reflex.

This require practice to develop the timing and when you need to allow the Bar Speed to accelerate, just prior (a couple of inches) to hitting the hole.

With that said, your main issue with your Squat is...

How To Prevent Knee Valgus

"Medial knee collapse, also known as knee valgus, is when the knee collapses or falls inward during any sort of weight-bearing activity, like a squat, ..."

This is a good article that addresses what you need to focus to eliminated it.
 
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"You don't want to bounce, but you don't want to stop, either," says McLaughlin.

...

1) Slow your descent in the Squat down. In other word, ride the brakes during the majority of the downward movement.

2) A couple of inches from parallel, allow the downward movement speed to increase. Basically, you want to drop into the hole to elicit the stretch reflex.

This require practice to develop the timing and when you need to allow the Bar Speed to accelerate, just prior (a couple of inches) to hitting the hole.
I'd change one thing in the way the above is worded: instead of "ride the brakes" I'd say "control your descent."

The idea of, near the end of the descent, trying to "bounce" that last little bit is something I've noticed is done by many great squatters, and it's what I try to do, too. Absolutely you need to practice it - video yourself directly from the side, camera at parallel depth, and get feedback from other lifters who compete in your federation about your depth. I compete USPA and there's a Facebook group - you'll find plenty of squat video's asking for feedback on depth.

-S-
 
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