There aren’t many topics that divide physios more than squat depth and it’s relationship with injury. In this post I want to present an evidence-based perspective on this topic for you. I’ve decided to split it up by looking into the effect of squat depth on the areas of the body that people commonly complain about during squats.
KNEE
Squatting past 90 degrees is bad for your knees right?? For the large majority of people, this is completely false. Forces on the ACL actually peak at partial squat depths and then reduce as squat depth increases and compressive forces increase to reduce shear force on the ACL.
But what about the meniscus and the patellofemoral joint (joint between your knee cap and your femur)? While compressive forces on the meniscus and PFJ increase as depth increases, if you don’t have any prior injury to these structures there is no evidence that squatting deep will cause injury to these structures. However, if you do have a meniscal tear or PFJ pain, it is a smart idea to limit your depth to pain-free ranges, and most of the time this will be above parallel (at least initially). If you have had issues with these structures in the past but are pain-free now, I would simply progress towards deep squatting but listen closely to your body and try bringing the depth back up if knee pain develops, and see if that helps.
Image credit to Aaron Swanson
What about those people with patellar tendon issues? As squat depth increases, the compressive load on the patellar tendon also increases. This can certainly aggravate the tendon, so it is worthwhile modifying squat depth for a certain period of time while completing your rehab exercises if you have a patellar tendinopathy. However, while completing this rehab, exercises like box squats, low bar back squats, and reverse lunges can provide much of the same benefits of high bar back squatting with far less anterior knee stress as they shift more of the workload to the hips. Give them a go and see how they feel. Could be a great way to maintain your squat strength while giving your tendons a bit of a break.
HIP (femoroacetabular impingement)
Ever felt a pinching sensation deep in your hip at the bottom of your squat? This is often due to impingement between the bony surfaces in the hip. And this impingement often becomes worse the deeper the squat. If this is you, then it may be worth bringing the depth up a little bit and working within your pain-free range until you have resolved the cause. FAI can be cause by structural abnormalities in the hip (in which case there is little you can do), suboptimal stance width and foot turnout for your hip structure (experiment with different widths and foot turnouts but generally a slightly wider stance and a little more foot turnout can work wonders for this), or issues with glute activation (the glutes can help to pull the femoral head posteriorly to reduce the impingement). I would also recommend people with FAI try front squatting for a little while, as there is less chance of impingement due to the reduced amount of hip flexion that occurs during this exercise.
Image credit Melbourne Strength Culture
LOW BACK
Ever racked the bar after squats and felt an ache across your low back, or had low back pain for hours/days after squatting? It’s possible that you may have squatted too deep and irritated the discs in your lumbar spine. When the pelvis posteriorly pelvic tilts (tips back) at the bottom of the squat as you run out of hip flexion range, this is commonly referred to as ‘buttwink’. Now while this may sound hilarious, it is associated with lumbar flexion (lower back rounding), which can place the discs under undue stress if the buttwink is excessive and loads are high. This is why I recommend squatting to the point at which a small amount of buttwink occurs, and not pushing any further. To delay the point at which buttwink occurs, I recommend working on your ankle and hip mobility as this is likely the most common cause of early onset buttwink.
On the left – very small amount of buttwink; on the right – excessive buttwink (pic credit Bret Contreras)
Wait a minute, how does your ankle affect your pelvic tilt?? Let me explain – if you run out of range in your ankle when squatting, your body will have to find movement from surrounding joints to reach the desired squat depth. So ankles run out of range > hip needs to provide more range > hip runs out of range > pelvic posteriorly pelvic tilts to create more hip flexion range > lumbar spine flexes > potentially problematic issue under high loads. Therefore, if your knee to wall (measure of ankle range of movement) is less than 10cm on either leg, be sure to work on your ankle mobility to allow yourself to squat deeper before buttwink occurs.
TAKE-AWAYS
- Optimal squat depth for injury prevention/management is HIGHLY depend on your individual mobility and injury history. A depth that is appropriate for one person may not be for another, so DON’T APPLY BLANKET RULES TO EVERYONE.
- If you are injury free, squat to a depth where you can maintain at least a mostly neutral pelvic position (i.e. allow a small amount of buttwink, but not too much). If buttwink happens well before your thighs are parallel to the floor, work on your ankle and hip mobility to help reach this depth, as there are some benefits to squatting this low over partial squatting.
I hope this has clarified some things regarding squat depth as it relates to injuries. Please post any questions or comments you have below!
Here is the research review that the above article is based off, decked out with 29 references!
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FAQs
A depth that is appropriate for one person may not be for another, so DON'T APPLY BLANKET RULES TO EVERYONE. If you are injury free, squat to a depth where you can maintain at least a mostly neutral pelvic position (i.e. allow a small amount of buttwink, but not too much).
Is it safe to do deep squats? ›
Given that deep squatting confers a number of important benefits, including greater muscle activation and development, improved functional capacity, and better athletic performance (1,20), there is little reason to avoid this exercise provided no medical contraindications exist. 1.
What are the disadvantages of deep squats? ›
People who squat without proper form may experience knee pain. They can help prevent this by ensuring that the knees stay in line with the feet during the squat. Squatting with weights can increase the risk of injury, including damage to the knees or lower back, when a person does not perform the exercise correctly.
How deep is too deep for squats? ›
The ideal squat depth is when your knees are at a slightly acute angle, so anything just under 90° so that you are a little deeper than your thighs parallel to the ground. A deep squat is considered anything where you sink even lower, generally at least 10° past a horizontal thigh.
Is it bad to squat past 90 degrees? ›
Therefore, the answer is 'YES! ' Overall, it is perfectly safe AND good for a healthy, pain-free knee to perform deep squats. A study conducted by Hartmann et al. found an increase of compressive forces in the patellofemoral joint (joint under the kneecap) when squatting above 90 degrees of hip flexion [1].
Is heavy squatting bad for you? ›
Fortunately, squats are perfectly safe for both the knees and the lower back if you use proper form, so let's examine what 'proper form' entails. Don't go heavy on weights at the start, instead, use a small amount of weight or just the bar itself while mastering your form. You can build up the weight later.
Is it bad to squat all the way down? ›
The short and simple answer is as low as possible. Squatting deeper has not been shown by the research to cause any harm to the knees. The research has actually shown that squatting to 90 degrees puts the most stress and force on your knees, but when you go past 90, there is less force on the knees.
Why are full squats not recommended? ›
It has been suggested that deep squats could cause an increased injury risk of the lumbar spine and the knee joints. Avoiding deep flexion has been recommended to minimize the magnitude of knee-joint forces.
How long should I stay in a deep squat? ›
If you're new to the pose, start with 10-20 seconds and build from there. Make sure and use proper technique to prevent any discomfort or injury.
Do squats damage knee cartilage? ›
When you do a deep squat it also put tremendous pressure on the meniscus cartilage (the rubbery shock absorber cartilages between the two bones). Over a period of time (years for some… one squat for others) that can cause wearing of these delicate and important structures in the knee.
When discussing good squat depth, the standard measurement is getting the thighs below parallel or the hip crease past the knee joint. This term originally came about in the sport of powerlifting. Since then, this term has grown to become the standard for all lifters.
Are deep squats better for hypertrophy? ›
Parallel and deep squats are likely to result in similar outcomes (strength, hypertrophy, and power). Although the differences are relatively small, the increase in work/set resulting from deep squats may result in larger improvements in hypertrophy, strength, and power.
How many squats should I do a day? ›
How Many Squats Should You Do a Day? While doing squats daily probably won't hurt you (unless you're doing millions of them and/or holding heavy weights while squatting), a better goal would be to aim to do three sets of 10–20 repetitions at least three times per week.
Are deep squats safe? ›
The bottom line. Deep squats are an excellent lower body workout. Research does not substantiate any increased risk of knee injury. Nevertheless, use good form as described above to ensure less risk of injury to your spine and lower body.
What happens if you squat for too long? ›
“It all just depends on the body,” Ausinheiler said, noting that some people might be more prone to adverse health effects from prolonged squatting. “Deep squatting can also cut off blood supply to your leg, so your femoral artery is kinked. Sometimes your feet and legs will eventually go numb.”
What happens if you squat too hard? ›
Hips. Pain in the hips after squatting could be caused by hip impingement, or be referred from the sacroiliac joint (which links the lower back and pelvis). Pain could start as aching or feeling 'tight' but this will become sharp pain as it worsens.
Why can't everyone do a deep squat? ›
Sometimes it simply comes down to your anatomy. If you have long legs and a short torso then it's going to be tougher for you to squat well, same goes for being taller, conversely if you have a long torso and shorter legs you will find it easier same goes for being short.
What happens if you squat too much? ›
Injuries from squatting
Eventually, this tension will become painful and some of the spinal structures (like the discs or facet joints) can become strained, inflamed and irritated. This injury can be caused by too much flexion or extension of the lower back, or by unintentionally shifting the hips to one side.
Should athletes do deep squats? ›
Squat Strength & Athletic Movements
While partial squats will help athletes improve their lower body strength and allow for greater force production as they sprint or jump, deep squats will show even greater improvement (1). In other words, if you want to get the most out of your squats, depth is key!
