11/01/2021
⚠️ Before heading into Fitness January, consider this nugget of information ⚠️
My dude dropping some knowledge in this well balanced post!
There’s a lot of conflicting advice out there.
Sure, squatting deeper facilitates better glute activation and produces superior results for lower extremity muscle growth, but it can also potentially be harder on the joints.
And yes, squatting at a more shallow depth might not be as potent of a stimulus for growth… but if that’s the only way you can train pain free, it’s going to be your most optimal method to build.
From an influencer standpoint, all you need to do to support your viewpoint is cherry pick research and scientific principles and use this information to support your argument.
If you want to support full ROM, you cite literature on hypertrophy, training at longer muscle lengths, and the means by which cartilage and joint surfaces can adapt to imposed demands.
And if you want to support partial range, you cite literature on joint compressive forces, meniscal compression, arthritis, FAI, lumbar flexion, etc. There’s nothing terribly compelling in this category, but it can still be used to make an argument.
Extreme claims stir up controversy. And for public figures, they increase visibility and potential monetary gain. We’re living in a social media driven world where everyone wants their moment of fame.
Extreme training practices can produce extreme results. For some, they might be extremely beneficial and the stimulus they needed all along. For others, they might be extremely harmful and result in injury and even surgery.
The reality is, most people should train somewhere in the middle. But nuance and practical advice don’t stoke the algorithms quite the same way.
