Is it bad to squat too low?

[Phu Le]

Hi Coach.

I've been squatting regularly for about three months now, and have just today brought my total up to 3x5 at 150KG (330lbs).

I've begun to noticed that when I squat very low, I seem to lose a bit of springiness in my hamstrings and hips, making getting out of the hole much harder.

When I squat to what I deem to be just below parallel I seem to be able to bounce the weight up (even if I spend a second or two at the bottom before squatting up). The weight then feels very light.

So the question is, given that what I deem is below parallel truly is, does squatting any lower provide me any benefits or should I maintain the tightness in the hips and hamstrings and just go to parallel?

I guess the next thing for me to do is get some footage of my next squat workout and see how low I'm actually getting.

Many Thanks

Phu Le.

[Mark Rippetoe]

We have talked about this before, long ago. If you have to relax to get depth below parallel, that depth cannot be used with a stretch reflex and your ability to lift heavier weights suffers, as you have so astutely observed. That's why I recommend against ATG squats in favor of using the correct, mechanically efficient depth of just below parallel.

[MAD9692]

Rip - So lets say I squat below parallel, however I do not squat as deep as hitting my ass on a medicine ball (crossfit style) - would the squat still count in a CFT? In other words - I can squat correctly below parallel while remaining tight, but if I have to touch my ass on the medicine ball- i lose the tightness.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The depth criterion is specified in the rules. I know people who squat high to a medball, so that's not always a good gauge.