Squat advice

[Nockian]

Getting around parallel is not enough - Rip makes that clear both in the book and in the forum rules. Just go and take a look at how many posts in this forum get called out on depth or to quote Pete on that matter "Dem's de rules". Getting someone to call me out on depth requires that this someone knows how to apply the definition of depth. I asked numerous people and they all admitted they didn't get it.

He also points out that people are progressing despite not achieving proper depth and that we shouldn't let 'perfect' be the enemy of the good. Yes, you should go to at least parallel and you might infact go an inch beyond parallel. There is a massive difference between a 1/4 or 1/2 squat (which seems to be very common in the gym I use) and something an inch above parallel, it isn't the end of the world, but any coach worth his salt will point it out and correct it. It's also not a major sin if you squat ATG-the most important thing is not to let the hamstrings go slack.

You seem to be making awfully hard work of this. Show your friends the diagrams in the book and you can all learn to figure out the ideal squat depth and then they can call it out to you. If it's become such a problem that you are unable to figure this out, then you will need to find an SSC and pay them. If you have a leg length discrepancy then you will have to find someone who can accurately assess you. Otherwise, if none of those things are possible, in the great game of life, it's just a squat.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Apex in this context means "point" or "tip." The tip of the corner in your shorts. I used a > to illustrate the same concept. They all refer to the same structure. The arrow in the photo points to the same spot. That point needs to be lower than the top of your knee cap.

Seems rather straightforward.

[Mark Rippetoe]

He also points out that people are progressing despite not achieving proper depth and that we shouldn't let 'perfect' be the enemy of the good. Yes, you should go to at least parallel and you might infact go an inch beyond parallel. There is a massive difference between a 1/4 or 1/2 squat (which seems to be very common in the gym I use) and something an inch above parallel, it isn't the end of the world, but any coach worth his salt will point it out and correct it. It's also not a major sin if you squat ATG-the most important thing is not to let the hamstrings go slack.

It's also completely unnecessary. He can squat correctly if he wants to. The squat in the video is below parallel.

[Matt James]

Seems rather straightforward.

I agree. I'm beginning to wonder if there may be a language barrier at work here. Regardless, the photos in the book are very clear.

[Nockian]

It's also completely unnecessary. He can squat correctly if he wants to. The squat in the video is below parallel.

Yes, but by an inch a millimetre a photons breadth ? You really learn to be far more precise ;-)

[Soule]

I agree. I'm beginning to wonder if there may be a language barrier at work here. Regardless, the photos in the book very clear.

I’m beginning to wonder if this is the world’s greatest troll. Very entertaining

[Alceste]

He can, just in the way he does at the moment he can only do that once every two weeks because that will put him in a state of agonizing pain. Would you care to share your assessment as to why that is?

[Alceste]

Nowhere in the book is it written that it is okay to squat above parallel. It is explicitly mentioned to "[...] NOT accept anything less than full depth, ever, from this point on". And yet here I stand being suspected of not having read the book.

[Alceste]

A tip is defined as "the thin pointed end of something" according to oxford's. Now there is nothing thin pointed in this picture. I see a crease in the shorts that starts at what I would describe as the upper side of the guys leg going down all across his ass apex.jpg. Now while apex describes the greatest point of something the arrow points actually to the point closest to the floor of that crease. Almost any point on the line visualized by that crease is below the kneecap, probably because the guy has thick quads. So still I have no idea how this definition which is very important, otherwise Rip would not give it nor would he insist on depth so much (i.e. "DO NOT accept anything less than full depth, ever, from this point on").
Now, knee slide. I am very grateful for sharing your experience and once I get my appointment I will get the inlays for my shoes etc. Also once I can get out of my car in an age appropriate fashion I will possibly re-enter the gym to squat and continue working on the knee slide just as you recommended. However, if you allow me, I would recommend you to "spend less time arguing against what you think people say and start spending more time on actually reading what they are saying" - I am not dismissive of my knee slide I am arguing that the dumbbell did not affect it positively or negatively, which you proposed.

[Alceste]

If these are so clear how come I'm not the only one who doesn't get it right?
Just googling for 30 seconds revealed this and if I went on I would probably find even more people who have problems getting it right (there was even this one thread where they were debating it cause that one guy's squat looked exactly like the image in the book and still it was not to depth; can't fin it though).

Squat stuck with balance problems (with videos)

Also as I understand it, Rip is the "apex" of barbell expertise - why would he care to even give a definition if the images were so clear in the first place? I don't think that this is solely intended for the braille version of the book!