Whether you’re loading a weight on your back, racing a kettlebell over your shoulders, or just warming up with bodyweight squats, one question remains constant: What is the proper squat depth?
How low you go is just as important to your performance, safety and results as how much weight you press, so squat depth should be high on your form checklist, according to Carol Mack, DPT, CSCSdoctor of physical therapy and fitness trainer. Read on to find out why.
How low should you squat?
Unless you’re a competitive powerlifter whose goal is to squat as heavy as possible, Mack recommends squatting as deep as you can comfortably without sacrificing form. A deeper squat helps fire muscles more efficiently and builds strength through a greater range of motion, which is important if you’re training for anything beyond aesthetics, like athletics or daily function.
But your squat depth will vary depending on several personal factors, such as “whether you knee, hookor ankle it hurts, and if you have enough mobility go deeper,” says Mack.
What if your knees float past your toes?
One persistent myth about squat depth is that you should never let your knees go past your toes. Although this sign may indicate other form errors you may be making – such as no hanging on the hips — Mack says your knees are likely to go past your toes if you’re going into a deeper squat, especially with activities like powerlifting.
“Don’t worry about your knees going forward when you go past 90 degrees,” she says. “Of course, don’t force yourself deeper if you feel pain or a tight spot. But if you’re comfortable going deeper and you listen to your body, then it’s okay to go lower.”
One alignment tip that helps, she adds, is to look down and make sure your knees are in line with your middle two toes, rather than flaring outward. (Just be sure to apply this tip during your warm-up, not, say, during a PR attempt.)
How can you improve your squat depth?
If squat depth is something you struggle with, here are some strategies to help you get down.
1. Focus on the hips
Because the depth of the squat does not depend only on you quads and glutesfocusing on the hips can be a game-changer, says Mack.
Instead of dropping your butt straight down, try sending your hips back a little – known as hinges — as you lower into a squat. This will help you bend with more hip flexion (i.e. bringing your knees closer to your chest), which can improve depth.
It’s also important to make sure your knees don’t buckle inward as you approach the bottom of the squat and drive in the flat.
“This may require adding hip mobility or strengthening to your routine to improve your squats,” notes Mack. Hip mobility exercises it can do more than help squat depth. They can reduce the burden on the body sit too muchgenerally improve flexibilityand give you a bigger one range of motion.
2. Increase ankle mobility
Mack adds that it’s also important to have more ankle mobility. This aspect of squatting can sometimes be overlooked, but it plays a huge role in helping you go deeper. If you ever feel your ankles lift off the ground during a squat, it’s a sign that you need to improve your mobility.
Ankle strengthening exercises can give you more mobility and stability to support your squats, no matter how deep you go.
3. Strengthen your core
Finally, remember that squats involve your spine, says Mack.
“Some people have trouble keeping their torso upright when they move deeper into the squat,” she says. “This can disrupt alignment during the squatting movement. This can happen for many reasons, including mobility, but core strength is a big culprit.”
If you tend to round your back as you come into the squat, or feel your upper body sag as you push back to standing, it usually means you need to integrate more core work into your routine, she suggests.
Fortunately, they exist tons of options for that, as well as the other mobility and strengthening choices here, you’ll reduce your risk of injury and improve your form for a range of movements, including squats.
