“The Ultimate Exercise for Athletes”
 
While training at the gym this morning I noticed a gentlemen performing one of the worst squats I’ve ever seen with 405lbs on his back and the safety pins way to low if something were to go wrong. I don’t think it even deserved the name squat, it was actually somewhere between a ¼ Squat and ½ Squat. Like most of these guys he was making all kinds of noise and walked away from the rack strutting like he was the man. I got a good little chuckle out of it under my breath and here is why… If you really want to impress people and see a huge transfer in strength to almost any sport get good at the Deep Squat (defined as the bottom 15 cm of the hamstrings, touching the top 15cm of the calf). The Deep Squat is actually my favorite lift for power athletes. It gives you the biggest return on investment and actually dramatically reduces your risks of injuries.
 
Here is some data collected during seven national team training cycles switching to the Deep Squat and the benefits it provided**:

• Reduction in hamstring and groin tears
• Reduction in lower back injuries
• Reduction in hamstring tears by 900%
• Increases knee stability
• Increases in vertical jump
• Better improvement in 30 and 60 m times
• Better improvements in vertical and penta jumps - penta jumps are excellent measure of elasticity
•  

Here were some of the disadvantages of Half Squats done by the gentlemen I watched this morning**:

• Decrease in hamstring, quads, adductors, and pyriformis flexibility - the pyriformis is the key victim of this
• Low transfer to athletic tasks such as vertical jump - research for Australian Institute of sport
• Decreases in 18 of the 23 measures of knee stability
• Increases in the incidence of injuries in soccer, bobsleigh, speed skating, football, volleyball and alpine skiing

 
(** This information was collected and shown to me by Strength Coach Charles Poliquin)
 
I'm hoping these advantages are enough of a reason for you to shift to the deep Squat. During my bobsledding days I was able to increase my vertical from 32in to 42in in 10 months and I contribute it all to getting strong with the deep squat. I did very little Olympic lifting and no Plyometric training during this period. (Please note I also put on 45 lbs during that same period.)
 
When I first prescribe the Deep Squat to athletes I get the universal response,” No way that is not safe for my knees!!!” In regards to it being safe for the knee that answer is very simple.....YES!!! The big advantage of the Full Squat is the co-contraction that happens with the quads and hams. Most athletes that walk into my clinic are suffering from excessive quad dominance. Their hamstrings are so weak compare to their quads that excessive anterior pull is placed on the ACL. The quad/ hamstring ratio is the best predictor of prevention of ACL injuries. So if your goal is to decrease your risk of ACL injuries start the Deep Squat today!! I train a number of professional athletes, athletes on USA National teams, and college teams and I've yet to have one of them suffer an ACL injury after implementing the Deep Squat.
 
It’s time to step it up and add the Deep Squat into your regime, even if it means having to cut weight load dramatically. It will be worth it in the long run.