Obsessing over squat depth

Hi all,
I’m obsessing over my squat depth. I want to make sure I’m hitting adequate depth as I made some gains previously but when I filmed my squat I saw I was squatting high. Could you guys have a look? Here are three vids from different angles.

Sometimes I feel as though I do a really low set but then look at vids and it seems hardly below parallel.

Thanks for the help

To clarify, are you wanting to compete in powerlifting? If not, I don’t feel like depth is too big a concern, as long as the depth you are hitting is allowing you to reach your goals.

Your depth is fine, the bar comes very, very forward though. It’s well past your toes and you will find that it brings your weight forward as you put more weight on the bar.

You should try working on ankle mobility so you can squat more upright and deeper
I had the same thing where I was leaning forward a lot with my torso but I fixed it by stretching my ankles

[quote]tsantos wrote:
Your depth is fine, the bar comes very, very forward though. It’s well past your toes and you will find that it brings your weight forward as you put more weight on the bar.[/quote]

To me, it looks like it’s the camera angle making it appear to be past the toes. I actually think it looks to be over the midfoot.

Depth looks good, squat looks good. I wouldn’t change anything.

No not wanting to compete in powerlifting but I’d like to think I wouldn’t get red lighted if I did.

Thanks for the advice r.e. bar path. It actually feels over the mid foot most of the time but I can see it wavers a bit, especially on the last rep on the first video. I’ll work on it.

Thanks for the reassurance

Squat looks good. Keep at it.

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
To clarify, are you wanting to compete in powerlifting? If not, I don’t feel like depth is too big a concern, as long as the depth you are hitting is allowing you to reach your goals.[/quote]

Can you explain this a little bit? I would argue that 1/4 and 1/2 squats do not benefit you as well as as full depth squats (tops of thighs parallel to floor). Sure you can have a goal to be strong at 1/4 squats, however that would be folly in my opinion.

[quote]axisT6 wrote:

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
To clarify, are you wanting to compete in powerlifting? If not, I don’t feel like depth is too big a concern, as long as the depth you are hitting is allowing you to reach your goals.[/quote]

Can you explain this a little bit? I would argue that 1/4 and 1/2 squats do not benefit you as well as as full depth squats (tops of thighs parallel to floor). Sure you can have a goal to be strong at 1/4 squats, however that would be folly in my opinion.[/quote]

I feel it would be folly to dictate someone else’s goals.

To clarify a few terms, I feel that tops of thighs parallel to floor is not a full depth squat, but is actually what many would still consider a partial. In powerlifting, depth in many federations is hip crease below top of knee joint, which is going to be lower than tops of thighs parallel to floor, and a FULL depth squat would actually descend even lower than that (“ATG” as the internet loves to say, but essentially the bottom of an Olympic squat).

Having established that, the majority of my heavy squats in training are above powerlifting legal depth. This is mainly because, when I squat like this, I reach my goals (better performance in strongman). When I squat lower than this, I do not get better at my goals than when I squat higher than this.

Now, if you have to squat below a certain depth to reach your goals, you absolutely SHOULD do that. It’s just, many people approach training backwards. They try to create a certain form/technique and then assume that this technique will reach a certain outcome, rather than instead analyzing their outcomes and noted which techniques allowed them to reach them. Folks will be adding muscle and getting stronger, but when they see a video of their squats and note that they aren’t “hitting depth”, they decide that this MUST change.

Squat looks good to me. As long as you are consistent and aren’t doing something that can hurt you in the long run, you’ll be good.

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:

I feel it would be folly to dictate someone else’s goals.

To clarify a few terms, I feel that tops of thighs parallel to floor is not a full depth squat, but is actually what many would still consider a partial. In powerlifting, depth in many federations is hip crease below top of knee joint, which is going to be lower than tops of thighs parallel to floor, and a FULL depth squat would actually descend even lower than that (“ATG” as the internet loves to say, but essentially the bottom of an Olympic squat).

Having established that, the majority of my heavy squats in training are above powerlifting legal depth. This is mainly because, when I squat like this, I reach my goals (better performance in strongman). When I squat lower than this, I do not get better at my goals than when I squat higher than this.

Now, if you have to squat below a certain depth to reach your goals, you absolutely SHOULD do that. It’s just, many people approach training backwards. They try to create a certain form/technique and then assume that this technique will reach a certain outcome, rather than instead analyzing their outcomes and noted which techniques allowed them to reach them. Folks will be adding muscle and getting stronger, but when they see a video of their squats and note that they aren’t “hitting depth”, they decide that this MUST change.
[/quote]

I have to say you present a different context. In your context, I would have to agree. Good explanation on the terms regarding squat depth.

[quote]axisT6 wrote:
I have to say you present a different context. In your context, I would have to agree. Good explanation on the terms regarding squat depth.[/quote]

Thanks man. Depth is one of those things that everyone seems to have a different definition on, haha. I always like to make sure I’m on the same page as everyone else in that discussion.