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(DanOz @ Apr. 10 2008,12:30)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(lcars @ Apr. 10 2008,11:02)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(DanOz @ Apr. 09 2008,20:05)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(nipponbiki @ Apr. 09 2008,10:59)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Yes, actually pushing yourself all the way to thighs touching calves isn't necessary and can be as bad for your knees as above-parallel squats.
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Can you explain why thighs on calves can be as bad for your knees as parallel squatting? Is this only if form breaks down, ie inadequate flexibility to maintain the correct alignments?</div>
simple. the fact that going to parallel brings u to aound 90 degrees and atg brings you to around 150 degrees depending on morphology, your knees are under stress over a greater distance than with parallel.
the actual difference in stresses at a given point dont add upto much of a difference between the two as far as im aware. then again i can go much heavier with parallel than atg, about a hundred pounds or so more.
and squats are an entire leg exercise? ya think?</div>
Rippetoe would disagree with you. According to him, in a partial squat, described as "where hips do not drop below level with the top of the patella" stress is placed on the knees and quads without stressing glutes and hams. This fails to provide a full stretch for the hams, & "most of the force against the tibia is forward, from the quads & their attachment to the front of the tibia below the knee. This produces an anterior shear, a forward directed sliding force on the knee, with the tibia being pulled forward from the patella tendon without a balancing pull from the opposing hamstrings."
Conversely, with deep squatting, the tension of the ham stretch pulls the tibia backwards balancing the forward pulling force produced by the quads, removing the shear from the knees that occurs with parallel or above squatting.
Maybe not so simple - ya think?</div>
this is the reason i use atg in my workouts.
so my original statement withstanding as far as the distance/period the knees are exposed to high tension. this doesnt mean you are going to damage the knees more by going atg it was just a simple answer to your Q. ok maybe too simple.
it all depends on your physiology and the weight you are using. imo its important to keep the tension as constant as possible, to work the whole leg efficiently. too low and you will lose tension in the hams as was stated above ,not low enough and you just dont bring the whole leg into the lift.