deep Squats are the most common training movements that we need to pay attention to in the most detail during training. I have shared a lot of squat techniques and knowledge before!
Today we are going to talk about an interesting topic. Should we squat to the end when squatting? Is half squat or quarter squat feasible?
In the sports training world, there has always been a saying that goes like this: If you can maintain the correct posture, squat as far as you can, and don't limit the range of your squat.
The importance of full range of motion (full range of motion: from the longest to the shortest muscle contraction, allowing joints to move through the full range of motion)
1. Recruit more motor units to increase muscle development
First of all, we must first understand "motor units" .
Motor unit: The collective name of the motor neurons coming from the spinal cord and the muscle fibers they control is called the motor unit. The fewer the number of muscle fibers contained in a motor unit, the more precise the movement it produces. This means that the fineness of movement of small motor units will be higher than that of large motor units.
The motor units of our bodies are innervated by different motor neurons. When we perform a squat, if we perform it with the full range of joint motion, different motor neurons will act and activate more motor units.
If it is performed within a partial range of joint mobility, it means that part of the motor neurons do not need to function, and the muscle fibers in these unactivated motor units will lose the opportunity for muscle development.
2. Increase the time the muscles are under tension
For developing muscles, There are several indispensable elements, one of which is to increase the time the muscle is under tension.
There are two methods. The first is to slow down the eccentric contraction and focus on the muscle contraction. , to maintain good movement quality; the second is to increase the range of joint movement angles, so that the weight moves longer and takes more time. Then the best way is to allow the movement to reach the full joint movement angle.
3. Full range of motion can reduce the pressure on joints and bones and reduce Probability of injury
Smart choice: replace the risk of sports injuries caused by blindly increasing weight with a smaller load but a greater range of joint motion!
When you carry 200 kilograms to perform a quarter squat, huge pressure will be loaded on your joints, and the distance of muscle movement is only a small amount. However, when you perform a full-range squat with 100 kilograms, although the weight is loaded It is lighter, but it brings more muscle fiber stimulation and better movement quality
Do you have to squat to the end?
Although it is better to squat to the bottom, many people do notThere are conditions that allow you to squat to the bottom (sufficient joint mobility and control), limited dorsiflexion mobility of the feet, and insufficient hip flexion mobility. This may cause your pelvis to flip when you squat to a certain height, and the spine is far from neutral. Position situation, such a situation does not recommend that you squat to the end!
At this time you can choose half squats or restricted range squats for training