There are a variety of exercises and mobility drills that can help you get there, whether your goal is to compete as a powerlifter or weightlifter or you simply want to reap the benefits of squatting lower.
Depending on your objectives, you may want to squat at different depths. But once I put in the time and effort to start comfortably breaking parallel, I discovered that both my overall squat performance and lower body strength improved. As a result, we’ll concentrate on the types of exercises you can perform to increase your squat depth.
Table of Contents
Why Is Your Squat Depth Lacking?
Although there are many factors that contribute to the poor squat depth, the two most common ones are either poor mobility or a lack of strength at the bottom of the squat.
What Is Your Squat Depth Limit?
1. Starting Too Heavy
Your potential in the gym shouldn’t be limited by ego. Drop the weights and focus on gradually developing your strength if the weight you’re pushing doesn’t allow you to reach depth. If you are only coming down halfway, a heavy squat is not impressive.
If you’re using an empty bar and still having depth problems, there’s probably another issue that needs to be solved.
2. Lack Of Spatial Awareness
The term “mind-body connection” refers to both your spatial awareness and muscle control in addition to spiritual and holistic wellness. Because they are unsure of where their body is during a movement, many people find it difficult to increase squat depth. You cannot determine when you have reached depth if you are unaware of how your body feels when it breaks parallel.
3. Inadequate Core Bracing
Squats are a complex, compound movement. Squats work the core and upper body as well as the lower body, despite the fact that we typically associate them with lower body exercises.
You can maintain your balance while squatting with heavy weights by strengthening your core and developing your bracing technique. Work on your core bracing if you experience trembling when you descend or tilt forward.
4. Mobility Issues
Poor squat depth is frequently caused by mobility problems, which are the most important factor. This obstacle is frequently confused with issues with flexibility. To start resolving these problems, it is imperative to understand the distinction between flexibility and mobility.
5. Squat Stance
By opening the hips, changing your squat stance can assist you in reaching depth. To raise your center of gravity, take a step to either side and try the movement again.
If you try this method of increasing squat depth, you should be aware that changing your stance to account for other problems will only get you so far. Keep squatting while addressing the other issues by using this strategy.
6. Fear
Weightlifting frequently involves both physical and mental effort. New lifters frequently come up too early during a squat out of fear of injury, failure, or embarrassment. Progression should be gradual, safety precautions should be in place, and confidence should be built.
How To Improve Squat Depth?
1. Banded Dorsiflexion
If ankle mobility prevents you from going deep, banded dorsiflexion is a fantastic dynamic warm-up exercise.
Set up a medium-sized resistance band around a stationary post, wrap it around your foot’s top, and place your foot on an elevated surface to perform a banded dorsiflexion exercise. Afterward, you must lunge forward far enough so that your ankle is pressing against the band.
As the band pulls away from you, you can also try performing this variation while seated with your legs straight in front of you and pointing your toe in the direction of your body.
2. Wall Ankle Mobilizations
If your ankles or calves are typically tight, wall ankle mobilizations are an excellent dynamic exercise before a squat session.
While you can perform this exercise by simply lunging into the wall as shown in the video, if you have access to a resistance band or a training partner, you can use them to add a little light resistance while pulling back on your calf to help loosen up any tight muscles in that area.
You might find this extra step to be especially beneficial if you have tight calves, which can sometimes cause tight ankles.
3. Practice Form Over Weights
Keep your ego in check and wait until you’re ready to push the weights. Instead of making excessive efforts to modify a program to your strength, modify the program to your pace. Wait to increase the weight until you can complete a full set with proper form while maintaining your current weight.
Think about working with a knowledgeable trainer or coach who can guide you in modifying your movements and programming to keep proper form. If you’re training alone, record yourself from different angles to check your form and see if you’re hitting the ball deep enough.
4. Bird Dog
Bird dogs are a great exercise for improving core awareness and stability. To avoid an excessively arched back while performing the bird dog, your pelvis, or hips should be slightly tucked.
To avoid tilting to one side while performing the bird dog, try pausing for a brief period of time while your opposing arm and leg are extended out to the side.
![Squat Depth](https://www.exerciseworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Squat-depth-1024x684.jpg)
5. Pigeon Stretch
In the pigeon stretch, you concentrate on one hip at a time as a hip opener.
If your hips are extremely restricted, this position may be challenging. Maintain a dynamic movement, but only within your range of motion.
6. Cossack Squats
Cossack squats are a great way to strengthen the hips while also warming up and mobilizing your ankles and hips.
They can be incorporated into your regular training as an additional exercise or as a warm-up before squatting. Check out a few of these Cossack Squat Alternatives if you are unable to perform a proper cossack squat due to mobility issues.
7. Lateral Band Walks
With a small resistance band wrapped around your legs just above the knees, you can perform lateral band walks to help activate your glutes.
Avoid letting the stationary leg buckle while performing the exercise, and keep the band stretched out the entire time.
8. Front Foot Elevated Split Squat
Split squats with the front foot elevated are excellent for building the quads and have the added advantage of providing more range of motion that simulates being at the bottom of a squat.
Lunge into your front leg while your foot is elevated on a low platform. With dumbbells or a barbell, this can be made more difficult and added as an accessory movement to any program.
9. Single Leg Knee Extensions
Single leg knee extensions are a machine isolation exercise that specifically targets the quadriceps muscles that extend your knee.
By flexing your quads until you feel them, extend your leg slowly and deliberately. If you are feeling any knee pain, be sure to lower and bend the knee slowly, as well as lower the weight.
10. Paused Goblet Squats
Paused goblet squats are a great exercise, especially if depth on bodyweight or barbell back squats is challenging to achieve because the weight is loaded at the front.
Bring your body into the deepest possible squat and hold it while holding a weight at your chest. Because you’re trying to learn how to maintain stability in your legs, glutes, and core while performing a squat, the hold at the bottom is crucial.
11. Front Squats
Hitting depth with front squats is easier because the weight is loaded on the front and it provides a helpful counterbalance for those struggling to hit depth on barbell back squats.
A great way to increase your depth and strength with other squat variations is to choose front squats over back squats until you feel comfortable staying strong at the bottom of the squat.
Goblet squats also serve as a counterbalance and achieve the same goal, but barbell-loaded front squats will increase your strength to a level similar to a back squat and can be used as the main exercise in your program.
It takes time, knowledge, and dedication to increase your squat depth. Consider your overall mobility and the relationship between your mind and body rather than just trying to get more flexible for squats. Squats are an all-body compound exercise, so keep that in mind. As a result, in order to improve your squat, you must support your entire body.