Want to Increase Your Squat Depth? Learn From a PT

The squat is an important and fundamental exercise that is not only great for fitness, but for many everyday activities we need to perform throughout the day. Any time we squat to grab something from the floor or pick up a child, we are using the functionality of a squat. Furthermore, squats can be adjusted and varied to fit personal training routines, addressing a wide range of fitness goals from posture correction to enhancing athletic performance. A common question normally revolves around, “What is the appropriate squat depth?” Another common question is, “How do I increase my squat depth?” This article will review the basics of squat form, differences in squat depths, and how to increase your squat depth.

So how to I improve my squat depth?

**This is not medical advice. Please consult your medical provider for more information.

Squat Form

Understanding the basics, and nuances, of squat form can significantly enhance your athletic performance and lower body strength (as well as hinder it). Squat form is important not only to engage and strength the correct muscle groups, but also to reduce the chances of injury! Many people have succumbed to an injury in the gym by either trying to lift too much weight during a squat variation or from improper form. Let’s start with learning the basics.

Proper squat form involves joint alignment from multiple body regions. Believe it or not, it starts down at the feet and goes all the way up to the head. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. Toes can be placed pointing forward or slightly outwards (external rotation).

You should be able to maintain a neutral spine. Now what exactly does this mean? It means that you can maintain the natural curvature of the spine without moving too drastically one way or another. In other words, try to keep a straight line from your upper to your lower back as you move through your squat. Try to place a dowel (or broomstick) lengthwise down your spine and hold it here. As you squat, you should be able to keep your spine touching the broomstick in all places at all times.

Finally, as you are squatting, pay attention to where your weight is distributed on the bottoms of your feet. Do you feel the balls of your feet the most? Are you rocking on your heels and are your toes coming off the ground? Is your weight shifting to your toes and your heels lifting off of the ground? You should keep the entirety of the bottoms of your feet in contact with the ground. You should also feel more of your weight into your heels. This will help engage your posterior chain more than your anterior chain, which will help you further with your form and squat depth.

Is Squat Depth Important?

Squat depth is a debatable topic. You might hear varying ideas that say only squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Others might argue your need to go as low as possible. And others will say, “avoid the butt wink at all costs!” Here is what should be considered:

• Form
• Safety
• Your reasons for squat depth

Let’s elaborate.

Proper squat depth is influenced by multiple individual factors. Deeper squats will target your posterior chain more effectively and strengthen you throughout the entirety of the range. However, this requires a lot more mobility, strength, and control. If you don’t factor all of this in, it increased your chance of injury.

On the flip side, limiting squat depth will prioritize safety for someone who may be injured or does not have the strength or mobility for full depth.

This is where your reasoning comes into play. If you have mobility restrictions, an injury, balance deficits, or significant weakness, partial range squats will be the safer choice. Another reason to consider is what do you do in your daily life that requires your to squat all the way down to the ground? A mother with young kids who requires here to get down to the ground or pick her children up consistently will not benefit from a partial range squat. On the other hand, a 75 year old gentleman with significant arthritic pain in the hips/knees who does not find himself squatting lower than the chair he needs to sit on will not require the range of deep squats (nor would that be safe).

In the end, squat depth is important if it is important to you and what you need deeper ranges for. For someone who is strictly looking for aesthetic goals and building strength in the gym, deeper ranges will be beneficial. The person next to them might just be looking for the partial range squat to keep there functional strength and mobility needed for what life has for them. Neither is right nor wrong, just what better suits the individual and is safe to do so.

What is the Right Squat Depth?

To determine the right squat depth for you, start with thinking about everything addressed in the section above. Your decision should intertwine fitness goals, mobility level, strength, and functional capacity.

Testing out different squat depths could also be helpful. If your goal is to be able to perform a squat with deeper ranges, make sure you can perform partial ranges first. If you notice you have difficulty attaining even partial ranges, you will have to work your way up to deeper ranges.

Mobility restrictions may dictate a shallower depth to maintain safety and form. Remember, the ultimate goal is to maintain your form, no matter what depth you decide on. But if you do decide that you want to work on deeper squats for aesthetic goals or strength improvement, areas to focus on will be the ankle, hip, and thoracic spine.

How to Improve Squat Depth (and Form)

While learning to squat lower will be dependent on your strength, mobility is an even stronger factor. Most people struggle with deeper squat ranges due to limited mobility. The areas that need to have decent mobility in order to increase your squat depth are your hips, ankles, and thoracic spine.

Thoracic Mobility

The thoracic spine is the portion of your spine in your upper back. This region plays a pivotal role in allowing you to maintain the correct posture throughout the squatting movement, which is essential for safety and maximizing lower body strength. A stiff thoracic spine can hinder your ability to achieve the correct squat form and affect your performance.

As we age, the thoracic spine is a common area that becomes stiff due to poor postural habits. The effects of gravity, weakness, sitting, and electronic use contribute to kyphotic posture, which is the rounding of the upper back. Almost everyone has a stiff thoracic spine and they lose their extension and rotation mobility. You need thoracic extension in order to squat deeper. Without it, your torso will hunch forward too much, limiting your ability to reach deeper depths.

You’d be surprised… a lack of thoracic mobility can also cause problems elsewhere throughout the body. Neck, low back, and even hip pain can have a link to thoracic stiffness.

Improving thoracic mobility will not only improve your squat depth, but it can help improve almost all other activities you do throughout your day. And if you just so happen to be experiencing pain somewhere else in the body, best believe you should be addressing your thoracic spine.

If you want to try some exercises to improve your thoracic mobility, check out this blog post here!

Hip Mobility

Sitting is the most common contributor to hip stiffness. Our days are becoming more and more sedentary in nature. Sitting in school or at work, sitting in the car to commute, then coming home to sit in the recliner to watch tv all contributes to stiff hips.

Common faults when trying to perform a deep squat with limited hip mobility will including leaning too far forward. This will either cause you to shift more weight onto your toes or you will drop your chest down towards the ground. It might feel like you are squatting deeper, but in reality, you aren’t moving any deeper. You’re just compensating elsewhere for the lack of mobility in your hips.

If you want to try some exercises to improve your hip mobility, check out these blog posts:

• Tight Hip Flexors and How to Treat Them
• Hip Internal Rotation and Why It Is Important

Ankle Mobility

Sitting, again, contributes to ankle mobility restrictions, as well as the type of shoes people choose to wear.

When performing a squat, your tibia (shin bone) needs to translate forward. When this happens, this places our ankle in a dorsiflexed position (think pulling our foot towards our head). If you are lacking into this range, a deep squat is going to be very challenging.

Have you ever heard of gym goers saying that you should wear flat shoes during leg day so you can feel it more in your glutes? Ever though WHY!? Spoiler alert: it’s because most people lack ankle dorsiflexion! If you are wearing a flat shoe, your ankle will naturally be pushed into greater dorsiflexion when performing a squat. This encourages more gluteal activation, hence why you feel you glutes so much more! (But really, it’s because your ankle has limited mobility).

One cannot overlook the critical role of ankle mobility. Ankle mobility, or the lack thereof, can significantly influence your squat depth and the overall effectiveness of this powerful lower body exercise. This stiffness can lead to compensations higher up in the chain. Hip and thoracic mobility can be compromised where a loss of form not only becomes unsafe, but increases your risk of injury and limits your strength-gaining potential.

Curious about foot and ankle health? Check out these related blog posts:

• Understanding the Connection Between Foot Posture and Back Health
• Pain When Walking First Thing in the Morning? Try These 7 Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis
• Weak Ankles Running? Stabilization and Strengthening for Pain Free Running

How to Assess Your Squat

Assessing your squat is a great first step to learning what needs to improve. You can use either a mirror or record a video of yourself. I would suggest watching/recording from multiple angles so you can see things better. You’ll want to pay special attention to your hips, ankles, and spine. While this is not the only thing you should be paying attention to, this is what we will be focusing on for the specifics of this post.

Start from the ground up. Do you notice your heels rising off the ground? Where do you feel the majority of the weight in your feet? Then slowly work up. What angle is your shin at? Are your knees caving in? How much bend is there in your knees and hips? What position are your hips in? Is your spine flexed forward or extended? Each of these observations can help you tailor what things need to be worked on to address your specific limitations.

Understanding the Findings and Limitations

So now that you’ve watched your squat, now what? It’s time to break down your form and understand what you are seeing.

Ankles

If you notice that your heels lifted off of the ground or your tibia (shin) did not translate forward and remained more upright (aka perpendicular to the ground), then you may be limited into ankle dorsiflexion. If you are someone who also notices pain in the front of your ankle when squatting, this could also indicate ankle joint restrictions.

Hips

If you find it challenging to lower your hips down towards the ground during your squat, you may be lacking adequate hip mobility. Common movement faults that indicate poor hip mobility include shifting your weight onto your toes or a forward trunk lean. Both will reduce the hip flexion angle, making it feel easier to squat. A forward trunk lean will make it feel as if you are squatting lower, but in reality, your chest is just moving closer to the ground, not your hips.

Thoracic Spine

If you notice arching in your low back or flexed posture, your thoracic spine may be limited. Thoracic extension helps keep our torso upright. If you are excessively arching through your lumbar spine, it is doing the work that the thoracic spine is lacking.

It is important to note that the impairments you see may be indicative of issues elsewhere. If you notice your hips don’t drop low enough, it may not be an issue at the hip specifically. It could be that your ankles aren’t mobile. Remember, the body is very good at compensating. There are many different ways for the body to compensate in order to reduce pain or get you to do the very activity you are looking to do. If you are not sure about your limitations or where to go next, speaking with a physical therapist can clear up your questions and help guide you.

Improve your Squat Depth by Treating the Limitations

When you’ve taken the time to assess your squat and understand where your limitations lie, it then becomes easier to work on a plan to start working towards your goals. Remember, enhancing your mobility, strength, and overall athletic performance does not happen overnight. It requires a blend of consistency and effort. Here’s how you can start treating those limitations to ultimately achieve that perfect squat depth.

• Hip Mobility: Begin with hip mobility exercises. Tight hips often restrict the range of motion necessary for a deep squat. Incorporate hip 90/90 and hip flexor stretches to get your hips moving more.
• Ankle Mobility: Ankle dorsiflexion plays a crucial role in achieving proper squat form. Work on calf stretches and mobilizing the ankle joint to solidify your squat form from the ground up.
• Thoracic Mobility: A mobile upper back is essential for maintaining good posture during a squat. Integrate thoracic extension exercises, such as foam rolling and thoracic extensions, to increase the range of motion.
• Strengthen Supporting Muscles: Sometimes, weakness is the culprit for lack of squat depth. Work on strengthening the lower leg muscles to improve your squat range.

Throughout this journey, never lose sight of the importance of squat safety and proper exercise technique. Misalignment or pushing too hard too soon can set back your progress. Work within your current capabilities, progressively challenging yourself as you move. And if you are interested in a physical therapist breaking down your squat form, leave a comment down below!

TL;DR

Squat depth will be determined by your physical limitations, capabilities, and personal goals. If you are looking to improve your squat depth, take a look at ankle, hip, and thoracic mobility, as well as strength in deeper ranges. Utilize a physical therapist to break down your squat form to determine where your limitations lie.