Margot Robbie’s PT says this squat myth is why so many people struggle to build glute strength
Raise your hand if you aim to keep your thighs parallel with the floor when you squat, avoiding going past 90 degrees. You’re probably worried you’ll injure your knees, but Margot Robbie’s PT David Higgins says this is a common misconception. In fact, he says doing so could be ‘holding you back’ from hitting your goals and building lower-body strength.
As he demonstrates how to perform a deep squat in an Instagram video, he says: ‘You’ve probably been taught or heard this misconception countless times but it’s simply not true and may be holding you back. Your body’s limits are just that, your own, so take some time to learn them yourself and get the most out of your workouts safely.’
He explains that how deep you go depends on the range of motion around your joints. ‘When doing a squat, you’ve probably been taught this misconception. You’ve probably been taught that during a squat, you don’t go past 90 degrees. But guess what? Your knees are actually made to go all the way down. I would always suggest that if you can, try and challenge your range of movement, because it’s always better to go full range, than half range.’
Research corroborates his claims. One study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology showed that a deep squat (at 120 degrees) is more effective at building the glutes and inner thigh muscles than a standard squat (90 degrees). Other research in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research proved that, given the demand on your muscles to work through a full range of motion when performing a deep squat, you’ll see greater increases in muscle strength and size than you would if you were to stick to shallow squats, not going past your knees.
As for the risk of injury, recent research showed no correlation between deep squats and the incidence of tissue injury to bone, ligament, or cartilage. Actually, some researchers believe that compressive forces in your knees are probably higher in a partial squat than in a deep squat.
When we asked sports scientist and strength and conditioning coach Andy Vincent, he confirmed that not going past your knees in a squat is indeed a myth. But how deep you go depends on the individual.
‘You often hear people say squatting deep is bad for your knees. This isn’t true. But you also have to recognise that everyone has different injury histories, limb lengths, mobility restrictions, and structural issues. So not everyone is going to be able to squat super deep, with their thighs touching their calves. There should always be a little bit of trial and error to see which depth feels good, and which ones don’t feel so good. You want to make sure you choose a depth that feels good, rather than trying to force yourself to do something that isn’t a good fit for your body.’
As with every exercise, form comes first. A deep squat requires significant mobility in your hips, knees, ankles and lumbar spine, so if your range of motion around any of these joints is limited, your form will probably suffer. If this sounds like you, David has a handy tip: placing your heels on the top of two books.
‘If you’re like me and you have shot ankles but you still love to squat, grab a couple of wedges to step your heels onto, with your toes on the floor. That will take the pressure off your ankles, your knees and your lower back and will help you keep your torso in neutral position all the way through, so that you can focus on what you’re actually trying to target here [your glutes].’
Going deep applies to all squat variations, providing your range of motion allows, but if growing your glutes is your goal, keeping your weight behind your centre of gravity in a back squat puts greater emphasis on your glutes, Vincent advises.
Go for 15-20 reps per set, David affirms. As a coach, he tells us this ‘gives me enough time to correct anyone who needs form alterations,’ but it’ll also allow you to feel into the movement and adjust your technique if needed. Plus, David adds that going for higher reps per set ‘fatigues your muscles enough to create tiny tears in them, for them to eventually grow back stronger’ – a process known as sarcomeric hypertrophy.
So, if you’re keen to grow your glutes or build lower-body strength, that’s 15-20 reps per set of a back squat in your full range of motion. Yessir.
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