If you’re reading this, I don’t need to tell you the benefits of squatting deeper. But just in case you forgot, they include stimulating more muscle, developing and retaining greater range of motion, burning more calories, catching more cleans and snatches, and dipping it even lower in the club. So without further ado, 3 ways to get deeper:
1. SQUAT MORE OFTEN
And I don’t mean in the gym. We’re all aware of the fact that Western cultures don’t squat as well as others, where it’s common to see elderly citizens squat ass to grass, just to chill. Why is this? Because they never stopped squatting. As children we all possess beautiful full range of motion squats and will use them all the time when we drop our crayons/fidget spinners to the ground. However as we grow up, we start sitting in chairs all the time and train our bodies to stop at about parallel, ingraining that partial pattern into our nervous system instead. No bueno.
By using the squat position more often we tell our nervous system that it is important, and that we need to make it more comfortable to sit in. Squat when you’re plugging in your phone charger. Squat when you’re getting something out of the bottom cupboard. Squat when you’re hanging out your laundry. Squat when sorting through paperwork on the floor*. Any excuse you can, squat.
The more time you spend sitting at the bottom of your squat, especially if performing a task which requires some coordinated movement, the more you will encourage your body and nervous system to make it more efficient (i.e. provide the appropriate level of tension in surrounding muscles, which lets you drop deeper). Rearranging the weights on the bottom shelf at the gym also has the added benefit of making you popular with coaching staff 😉
*I accept no liability for split suit trousers if you do this at the office.