Squats - The Overall DeveloperExperts are divided on how squats can be done safely. Some believe the squat must not go too deep — beyond the point where the thighs are parallel to the floor — otherwise excess and unnecessary strain will be placed on the knees while others believe that thighs actually touching calves is acceptable provided the knees do not travel farther forward than the toes, its really a controversial. Still others believe that the knees may travel slightly past the toes. It does seem well agreed upon that the knees should not travel more than a few inches beyond the toes, and that they should stay in line with the toes, not buckling inwards or outwards.
For me, I believe that squats can be done safely even if the squats are deep. The important thing to realize is that the deeper you go the greater the strain on the knees and thus the greater the importance of stance and posture. I also would recommend that you do deeper squats as you would want to develop more muscles evenly too. “Tight parallel” squats aren’t particularly great for the butt there isn’t enough extension to develop the glute muscles evenly, you'll get a bubble butt in the process! Below is a video of a professional doing a squat with the perfect posture and stance: The feet should be flat on the floor, with even distribution of weight between the heel and the ball of the foot during eccentric (downward) muscle action. In order to reach a range of motion beyond parallel, individuals without sufficient ankle flexibility may try putting a flat board beneath the heels to artificially improve their flexibility always making sure that stability is maintained. Similarly, a wedge shaped board may be used, allowing the entire foot to remain in contact with a single surface, improving stability over the first technique. Both methods are short-term fixes and require that regular stretching and a full range of motion be employed to maintain and increase flexibility to the desired levels with the ultimate aim that the board's use be eliminated. Squats - The Overall Developer - Page 1
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