The parallel squat, proper depth, and why are you doing this?
I wrote the following in an assessment summary I prepared for a patient yesterday:
It’s not important for you to break parallel. The idea that this is the only way to train the squat is correct. That guideline is present to create a measurement standard for a single sport. If you look at competitive weightlifters performing the clean and jerk and the snatch, they squat lower than powerlifters. Is a powerlifting squat ‘worse’ than a weightlifting squat?
The answer is “No.”
And neither is a squat above parallel ‘worse’ than one below.
Not everyone has the ideal physical characteristics to be a competitive powerlifter, just as not everyone has the ideal physical characteristics to be a competitive high jumper. The question you should ask yourself is:
Is this necessary to achieve the goals I have for weight training?”
Interestingly, one question then leads to another:
Why is your goal to squat 405lbs?
Do you like the way 4 plates on each side look? Is that why you are weight training?