Joint impact of ATG Squats?

Asked by: Jenna Ross

Are ATG squats good for your knees?

ATG squats are most useful for Olympic lifters, but if you find yourself in need of lower body mobility or stronger quads, ATG squatting is essential. However, steer clear of ATG squatting if you fear they are bad for your knees!

Are ATG split squats good for you?

It is a great movement to not only work mobility, but to work on leg drive. Another great thing about the ATG split squat is that the movement gives muscles a break from normal patterns. I did a pretty outstanding job with my left leg forward, lengthening through my right hip flexor.

Do deep squats damage knees?

It has been suggested that deep squats could cause an increased injury risk of the lumbar spine and the knee joints. Avoiding deep flexion has been recommended to minimize the magnitude of knee-joint forces.

What muscles does ATG squat work?

Quadriceps – located on the front of your thighs, the quadriceps do a lot of the work during ATG squats. There are four quad muscles: the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis. The quadriceps extend your knees and flex your hips.

Why are full squats not recommended?

Theoretically, most of the damage that the knees would sustain from deep squats would be due to excessive compression forces. Some authorities claim that because deep squats raise compression forces at the knee they cause the meniscus and the cartilage on the backside of the patella to wear away.

What happens if you squat too deep?

It’s possible that you may have squatted too deep and irritated the discs in your lumbar spine. When the pelvis posteriorly pelvic tilts (tips back) at the bottom of the squat as you run out of hip flexion range, this is commonly referred to as ‘buttwink’.

Do deeper squats build more muscle?

Increased strength



The deep squat has been shown to be more effective at building the glutes and inner thigh muscles than a standard squat ( 6 ). Additionally, it develops strength throughout the entire range of motion in the joints.

Why are ATG squats better?

For many, deep squats are useless for quad activation. ATG squats allow the quads to take a vacation and they never develop. Olympic weightlifters – known for being the deepest squatters – often use very shallow, overloaded squats in their training. ATG squats are only specific to one sport – Olympic weightlifting.

How often should you do ATG split squats?

Keep the muscles under tension. Repeat this 4-6 times or for 30-40 seconds until you reach muscular failure. The entire process should take 90-120 seconds (1.5-2.0 minutes) per side.

How many times a week should I do ATG split squats?

Just once a week but chasing the perfect rep every time usually five sets four to six reps each rep takes a while because it's the intention.

What does ATG mean knees over toes?

Athletics Truth Group

ATG stands for Athletics Truth Group and was developed by Ben Patrick (famously known as “Knees Over Toes Guy”). ATG training focuses on building strength and conditioning while simultaneously bulletproofing the body from injury! It is also a training method that develops incredible athletic ability.

Is knees over toes Guy program worth it?

We really like the Knees Over Toes guy. He brings up a lot of knowledge from Charles Poliquin that is incredibly valuable. He does a good job of demonstrating progressions and does a great job of telling people important stuff, providing the science behind it.

Why is knees over toes good?

This not only keeps you balanced, but it also allows for a deeper squat as you afford yourself greater available range of movement at the ankles. The main focus when assessing travel of the knees in a squat should be when the knees move over the toes and not if.