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Questions and answers about sports

What is the perfect Squat depth and tempo?

6 min read

Asked by: Reginald Nation

What is the best tempo for squats?

The “tempo squat” is when you perform the lowering phase of the movement with a slower than normal tempo, usually 3-4 seconds vs 1-2 seconds. They are one of the most effective and squat variations you can use to build strength.

What is a good depth for a squat?

Deep squats (120–140° knee flexion) seem to lead to greater muscle growth in the quads, glutes, and adductors than shallow or half squats (60–90°). You improve your strength the most at the depth you train at.

What is a 3010 Tempo?

Tempo is usually expressed as a sequence of four numbers



Each number in the sequence represents a time in seconds. So 3010 means 3 seconds, 0 seconds, 1 second, 0 seconds.

What is a 3 0 3 tempo squat?

The coach could program “3-0-3” tempo squats, which would read as “3 second descent, 0 second pause, 3 second ascent.” Watch the video above for more tips on programming the tempo squat for strength!

Is 90 good squat depth?

Depth A: 90° of knee bend (AKA half-squat)



Depth A is generally best for people with a history of serious injury or surgery in the lower body. Obviously, if your orthopedic surgeon instructs you not to squat past 90°, you’d better heed that warning.

Should you squat below 90 degrees?

The short and simple answer is as low as possible. Squatting deeper has not been shown by the research to cause any harm to the knees. The research has actually shown that squatting to 90 degrees puts the most stress and force on your knees, but when you go past 90, there is less force on the knees.

Is it better to squat deeper?

Research since then has shown that the opposite is true: deep squats actually lead to stronger ligaments and better knee stability. Increased activation of gluteus maximus and other hip extensors – As you go down deeper, it becomes more and more difficult.

What tempo is best for hypertrophy?

When training for hypertrophy the tempo could be 4,1,3,1. Translation: 4 seconds on the way down, 1 second pause at the bottom, two seconds to drive from the bottom, and two seconds to reset.

How do you do tempo squats?


Right it takes four seconds to get down there it's not a big deal the idea is that we're slowing it down enough to feel what I need to feel most novices don't have great body awareness.

What is tempo in resistance training?

Essentially, ‘tempo’ in weight training refers to the speed that you lift the weight (the concentric phase of movement) and how quickly you lower the weight (the eccentric phase of movement).

What tempo is best for hypertrophy?

When training for hypertrophy the tempo could be 4,1,3,1. Translation: 4 seconds on the way down, 1 second pause at the bottom, two seconds to drive from the bottom, and two seconds to reset.

What is tempo in resistance training?

Essentially, ‘tempo’ in weight training refers to the speed that you lift the weight (the concentric phase of movement) and how quickly you lower the weight (the eccentric phase of movement).

What is eccentric squat?

An eccentric contraction refers to any contraction where the muscle lengthens under load or tension. So in the squat exercise, the quadriceps muscles will contract eccentrically (lengthen) in the downward phase of the movement (the opposite direction of the arrow), as can be seen in the adjacent picture. 3.

What is high bar squat?

A high bar squat is a back squat where the bar is placed high on the trapezius muscle across the top of the shoulders. The feet are shoulder-width apart with toes pointed slightly outward. To stay balanced during the squat movement, the bar must stay over the midfoot.

What is a sissy squat?

The sissy squat is a top exercise for building quads, working on your hip flexors and strengthening your core simultaneously. It involves locking your feet in a fixed position and leaning right back, with the tension on your thighs, before bringing yourself up again – most easily completed with a Sissy Squat Bench.

Should I Highbar or low bar squat?

Whether or not a squat is high bar or low bar is determined by the placement of the bar on your back a good high bar position places the bar right on top of the traps. A good low bar position places

What is an Olympic squat?

The olympic squat typically involves the lifter squatting as low as they possibly can — usually referred to as “ass to grass”. At this depth, the crease of the hip goes well below the top of the knee.

Why do Olympic lifters squat so deep?

For lifters learning Olympic weightlifting movements, a deep squat is recommended because it puts more weight through the legs, as opposed to your back having to work harder and support more of the weight.

Why do Olympic lifters squat so low?

That’s because of the nature of Olympic weightlifting’s two disciplines, the snatch and the clean and jerk, which both put the athlete under maximal loads in the squat position. “When you’re lifting as much weight as you’re potentially capable of, then you’re going to be forced into an extreme depth position,” he says.

What is the heaviest squat?

1,036 pounds

Now that is heavy lifting. Russian powerhouse Andrey Malanichev utterly crushed the world record for the highest unequipped squat on Saturday, racking up more than half a ton—470 kg, or 1,036 pounds, to be exact.

How much can Thor squat?

World’s Ultimate Strongman



Also from 2018 onwards, Hafþór significantly increased his static strength specially in collabotation with his new strength coach Sebastian Oreb and increased his Squat to 445 kilograms (981 lb) during training and 460 kilograms (1,014 lb) during Thor’s Powerlifting Challenge.

How much can an average man squat?

At this point, ExRx found that most novice lifters can squat around 230 pounds. This was confirmed by Greg Nuckols’ survey, which found that with 3 months of practice, most men can squat 225 pounds.

Is squat easier than deadlift?

Squats are arguably a more beginner-friendly exercise than deadlifts. Deadlifts require a specific technique that’s tougher to get down at first. You can also modify squats for different fitness levels. If you’re a beginner, you can start by doing wall squats, or sliding down a wall, until you have the technique down.

Why are squats so weak?

Answer: Being weak at the bottom of the squat (or right after a good bounce from the bottom, several inches above) is normal. Why? Because this is the strength curve; the weight is HEAVIER at the bottom than the top. So the first answer is simple: Get Stronger.

What is a good squat weight?

Squat Strength Standards

Body Weight Untrained Novice
148 65 120
165 70 130
181 75 140
198 80 150

Do squats build quads?

If you’re looking to improve your physical fitness and tone the muscles of your lower body, add squats to your exercise routine and do them several times each week. In a standard bodyweight squat, the following muscles are targeted: quadriceps. hamstrings.

What are the disadvantages of squats?

Squat cons

  • There’s a risk of back injury, from leaning too far forward during the squat or rounding your back.
  • You can strain your shoulders if you’re supporting a heavy barbell.
  • There’s a risk of getting stuck at the bottom of a squat and not being able to get back up.

Do squats make your butt bigger?

Squats work all of the glute muscles in one movement. When you strategically recruit and tax these muscles, you can trigger hypertrophy (or muscle size growth). So, yes, squats can help you build bigger glutes.