Safety --oly vs. power squats

[Debaser]

It seems that olympic squats involve quite a bit more knee flexion--does this make the exercise unsafe? I've always done powerlifting style squats (though w/ a somewhat high bar) and am curious...

 

[spatts]

The lower you squat, the more hamstring is recruited, and the more protected the knee is because of that.

Supposedly.

 

[Zander1983]

I feel a lot safer with an olympic stance, going as deep as possible.

I can get a long way past parallel and it actually feels better than a reduced ROM or squatting very wide PL-style.

 

[coolcolj]

as long as you go back light and work back up, they are safe.

I find stopping at parallel makes my hips/knees feel like they are going snap off.

 

[IronLion]

When I was in college and was doing overhead squats every day, and full clean on tues, full snatch on friday....I thought parallel was when my hamstrings were sitting on my calves....when I first tried to squat like a pl I didn't go wide enough to clear my hips and sit back all the way so my knees took a beating. Once I got a low box out and started widening and opening my feet I felt it was the most comfortable way to squat.

 

[bignate73]

i find that i dont have any issues with balance when i squat wide. i feel stable as all hell and there is no sway front to back. with standard high bar squats, there can be a bit of front to back movement for me.

 

[coolcolj]

Yeah I squatted wide and sat back, makes my hips especially hams feel like they are about to snap off if I stop at parralleL