Squats: Training "Light"

Squats are awesome: as in they worthy of and should induce the a state of awe. Why? The ability to squat down and then stand totally upright is unique to humans and could be classified as one of our primary beneficial adaptations. It is this fact that allows us to do some of our other primary adaptations, such as our ability to throw accurately and with high force. Ask a shot putter or javelin thrower if their legs are important to throwing.

There are many other advantages to squatting, one is that they work the most (potentially) metabolically active and largest group of muscles through the greatest range of motion of any movement. The potential benefits of this should be obvious - they have the potential to stimulate a massive disruption in homeostasis and corresponding biological adaptation. They are also, for many, highly uncomfortable which is a nice psychological stressor and can cause beneficial reflexive psychological adaptation responses. As in they make you tough.

Plus squatting with with a shit ton of plates on the bar looks really hardcore.

Paul Anderson squatted these 840 lbs of tractor parts for ten reps.

We run into some issues though: everyone wants to squat with the heaviest weights possible but n o one wants to squat in the best way possible. "What the hell? I thought heavy was best!" - and it certainly can be but we must ask ourselves: is this true for us? Let me show you an example:

Do you see that large teardrop-shaped muscular prominence on the inside of the thigh right above the knee? That is called the vastus medialis (heretoforth known as VMO) and it is responsible (in part) for stabilizing the knee joint. The relevance behind this is that many people squat in such a way to move the most weight, not to build knee stability. This, although not always, can result in progress coming to a grinding halt (pun intended) because of muscle imbalances and worse it can alter the tracking of the kneecap through the bony, well lubricated groove it is designed to slide through. This means your knees get all f'd up and doom you to squatting mediocrity.

Please don't think that just because your knees aren't hurting or swollen that this doesn't apply to you because it definitely does: if you're squatting less than double bodyweight deep enough so that your calves and hamstrings meet and/or you don't have a visible and prominent VMO, you have issues. The popularity of powerlifting style training has led to people being more concerned with numbers than their own bodies - this is self defeating because your body is what lifts the barbell. If you're body is busted then how are you gonna lift big? Durr people.

Powerlifting training is awesome and fun BUT one should also employ bodybuilding type "special" exercises for higher reps (the VMO has a fairly mixed fiber type and responds best to higher reps, as in 10-20) to build the functional quality of the joint structures. An example: lifter A squats wide and to a box (limited depth), in order to balance the stresses imposed said squatting stance he elects (smartly) to use a narrow stance, heels elevated, parallel feet, ass to grass squat for twelve to fifteen reps with what, for him, will likely be an embarrassingly light weight. The purpose being to strengthen the vastus medialis and maintain some semblance of muscle balance. It also makes his quads look buff.

Remember: balance this with....

..this. Notice the weight difference, this is important, you will feel like a bitch squatting so "light".

There could be a multi-volume tome written on leg training. For now take home the point that looking hardcore is awesome BUT in order to continue looking hardcore (and to look more hardcore in the future) you will have to do some "light", higher rep squatting - especially if having huge quads appeals to you.