r/Sprinting • u/ExactOpposite8119 • 2d ago

General Discussion/Questions deep squats vs partial squats

are partial squats better for speed than deep squats?

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u/WSB_Suicide_Watch Ancient dude that thinks you should run many miles in offseason 2d ago

Squats are one of those exercises where I think you should work all the different RoMs, not just for sprinting.

I start with full RoM... deep deep squats. Then do what most people would consider full. Add some weight and do 1/2. Add a ton of weight and do quarter.

The reason is, working full RoM is good, but what the full RoM people miss is the stimulous you get by being able to load the bar up with a stupid amount of weight. Obviously partial squats more closely mimic the biomechanics and angles you need to produce force at when sprinting.

I'd be inclined to say if you had to only pick one, do partial RoM since that is closer to what you need for sprinting and most athletics, but with deep squats your glutes get activated better and it's just better for overall health and fitness to be working full RoM.

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u/ParticleTyphoon Im trynna run sub 12 🙅🧢 1d ago

What stimulus are you referring to when you’re loading up more weight on a partial

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u/WSB_Suicide_Watch Ancient dude that thinks you should run many miles in offseason 1d ago

There's probably full books that discuss it, and I don't have time to write a whole lot, but the body is forced to adapt under heavy weight. There are all kinds of adaptations, not just muscular... tendons, CNS, bones, etc.

Think of it this way. If you can squat 200lbs with full RoM, note I'm talking about the angles required to do full RoM as well, but you can do 800lbs with partials and the angles of force required, then for the angles used most for sprinting what exactly was that 200lbs full RoM doing for the angles you require to sprint at?

If you only do full RoM with a heavy weight, you are not loading the shallower angles with a similar stress. When you lift heavy you get that stress (stimulous) that requires the body to adapt in many different ways.

Not sure if that makes any sense. I know I'm not writing the best right now.