Las sentadillas parciales: desafiantes y efectivas

Partial squats: Challenging and effective

Many bodybuilders perform their squats with a full range of motion most of the time, and for almost all of them the goal is more weight, but are they the most effective?

So discussing the benefits of partial squats does not mean that you should disregard deep squats; this is a point we should make clear.

Squats partial: what are they?

If you are thinking of a shallow knee bend, that is not a partial squat; it is a shallow knee bend.

Partial squats have a decent range of motion, meaning about half the conventional movement, which means being between 90 degrees and as low as having the upper thighs parallel to the surface.

Any movement above 90 degrees is too shallow to be used as a squatting exercise, but it can actually be useful as an assistance exercise.

Squats for muscle growth

Full squats are slightly better than partial squats; that is the conclusion reached by our experts after also reviewing the scientific literature.

  • Most elite bodybuilders do not squat deeply very often because their large hamstrings and calves tend to restrict their range of motion.
  • Old-school bodybuilders in the 1970s and 1980s did, but very soon partial squats became the norm, and leg size has not decreased among bodybuilders—in fact, the opposite is true.
If you train hard, protect your joints

Squats for strength

Both can be effective in this case, but the half squat or partial squat may be slightly better than the deep squat.

  • The same bodybuilding coaches who criticize powerlifters who do not perform deep squats also praise Louie Simmons and his Westside method for the way they train.
  • This is ironic because the vast majority of versions of this method are partial squats (parallel or above), performed using a competition-height box (parallel) or a higher box (around a 90-degree knee angle); sometimes they use a low box, but it is not a common exercise in the rotation.

They also use chains or bands added to the bar in most squats, which further overloads the bottom part of the range of motion, essentially training the top quarter of the squat more than the other portions.

Some of the “keyboard warriors” who attack those who do partial squats cite these people in their posts, claiming that they are not actually squatting, but ultimately what matters are the results.

It does not become a useless or ineffective exercise either, because you can become quite strong and muscular by combining full squats with partial squats in your training program.

Squats for athletic performance

Again, it is quite similar, but if you use the partial squat for performance, you may need to add posterior-chain work to stay balanced, especially if you have shorter legs and a longer torso.

If you observe,

  • Many of the strongest, fastest, and most powerful athletes never perform deep squats; we are talking about track-and-field athletes.
  • Among them, partial squats are much more common; we are talking about throwers, sprinters, NBA athletes, soccer players, etc.

In terms of performance, this type of squat also works, and there is some science behind it; however, the experiences of the thousands and thousands of athletes we know are more telling.

The science and partial squats

Many studies show greater muscle activation during partial squats (90 degrees) than during full-range, deep squats.

  • One study found greater activation of the gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, and erector spinae (glutes, hamstrings, and lower-back muscles) in the partial squat compared with the full squat (1).
  • In another study, researchers found that the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis (quadriceps muscles) were activated more during a partial half squat than during a full squat (2).

Well, these studies address activation; greater muscle activity (measured by surface EMG) is not necessarily correlated with greater growth.

Here is why: activating muscle fibers and making them generate tension is only the first part of the equation.

For maximum hypertrophy, muscle fibers must lengthen/stretch while producing a great deal of tension; that combination leads to muscle damage and activation of the mTOR pathway.

In the partial squat, you may have greater activation of the quadriceps and glutes (measured through EMG), but because of the shorter range of motion, these two muscles will not lengthen/stretch as much.

Although muscle activation may be lower in a full-range squat, the fact that you stretch the muscle fibers more may lead to greater hypertrophy despite lower activation. In this context, it is argued that partial squats are just as effective as deep squats (3).

Work according to your goals

If you are seeking maximum lower-body development, strength, and performance, you need a squat-pattern movement, but the difference between a partial squat, a full squat, and a deep squat will not be significant.

Often, it all comes down to the way of squatting with which you feel most comfortable. Normally, people with short legs and a long torso (especially if they have long tibias and short femurs) will feel more comfortable with a full squat than with a partial or 90-degree squat.

When you have shorter legs, stopping in the half-squat range places more tension on the knee joint. In contrast, people with long legs and a short torso do not have that problem; however, for them, going all the way down can be mechanically very difficult.

The important thing is to squat, at least to 90 degrees, which is the minimum acceptable depth for your main squat exercise.

To conclude, there are scientific arguments against partial squats, but in our view that is not the point; what matters is what you and your coach feel and experience.

Do you use a mirror when squatting?

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