# Getting depth at squatting **URL:** \ **Category:** Training Discussion\ **Created:** [February 3, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830 "2019-02-03T00:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sgarciac07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sgarciac07](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/sgarciac07)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/1 "2019-02-03T00:00:45Z")
Hi all, recently I filmed myself again while squatting (after 2 months of not doing it) and realized that I wasn’t hitting depth properly, just getting to parallel, I asked over some friends and they gave some tips to fix this, but I want to ask here to get more cues and implement them and figure what works out for me and what doesn’t, if anyone could help me with some cues to properly hit depth I would be grateful, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Squib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/squib/32/1093_2.png) [@Squib](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Squib)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 10:57am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/2 "2019-02-03T10:57:59Z")
It’s really hard to say without seeing your squat at all, but one thing that might help is playing around with your stance width. I had to narrow my stance to bit below parallel and can’t really do it (or do it consistently) with a wider stance. So just play around with your stance and keep recording yourself. ---
**Author:** ![sgarciac07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sgarciac07](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/sgarciac07)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/3 "2019-02-03T12:52:19Z")
> [@Squib](#): > > It’s really hard to say without seeing your squat at all, but one thing that might help is playing around with your stance width. I had to narrow my stance to bit below parallel and can’t really do it (or do it consistently) with a wider stance. So just play around with your stance and keep recording yourself. Thanks, sorry for not updating the post here. Here are the most recent videos I filmed (all from this week): [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/barbellmedicine/original/2X/0/03901bb4d1bcd0216f2731ed6e4de65cddcf29ca.jpeg "Squat Single Form") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKHpY_Zm4Og) **(This one is a single at 107.5kg RPE 8)** [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/barbellmedicine/original/2X/3/39e72053fd5535e8317f21a85e891de10977c464.jpeg "Squat 4's Form") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VVXC8oflgA) **(This one is a back off set of 4 reps at 97.5kg RPE 8)** As you can see I’m getting just about parallel, after asking over facebook BBM group I got called that I needed to lower more and that’s what I did on my beltless squat in yesterday’s workout: [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/barbellmedicine/original/2X/1/16830a9bb26fa15f2d8c2b2a5e64c854104f1513.jpeg "Beltless Squat Form") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_L49OyObVE) **(6’s at 80kg RPE 8)** In the last one I’m getting to proper depth, however, I’m dive-bombing in the descent which I don’t like because I loose a lot of tightness and balance right at the bottom (and this has caused me a little discomfort on my lower back), the only recent change I’ve done to my squat is narrowing the stance a bit. I don’t know, my take on this is that I have to find the right tempo where I can hit depth while staying tight throughout the whole movement. Thanks btw. ---
**Author:** ![Squib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/squib/32/1093_2.png) [@Squib](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Squib)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 1:05pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/4 "2019-02-03T13:05:24Z")
Yeah so on those beltless 6’s you are easily hitting depth, I guess now just practice staying tight like you said. That set proves you can hit depth, now you just have to keep practicing it - and keep recording to keep yourself accountable 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Slightlyaboveaverage](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/slightlyaboveaverage/32/933_2.png) [@Slightlyaboveaverage](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Slightlyaboveaverage)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/5 "2019-02-03T15:32:38Z")
What Squib said - you’re clearly physically capable of squatting to depth, so just do it. You may or may not have to lower the weight initially to be able to accomplish this with heavier weights. ---
**Author:** ![sgarciac07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sgarciac07](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/sgarciac07)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/6 "2019-02-03T15:34:55Z")
> [@Squib](#): > > Yeah so on those beltless 6’s you are easily hitting depth, I guess now just practice staying tight like you said. That set proves you can hit depth, now you just have to keep practicing it - and keep recording to keep yourself accountable 🙂 Yeah the only thing I don’t about those is the speed of the descent, any tip I could use to achieve that depth without going too fast and without making it harder with a pretty slow descent? Or you think with that will come? Thanks both of you @Squib and @Slightlyaboveaverage ---
**Author:** ![Slightlyaboveaverage](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/slightlyaboveaverage/32/933_2.png) [@Slightlyaboveaverage](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Slightlyaboveaverage)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:45pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/7 "2019-02-03T15:45:38Z")
> [@sgarciac07](#): > > Yeah the only thing I don’t about those is the speed of the descent, any tip I could use to achieve that depth without going too fast and without making it harder with a pretty slow descent? Or you think with that will come? > Thanks both of you @Squib and @Slightlyaboveaverage It will probably come as long as you consciously think about it while you’re squatting. Most technique issues can be fixed by 1. identifying the issue and 2. being self aware. Just drop down slightly slower, maybe spread your knees a little at the bottom to avoid forward knee slide and try to bounce back up explosively. ---
**Author:** ![sgarciac07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sgarciac07](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/sgarciac07)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/8 "2019-02-03T16:06:05Z")
> [@Slightlyaboveaverage](#): > > It will probably come as long as you consciously think about it while you’re squatting. Most technique issues can be fixed by 1. identifying the issue and 2. being self aware. Just drop down slightly slower, maybe spread your knees a little at the bottom to avoid forward knee slide and try to bounce back up explosively. Thanks man, tomorrow I’ll implement all recommendations I’ve gotten and see how it feels, I’ll also film all warm up sets to check if I’m really hitting depth since the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![sgarciac07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sgarciac07](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/sgarciac07)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/9 "2019-02-04T18:06:53Z")
Hey again @Slightlyaboveaverage and @Squib , coudl you please check these new videos that I filmed today: **Squat Single (102.5kg @~8):** [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/barbellmedicine/original/2X/d/d2df353cf4f8a925a9791e0ec7c6c0d1f724ee75.jpeg "Squat Single Form Check (4-2-18)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLmAuAfox9k) **Squat Back Off Sets: (95kg @7.5-8):** [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/uploads/barbellmedicine/original/2X/4/44b9be88c3b373216414fcb5dcbfb6b670d678d0.jpeg "Squat Form Check (Back Off Sets, 4-2-19)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_r9Doe8uKs) Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Rubendanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Rubendanger](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Rubendanger)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 8:05pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/10 "2019-02-04T20:05:19Z")
Seems like you have been able to make some improvements here. Tempo squats have really helped me with hitting depth consistently. I think this has to do with the controlled decent/staying tight all the way through. I also think about pushing my knees out/opening my taint. ---
**Author:** ![sgarciac07](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@sgarciac07](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/sgarciac07)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/11 "2019-02-04T22:01:28Z")
> [@Rubendanger](#): > > Seems like you have been able to make some improvements here. > > Tempo squats have really helped me with hitting depth consistently. I think this has to do with the controlled decent/staying tight all the way through. I also think about pushing my knees out/opening my taint. Thanks Today while squatting I did felt a better tightness throughout the whole movement, I think that depth will come with time, I just need to get used to it and be consistent. ---
**Author:** ![Slightlyaboveaverage](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/slightlyaboveaverage/32/933_2.png) [@Slightlyaboveaverage](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Slightlyaboveaverage)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 5:20am UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/getting-depth-at-squatting/4830/12 "2019-02-10T05:20:56Z")
It does look a lot better. Things to think about long term may be opening up your stance even if it’s just a couple of inches, I imagine it could make it easier to get to depth. That and just not taking poor depth for an answer, make every rep about getting past parallel and eventually you’ll forget how to even do a shallow squat if you tried.