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Squatting, Depth and Hamstrings: A Different Point of View

Comments in bold.
 
I think we are talking about 2 different things.

I will add that if indeed you agree that a partial is a high squat, it has no place in a training program, unless your an athlete (sprinter ect), which makes me confused about why you started this thread?

I still 100% dissagree that you want to turn your toes out. You loose so much torque and tension when you do so.
Keep your feet straight, keep the knee's over the toe. The more mobility you have through your hips, the wider you can go.

I also just performed a deep, toes straight, knees behind toes, shoulder width squat in the lounge room, with no bar.

It all comes down to mobility and levers.
 
In regards to comments on partial squats and RDL's, good mornings, deadlifts etc being similar. You have to take into account the angle of the hip. There is considerable flexion that allows for a greater stretch of the hamstrings to bring them into action. A partial squat does not allow this no matter how far back you can keep your knees behind you toes. There is always more involvement when you drive your hips back but the problem is without the adequate depth of a parallell squat they are no where near a good deadlift (notice I stated good) or RDL/Good mornings. And even then a parallel low bar squat is not going to bring the hamstrings in as much as good mornings, rdls and deads. As a great hamstring exercise (which is the general idea I got from your article) partial squats are not that great an idea.Though to get the glutes involved and for jumping actions they will be more biomechanically correct. No problem with using them for this action.
 
Thankyou for explaining your position on toe alignment.

Remember, this is the General Fitness Training section, not the Strength/PL section or Bodybuilding Training section. You've already given one reason to do partials: sport specificity. Chocchillimango gave another earlier on in the thread: injuries. Here's a third one: deconditioned, unco beginners who aren't aspiring to be bodybuilders or strength athletes, and lack the body awareness/range of motion/confidence to do a full squat. You know, the kind of people whom "general fitness" information probably applies to, who don't need to be doing the best exercises so long as they're actually doing something that's easy for them to become competent in and isn't harming them.
 
I never said partial squats are a great hamstring exercise. What I said is that they don't omit the hamstrings, contrary to the bro-science. I wouldn't recommend partial squats in place of RDLs or GMs.