How Deep Squats Can Affect Speed Development

Deep squats can be a valuable training tool, but they may help or hurt speed development depending on the athlete, the sport, and the time of year.

This is especially important for advanced athletes, such as elite sprinters and athletes who rely heavily on top-end speed. Deep squats are not automatically good or bad. The key is understanding how they affect the athlete’s tissues, joint stiffness, movement coordination, and sport-specific positions.

Deep Squats and Tissue Stiffness

One of the biggest factors to consider is how deep squatting may change the stiffness and pliability of the muscles, tendons, and connective tissues around the hips and knees.

When an athlete runs at high speed, the foot strikes the ground for a very short period of time. During that contact, the ankle, knee, and hip must maintain the proper amount of stiffness.

In this context, stiffness does not mean tightness or poor mobility. It refers to the athlete’s ability to resist unwanted joint movement, absorb force, and quickly return energy into the ground.

Some athletes need more tissue stiffness to run faster. Others may need additional mobility or flexibility. The correct approach depends on the athlete’s individual qualities and the demands of the sport.

For an elite sprinter, too much deep squatting may make certain tissues more pliable than desired. This can potentially reduce the athlete’s ability to create and maintain the joint stiffness needed during top-speed running.

Free Energy Return During Sprinting

High-speed running does not depend only on muscular strength. The tendons also play a major role.

When the foot strikes the ground, the athlete’s muscles contract to stabilize the joints and control the forces entering the body. At the same time, the tendons stretch and store elastic energy.

That stored energy is then released as the athlete leaves the ground.

This process is sometimes described as elastic energy return or “free energy.” The more effectively an athlete stores and returns energy through the tendons, the more efficiently that athlete may be able to run.

Many of the best running animals in the world have long, effective tendons. These tendons help them recover and reuse a large amount of energy with each stride.

An athlete who loses the correct amount of tendon and joint stiffness may become less efficient. The muscles may then have to work harder to produce the same running speed.

Why Deep Squats May Slow an Elite Athlete

Elite athletes develop very specific tissue qualities through years of sprinting, jumping, and practicing their sport.

Deep squatting places the hips, knees, muscles, and tendons through ranges of motion that may be very different from the positions used during high-speed running.

Over time, deep squats may create changes in:

• Tendon stiffness
• Joint stiffness
• Muscle coordination
• Co-contraction patterns
• Timing between muscle groups
• Sport-specific movement positions

Co-contraction refers to multiple muscles activating together to stabilize a joint. During sprinting, these contractions must happen with extremely precise timing.

If deep squatting changes the stiffness of the joint or tendon system, the nervous system may also change the way it coordinates the muscles throughout the entire leg.

That change in coordination is another possible reason an advanced athlete may become slower when deep squats remain in the program too close to an important competition.

This Does Not Mean Athletes Should Never Deep Squat

I am not saying that elite athletes should never perform back squats or deep squats.

Deep squats can be extremely useful for developing general strength, building muscle, improving work capacity, and preparing younger athletes.

The issue is timing.

As competition approaches, training should gradually become more specific to the positions, forces, speeds, and ranges of motion used in the athlete’s sport.

For an elite speed athlete, I would generally remove heavy deep back squats no later than six to eight weeks before the most important competition. In some cases, they may be removed eight to ten weeks out.

The exact timing depends on the athlete, training age, competition schedule, and overall program.

Using a More Sport-Specific Squat

Athletes may continue squatting after deep squats are removed, but the range of motion can become more sport-specific.

I often use what I call a sport back squat. The athlete still performs the squat, but does not descend as deeply.

The goal is to strengthen positions that are more similar to those used during sprinting and athletic movement.

A safety-bar split squat can also be an effective option. It allows the athlete to train each leg in a position that may transfer more directly to sprinting, acceleration, and other sport-specific actions.

In many sports, the athlete’s knee angle rarely travels far below 90 degrees during the most explosive movements.

A sprinter coming out of the starting blocks will generally work around a very specific hip and knee position. Most athletes also perform their fastest and most explosive actions without entering the deepest ranges of a full squat.

This does not mean that training below 90 degrees has no value. It means there may be a point at which additional depth no longer improves performance and may begin interfering with the tissue qualities needed for competition.

Programming Deep Squats Throughout the Year

Deep squats may fit best during the earlier stages of a long-term training plan.

For example, if the athlete’s major competition is approximately 22 to 24 weeks away, heavy deep squats can be used during the general strength and triphasic strength phases.

After the eccentric and isometric phases are completed, the program can begin transitioning toward more specific squat depths and athletic positions.

As the athlete performs more high-speed sprinting, the goal is to avoid interfering with the coordination and tissue qualities being developed on the track or field.

A basic progression may look like this:

Early Preparation Phase

Use deeper squats to develop general strength, muscle mass, mobility, and overall physical capacity.

Middle Preparation Phase

Begin reducing squat depth and increasing the use of split squats, partial squats, jumps, and more specific strength exercises.

Competition Preparation Phase

Remove heavy deep squats and focus on the joint angles, contraction speeds, force demands, and positions that are most specific to the athlete’s sport.

Peak Competition Phase

Use highly specific strength exercises, low-volume explosive work, sprinting, and exercises that support performance without creating unnecessary fatigue or tissue changes.

Young Athletes Versus Elite Athletes

Young athletes will generally improve from many different strength exercises because they still have a large amount of physical development available.

There is usually no reason to avoid deep squatting with a young athlete who has the mobility, control, and technique to perform it correctly.

Young athletes need a broad strength foundation. Deep squats can be an important part of developing that foundation.

The situation changes as athletes become more advanced.

The stronger, faster, and more specialized an athlete becomes, the more carefully the coach must manage exercise selection, range of motion, training volume, and timing.

Advanced athletes may not need more general strength. They may need to protect and improve the specific physical qualities that allow them to perform at an elite level.

Lessons From Elite Track and Field

Many experienced track coaches have observed that some sprinters become slower when heavy deep squats remain in the program too close to major competitions.

Some coaches may not explain the exact physiological reasons, but they have seen the performance changes over many years.

In contrast, partial squats or half squats may be used closer to competition because they can provide a large neurological and hormonal stimulus while training positions that are more similar to sprinting.

This may explain why some elite athletes have reportedly performed very heavy partial squats before producing personal-best or world-class performances.

The key point is that the depth, timing, and purpose of the squat matter just as much as the amount of weight being lifted.

Final Thoughts

Deep squats are a powerful training tool, but they must be programmed according to the athlete’s needs.

They can help younger athletes build strength and develop a strong physical foundation. However, for elite sprinters and advanced speed athletes, deep squats may need to be removed several weeks before major competitions.

The main factors to consider include:

• Joint stiffness
• Tendon stiffness
• Elastic energy return
• Muscle co-contraction
• Movement coordination
• Sport-specific joint angles
• The athlete’s training age
• The number of weeks before competition

The goal is not to eliminate deep squats from training. The goal is to place them at the correct time of year and transition toward more sport-specific positions as competition approaches.

The more advanced the athlete becomes, the more specific the training program must become.