Why You Think You’re Below Parallel - But Aren’t

Getting no-repped repeatedly for squat depth is frustrating for everyone involved—especially when the athlete is convinced they are below parallel. Most of the time, the athlete is not intentionally cutting their reps. They genuinely feel like they are reaching the bottom.

This post has nothing to do with this guy’s squat depth - but he is snatching a lot

The problem is simple:

Bent knees do not mean your hips are below parallel.

What the Judge Actually Sees

In competition, a squat usually has two basic requirements:

• The crease of the hip must pass below the top of the knee.

• The athlete must finish at full hip and knee extension.

The judge does not care how deeply bent your knees feel. If your hip crease does not pass below your knee, it is a no-rep.

That sounds obvious, but it explains one of the most common squat faults we see in competition.

Why You Feel Lower Than Parallel

Look at the three squats in the photo below. In all three positions, the knees are deeply bent. To the athlete, they may feel almost identical. The legs are compressed, the knees feel like they cannot bend much farther and the athlete feels as though they have reached the bottom.

Middle position is almost 👌🏼

But only the middle squat clearly meets the depth standard.

In the two outside positions, the athlete has created plenty of knee bend without getting the hips low enough. The weight has shifted forward, the knees have taken over the movement and the hip crease is still too high.

That is why this fault can be so confusing: your knees can feel like they are at full depth while your hips are not.

THE QUICK FIX - Hopefully

When I see this happen in the affiliate, I usually give the athlete one simple cue:

Sit back into your heels.

That small adjustment often gets the athlete below parallel immediately. The goal is not to rock backward or lift the toes. It is to move pressure away from the balls of the feet, reconnect with the whole foot and allow the hips to travel back and down. Instead of beginning the squat by driving the knees forward, think about initiating the movement with the hips. Let the hips sit back as the knees bend, and continue lowering the hips until the crease clearly passes below the knee.

The Bottom Line

If you keep getting no-repped for squat depth, stop using the amount of knee bend as proof that you are below parallel. Your knees may feel like they have reached the bottom while your hips are still too high. Sit back. Keep your whole foot connected to the floor. Let your hips initiate the squat and continue moving back and down.

Because the judge is not watching how bent your knees are.

The judge is watching your hip crease.