Elasticity in the Squat
I've seen the term elasticity used in weightlifting. Things like touch-and-go bench press and bouncing your deadlifts repetitions
For squats I've now heard it used in two different ways:
You have elasticity when you drop into the hole quickly and rebound;
You maintain elasticity by descending into the squat slowly and then exploding.
I feel like these are conflicting. Can they both be correct? Is dropping into the squat fast or slow better for muscle elasticity.
(2)2 Comments
Sorted by latest first Latest Oldest Best
From a practical standpoint, the way you rectify the contradiction is to lower into the squat slowly and only in the last fraction of the descent you speed up for the quick rebound.
This allows for the descent to be slow and controlled. Slow and controlled is beneficial for eccentric loading and time-under-tension. And the quick rebound at the bottom allows you to take advantage of that "elasticity".
For the slow descent, I hear people cue it as "loading the quads". I find this cue helpful to build tension in the quads to maintain tightness and make for a good feeling lift.
#2 is incorrect. Descending faster makes better use of the stretch-reflex, and allows an elastic-like rebound to occur.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6359524/
Terms of Use Privacy policy Contact About Cancellation policy © freshhoot.com2025 All Rights reserved.