Finally Achieve the Elusive ATG Squat: A Guide to a Deeper Squat

The full ATG (ass to grass) squat has always seemed elusive. It's always seemed like only some people lucky enough to be built a certain way can actually do it. Not the case. I have taught myself at 6'3" and MANY others including youth athletes and adults how to achieve that highly revered deep ATG squat. Here are the tips and tricks for you to also become a master of the deep squat.

Squatting is often misunderstood and unfairly demonized, especially by those who feel they can’t perform the movement properly. I think it's sometimes human nature when you can't do something or aren't good at something to justify why you can't by making a case that you don't need it or that it's bad for you.  These are the people behind the common trend of avoiding squats by claiming they don’t need them or that squatting is bad for you. But this argument lacks logic and is driven more by emotion than fact. The back squat has been around for 100 years and it's not going away anytime soon. The truth is, squatting is a fundamental movement pattern everyone should be able to perform, and the barriers many people face come down to motor control more than mobility.

Squatting: A Fundamental Movement Pattern

Squatting is one of the simplest and most essential movement patterns. When we talk about a proper squat, it’s typically defined as reaching below parallel with the hips, keeping the torso vertical, and maintaining feet flat on the ground. This is often assessed using tools like the Functional Movement Screen, where a “3” score means a clean, controlled squat with good mechanics below parallel.

Interestingly, when you add a barbell to your back, many people suddenly change their standards. It seems this is driven by people who cannot squat all the way down, so they try to justify a higher squat.  I have no problem with different squat variations.  I understand everyone has different goals.  But I do consider the full ATG (ass to grass) squat to be default.  After that you can squat to parallel or even use a quarter squat for alternative variations.  But that doesn't mean omit and discourage others to avoid ATG Squats, and definitely shouldn't lead to becoming anti back squat.

Mobility vs. Motor Control: What’s Really Holding You Back?

One of the most common excuses for not being able to squat properly is poor mobility. However, this is often a misconception. Or it's at least not the entire truth. The real issue is motor control—the ability to activate and relax the right muscles at the right time during movement.

Motor control involves:

• Engaging the correct muscles to stabilize and move.

• Relaxing muscles that would otherwise restrict movement.

• Coordinating muscle activity smoothly and efficiently.

  
  

Many people believe they need better flexibility or joint mobility, but the root cause is often the nervous system’s control over muscle activation. With practice, this control improves, allowing for a full, deep squat.

Why Practicing the Specific Squat Style Matters

If your goal is to master a full squat to your calves with a high bar position, the key is to practice that specific movement. Trying to learn it through easier variations like goblet squats or partial squats won’t fully prepare you for the demands of a barbell squat.

This is because when a barbell is placed on your back, your body reacts differently. For beginners, this can trigger a reflexive guarding response—muscles tighten out of fear or uncertainty. Overcoming this requires dedicated practice to build confidence and teach your body to relax under load.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is early on they ease up on their standards.  They place too much emphasis on load and not enough emphasis on position.  For me and the people I coach, the position is ALWAYS number 1 priority.  Number 2 is posture and THEN number 3 is power.  If you commit to this order of priority, you will set yourself up for a MUCH longer runway and success for the back squat.

Start Over

I played baseball in the SEC. I was training under what I thought was the best strength coaches in the country. I learned NOTHING as an athlete. My squat was terrible. I looked like a pancake squat. I remember after i was done playing baseball I was DETERMINED and OBBESSED to squat with a very nice looking ATG Squat. I just believed the position and the full range of motion was vital for leg development. So I started over. I stopped squatting 500 pounds because I knew deep down it wasn't a legit squat. I remember having complete workouts with 95 pounds of the bar.  I went 10 steps back to go 50 steps forward and it paid off. Some of you may have seen me, but I've achieved a 545 pound high bar ATG squat with no sleeves and no belt and I'm 6'3" with LONG legs and especially long femurs. So if you have to, START OVER. It's worth it.

Overcoming the Fear of the Barbell

Fear is a natural reaction when lifting a barbell, especially if you’re new to it. This fear causes muscles to tense up, which can restrict movement and make squatting feel uncomfortable or impossible. Learning to relax and trust your body under the bar is crucial.

Building this trust doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistent practice and patience. As you become more comfortable with the barbell, your motor control improves, and the squat becomes a fluid, effective movement.

Some tips of overcoming this phenomenon is multi faceted.  I like to use a variety of tempos, to progress specifically the eccentric phase.  The eccentric phase is the toughest and arguably the most important because it's going to ultimately be responsible for your position at the bottom of the squat.  Here are my tempo progressions from easy to difficult.

Step 1: Slow eccentric lowering to a target.   The target is an external cue for the squatter to know when they reach the proper depth. Oddly enough, these might be very ugly but that's ok because slow is safer than fast.  You have to allow ugly and safe reps.  You need the practice just like any other skill. Think of it like this, if you're new to hitting a baseball your swing is going to be ugly in the beginning.  Does that mean you shouldn't keep swinging?? No, you keep swinging. With this tempo you are slow down, maybe a 3 second count, pause sitting on the target for a second and then you stand up.

Step 2: Fast lowering to a target.  The fast lowering is going to help overcome muscle guarding. It forces you to relax certain muscles to speed your decent up.  Remember I contributed a lot of issues with squatting lower to motor control just as much or more than flexibility. With this tempo you are FAST down, pause sitting on the target and then you stand up.

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 but this time no target.  Let the lifter practice getting down to depth while relaxing the muscles that need to relax to allow depth. FAST down, pause in the bottom position for a second and then stand up.  As a coach I use the pause at the bottom to coach and give tactile cues to move the athlete or client into a better position.  In fact a coach can really take control here by having the athlete or client follow their commands. DOWN to signal a downward motion, then tell them not to stand until you say UP.  You can hold them as long as you need and while holding them there coach them up.

Step 4: You are moving to fast down no pause and fast up. ALL of these tempos are done with appropriate loads.  Likely very light but especially light for step 4.  Let the athlete or client practice step 4. Have them reset at the top and allow them to perform their own reps meaning don't give them any "go" cue.  Let them decide when they are ready to move and that will help put it all together.

Use these steps for warms ups every session.  The progression is consistent with how you would want to warm up, slow to fast, so it's a win win. You get to warm up properly but also practice and improve movement efficiency. After these warm ups, have them complete working sets and reps.  They can still work on their position but it's important to allow them to still train.  This can still be done in a safe manner.  

Coaching Up the Back Squat

Start at the ground and move up.  As a coach, this is the way to assess and deliver cues especially with squats because if your feet are wrong, everything above it will also likely be wrong.  So you can sometimes fix the feet, and everything else takes care of itself.

Feet: Feet need to be at a width you can jump as high as you can.  If you think about it, when you jump the more force you put in the ground the higher you jump.  This concept is the same for squat.  The harder you can push the ground the more weight you can squat. Also SHOES. Where squat shoes.  They have a flat and solid sole, not a cushion and foamy sole. Also they have a slight incline to help improve your upright position.

Toes: Externally rotate your toes slightly. Why? Hips. You want to use your hips as full ATG squats are a hip dominant exercise.  Do this, stand in your squat stance, toes straight and squeeze your glutes.  Now turn your toes out and squeeze.  Which is a better contraction of the glutes?? Toes out!! That's why you want the toes out, more access to your hips.

Knees: They need to bend. They also need to track away from each other on the way down. Think of them tracking the same direction your toes are facing. Don't be afraid to open the knees, this allows your hips to sit straight down. You may feel soreness of the adductors from squatting to full depth, often from allowing the knees to move out, and this is normal.

Hips: Think hips DOWN. If you are tying to squat ATG the hips have to go down and the knees need to bend.  I've seen and heard the cue "hips back".  This will not promote a full ATG squat. Hips back makes your shins vertical, not good for depth.  You want the shins to be positive, or pointed forward.  Knees over toes, sometimes past the toes. As long as the weight is in the middle of your feet you should be good. Let the knees bend first move, this is very important for ATG squat.

Chest: Pretend there are headlights on your chest and keep the "headlights" forward.  Not pointed down, straight ahead.  And allow the chest cavity to be in front of the hips. Ensure you are pushing with the whole foot, even the front of the foot and you'll be able to do this.

Elbows: I like elbows down.  I'm not going to argue with people who like elbows behind or back more.  I think this depends on where your hands grab the bar and also torso and leg length.  I've seen both work well, try both positions and decide which keeps you most upright.

Bar Placement: ON TOP OF TRAPS.  This is a non negotiable.  I've seen people mix match low bar placement and try to squat low.  It doesn't align well and you will end up frustrated wondering why you can't squat low.  Same with stance, people will have a low bar wide stance and wonder why they can't get low.  People think a wide stance makes it easier to squat low and it's the exact opposite.  The most common adjustment I have people make it feet closer.

Head/Face: Chin tucked. Make a double chin. This locks in your cervical spine position and keeps you safe under heavy loads. It also plays a major role in center of mass.  If you look down, it can bring your forward and you will fail forward a lot.  If you look up you will struggle to push through the whole foot and shift the center of mass back too far.  Eyes looking stragith ahead with a double chin.

Conclusion: Embrace the Squat, Master the Skill

Squatting is not just a physical challenge but a skill that requires motor control and mental confidence. Don’t fall into the trap of blaming poor mobility and as a result dismissing squats as unnecessary. Instead, focus on practicing the specific squat style you want to master and be patient with your progress. There are coaches who have spent YEARS even decades teaching others how to squat.  I am one of those coaches. I spent over a decade doing this and these are the findings I came up with personally in my experiences.  I learned the MOST with coaching youth athletes ages 10-13.  They know nothing and these progressions and cues in this article come directly from my real world experience.  Believe it or not, youth athletes are tough, but not the hardest to teach.  It's the adults who are the hardest because they have YEARS of poor mechanics to overcome.  These cues work.  The concepts I've laid out are battle tested for everyone. Give yourself or your atheles/clients the grace and time to PRACTICE.  Any and every skill takes practice to master.  With the time and effort I truly believe anyone can learn to squat ATG.

I have an 8 min video on YouTube that shows a couple exercises I used to help myself learn to squat deeper. CLICK HERE to watch it

Remember, if you can high bar squat to the floor with proper form, you have the foundation to perform any other squat variation. So, embrace the movement, work on your motor control, and overcome the fear that holds you back. The squat is a powerful tool for strength, mobility, and overall functional fitness.

Every one of my programs utilize the squat. Majority use the back squat, I have some fitness and wellness programs that don't use the barbell squat but the squat pattern is used in all of my programs.  I like to include a lot of tips and tricks into my coaching notes, just like I've done in this article. For my strength programs and a lot of my athletic programs I use many squat variations.  You will see high bar squats, low bar squats, box squats, Anderson Squats you name it we do it.  Shop my programs, schedule a call with me OR simply fill out the questionnaire and we will email you the program options that match your answers.

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