Deep Squats Make You Faster and Leaner Than Shallow Squats
Full Squats Enhance Performance and Body Composition, but Not Hypertrophy, Compared to Half Squats in Elite Young Tennis Players
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Full squats didn’t lead to greater muscle hypertrophy than half squats, despite a larger range of motion.
For decades, fitness culture has claimed deeper squats = more muscle growth. This study shows that when volume and intensity are matched, depth doesn’t drive size.
Practical Takeaways
If you're training young athletes for speed and agility (tennis, basketball, soccer), prioritize full squats over half squats to maximize power output and fat loss.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Full squats didn’t lead to greater muscle hypertrophy than half squats, despite a larger range of motion.
For decades, fitness culture has claimed deeper squats = more muscle growth. This study shows that when volume and intensity are matched, depth doesn’t drive size.
Practical Takeaways
If you're training young athletes for speed and agility (tennis, basketball, soccer), prioritize full squats over half squats to maximize power output and fat loss.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology
Year
2025
Authors
Raouf Hammami, Agustín Jerez-Martínez, P. Jiménez-Martínez, Carlos Alix-Fages, H. Rebai, Oussema Kassis, Álvaro Juesas, C. Balsalobre-Fernández, J. Colado, Javier Gené-Morales
Related Content
Claims (9)
Deep squats help young tennis players lose more body fat than shallow squats—even when they do the same number of reps and weights—possibly because they work harder and burn more energy.
Deep squats don’t make leg muscles bigger than shallow squats if you do the same number of reps and same weight—muscle growth is about total work, not how deep you go.
Deep squats make young tennis players explode off the ground faster than shallow squats—after 8 weeks, they get about 20% faster at pushing heavy weights quickly, while shallow squats only help by 10%.
Deep squats help young tennis players lose more body fat than shallow squats—after 8 weeks, they lose about a third of their body fat, while shallow squats only help them lose 15%.
Even though deep squats move your legs through a bigger range, they don’t make your muscles bigger than shallow squats—if you’re doing the same number of reps and weights.