Ass To Grass Exacts A Heavy Toll

Richard Sullivan @ age 52: 5'9", 196 lbs.

The fake controversy that refuses to go away is Ass-To-Grass (ATG). Proponents of this squatting tomfoolery are predominantly amped-up young people who lecture that since they haven’t blown out their knees yet, that they know what’s best for all.

Furthermore, their immature/inexperienced claim that legs can’t be built without ATG is just ignorant. I have never gone the ATG route, but photos of my quads seen here in my early 50s prove ATG claims as to their "necessity" are groundless. 

Two thirds of my power quad workout has always been leg presses and machine hack squats as opposed to the squat rack, so think twice before buying in to those pontificating that impressive quads can’t be built unless you barbell squat. It ain't so.

Our knees are hinges—not shock absorbers.

There are some truly cringe-worthy videos online showing guys with a loaded bar literally dropping full speed from a starting position into an ass-to-the-grass position, and even worse, using a bounce at the bottom to propel themselves upward again. Ouch!

Common sense isn’t at all common if the endless foolishness played out in YouTube gym and workout videos are any measure, and I believe they are. These numerous likeminded people are getting their bizarre “techniques” (for want of a better term) from somewhere, and that has to be videos of others doing the same. But why they choose to follow the morons rather than the many, many responsible, grounded and accomplished fitness vloggers and bodybuilders online is anyone’s guess.

Save your knees. They’ll really come in handy in your later years— trust me.