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Originally Posted by heep223
Tl;dr entire thread: eat well, eat less, and exercise.
Jokes aside - I find the debate and information on squats to be very interesting. Incorporating squats and deadlift into my strength routine has really strengthened my back and hips, improved my posture, increased flexibility and reduced back pain. People tend to have underdeveloped back and hips (myself being a prime example) and these are great exercises to strengthen them if you do them correctly while also hitting lots of other muscles. That's why they've become so popular. There are obviously also other good exercises but these are the most efficient.
Lastly I'd just add that I'm one of those people who have always had problems with squats because my hips are hella tight from years of hockey growing up and subsequently sitting at a desk for 8 years. Even when I was in great shape as a 17 year old I used to do squats in cowboy boots. Using a shoe that has a stable and elevated heel has really helped me in terms of getting into a deep squat with decent form.
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I'm not attempting to call you out specifically, but a lot of people I've worked out who have limited range of motion due to "tight hips", just aren't doing the squat properly.
If you treat it like a leg press (legs underneath your shoulders and knees bent in front of you), you will experience limited range of motion. If you actually engage your hips, it will increase your range exponentially. I dealt with the same issues of not being able to "break parallel". I got proper instruction and read Mark Rippetoe's books and it changed my ability to get into proper position dramatically.
And yes, all the leg injuries I've ever had have been from running and not lifting.