[epbrown]

If you're doing straight up weight training, there's no need to go below parallel. I've done Asian squats and other variants when I was running track, as they're supposed to help with exploding from the blocks when you're doing shorter distances, and some jumps. But since all you're moving in competition is your own bodyweight for those sports, you're not doing seriously heavy weights. I usually trained with bodyweight or less going that deep, whereas my target for squats to parallel is 2X bodyweight or more.

This goes back to my old man complaint about working out in these days of information overload. Amateurs have access to all sorts of workout routines for specific sports, movements, and muscles, and adopt all sorts of specialized training techniques that don't apply to them, so you see someone with 13" biceps focusing on their traps or forearms because they saw a bodybuilder doing it on Tik-tok once. It's like tilting your head during reps because you saw Usain Bolt doing it, and not knowing he does it because he's 6'5" and used to hit his head working out in his parent's basement or something.