So.. I went and did some searching myself:
"Quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius activity generally increased as knee flexion increased, which supports athletes with healthy knees performing the parallel squat (thighs parallel to ground at maximum knee flexion) between 0 and 100° knee flexion. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the parallel squat was not injurious to the healthy knee."
http://journals.lww....p;type=abstract
"We conclude that knee joint load can be limited by doing parallel instead of deep squats and that this will not decrease quadriceps muscle activity. To limit hip moment, the squat should not be deeper than 90°."
http://linkinghub.el...268003301000171
This all supports what Rippetoe says about getting parallel.
Well good luck to them in developing a good quads by parallel (as it supposedly "does not decrease quadriceps activity"). The actual feeling is a day and night, the pump, etc... And you actually keep your knee joint in permanent tension with parallel/above parallel, though when u go deep - the dynamics changes, but u must be sure not to "rest" on your hams when down. Keep the steady control all the way down and then explode at the bottom from your heels, glutes.
Training for strenght with just parallel is a nonsense, unless u incorporate them here and there, or something like one leg squats, etc.. Anybody who'd feel strong on parallel squats would get smashed by somebody who goes all the way down, as powerlifters do in competitions.
Not goind deep on squats is the same as working your chest in the upper quarter of rom. U just wont "fire off" all the fibers no matter what..
Did some squats today actually. 220lbx10 x 4, all the way down. Then jumped on leg press 600lbx8 x3. feels awesome. Quarter squats I did a few years ago looks like a joke now.
Edited by VidX, 28 August 2009 - 11:01 PM.