hitting depth

Definition

In powerlifting, squatting low enough that the hip crease drops below the top of the knee, the difference between a white light and public humiliation at a meet.

Example Usage

Video check confirmed I wasn't hitting depth on my squats—time to swallow my pride and drop the weight.

Origin

Powerlifting competition standards, codified in the 1970s

Fun Fact

Arguments about squat depth have ended more gym friendships than political discussions, with slow-motion video analysis now serving as the ultimate truth revealer.

Source: Powerlifting terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

transformer legs

Legs that pull off the ultimate deceptive maneuver by looking unimpressive at rest but transforming into sculpted muscle columns the moment they're flexed. Like shape-shifting robots, these calves and thighs have more than meets the eye—literally a case of Autobots versus Flab-icons.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Intermediate

metabolic conditioning

Training designed to improve the efficiency of energy systems through high-intensity work with short rest. CrossFit's academic-sounding justification for making you do burpees until you see the light.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Advanced

CNS fatigue

Central Nervous System exhaustion from prolonged high-intensity training, distinct from muscular fatigue. When your brain taps out before your muscles, explaining why you feel like a zombie after heavy squats.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

banded work

Exercises utilizing resistance bands to provide variable tension throughout the range of motion, accommodating the strength curve. Popular for warm-ups, activation work, and pretending you're working out while traveling.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Advanced

Tempo

The speed at which you perform each phase of a lift, turning a simple bicep curl into a mathematical equation involving seconds, phases, and existential patience. Slow tempo means the weight feels three times heavier and the set lasts approximately forever.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Beginner

curl bro

A gym-goer who disproportionately emphasizes arm training over compound movements and leg day, typically found monopolizing the dumbbell rack while their chicken legs tell their own story.

⚽ Sports / Fitness

Translate This Term

See “hitting depth” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

What the heckpoint

A check point that occurs in a bad place in a video game, forcing you to start over and over in the bad place, not being...