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Both my knees have been shaky in the midrange squat position, just as I start to descend and until I get below parallel. They were feeling strained and weak in the dip before any jumps and while I would climb stairs. Even getting into a quarter squat position to deadlift was uncomfortable. I could squat fine, but my the knees themselves just didn't seem to be getting any more solid.

Since I was weak in the half and quarter squat positions, I figured I'd get strong in exactly those positions. I started doing heavy ass quarter squats to pins with knees way over toes. Escalating sets of five. Not to up my squat, but to condition my knee joints.

We're cautioned to avoid that movement and that position with load, but it did the trick. Knees snapped right back into shape. The effect was as immediate as when I started PVC pipe rolling my quads and IT band. Immediate improvement in function. This won't up my squat directly, but I suspect it will stop knee weakness from holding me back.

Interesting to note: the effusion I usually suffer from squatting is staying away since I did those heavy quarter squats.

very interesting. wonder how much of the effect is acute and how much is really lasting.

are you going to incorporate them into training from now on? if yes, how? or was it a one-and-done thing?

The extremely quick effects tell me it's neural, but there may be some longer lasting benefit to the connective tissue and joint structure itself. I see no reason not to keep these as pre-hab along with high rep leg curls (which Lance recommended for beat up knees).

I want to experiment with progressive movement training, doing this partial work after the volume work with full squats, and working down an inch every month or so while lowering the load. This may carry over to the full movement. At the very least it will get my knees and quads strong so they are no longer a weak link in my full squat.

I built my squat strength low bar style and I think that left a lot of quad/knee development out. Partial work like this may be helping to address an imbalance that is now showing up as I switched to a more quad-dominant style of squatting.