Adarq.org

Awesome thread idea!!! 

You should also make one discussing high bar vs low bar squatting.
And another one about squats making you slow. And weights vs plyos!

I agree with most things here, it is just a topic that has been over-analyzed.
Imho, the supra-maximal half squat(HS) is more GPP than SPP. And all rules that apply to supramax partials apply here too, it is that simple.
But there are the sub-max explosive variations, those are more 'jump-specific'. I will agree with you that absorbing the landing of a depth jump(DJ) is both more specific AND more 'heavy' than a HS, given the short time window you have to absorb the forces of the DJ. I will take it a step further and say that maybe the DJ is heavier by terms of load too, regardless the speed: If i remember correctly landing from 1m equals above 3 times your BW , so the equivalent load for a HS would be over 2*BW. No references or accurate numbers here, just rough approximations to give a sense of what we are talking about.
The concentric part of the HS is nor replicated in the DJ though. The DJ is an unweighted jump, while in the HS you still have the bar on your way up. But again the DJ is faster. So it is not about choosing DJ or HS, they are both very useful tools, the way i see it DJ is more speed-strength, HS is more strength-speed.
Another factor to consider ( and that is where adarqui's 3*BW chasing comes in ) is that some people have issues with full squats. Adarqui is one of them, whenever he tried going heavy on fulls he kept injuring his hip, that is why he changed to halves. But now we are talking GPP. Regarding GPP, kellyb also favors the full over half squat:

http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/squatdepth.html

I typically don't recommend half squats except for specific phases where the use of partials can be used to peak out strength. In my experience the average trainee who switches from half squat to legal depth squats will gain a near immediate 2-3 inches of vertical jump increase just by taking their squats thru a fuller range of motion, even with a significant lesser load. As a personal example when I first began training seriously I trained for a good 3-4 years performing half squats because I didn't know any better and half squats are what we were taught in school. When I learned what a legal squat was my poundages went all the way from around 300 down to around 185, BUT despite the significantly lesser weights I started making really good vert gains and gained quite a bit of muscle on my thighs. I've seen the same thing happen in countless other trainees.

But he also mentions there are exceptions:

However, SOME people can't achieve legal depth without their lower back rounding no matter what they do. Many tall people fit the bill here. These people shouldn't push the issue. Just squat to whatever depth you can while maintaining your natural arch.

If you ask me, and i have been a GPP-half-squatter for a long time, the best bet is to use full squat for GPP , DJ for RFD and HS at limited time periods for peaking.

2c

Yeah but my point was that you don't "need" to use the half squat AT ALL.

Agreed. Maybe you could earn a thing or two from them but there are other ways to get them too.

If you have problems full squatting, it's better to discover what your mobility issues are and solve them, instead of giving up and saying "full squatting is not for me" IMO. A butt wink usually means the lack of foot dorsiflexion. You can also experiment with different stance widths, low or high bar and so on.

Mostly agree. There are just some people that still can't full squat well, or others that might prefer going a few inches higher ( i am talking just above parallel half squats, not 1/4 ) , it is much more convenient than an endless fight with stances, mobilities, plus a a big compromise on the load. But i am with you, 'i cant full squat' is the easy answer, even if you choose halves as your GPP in the first place, you should at the same time keep researching why you cant full squat and try to resolve it.

And yeah, the point about having the bar still on your back on the concentric phase is a good one. But the question is - do you need that?

The answer here is yes. It is speed-strength or strength-speed training. Again, it does not have to be the half squat itself. Hill sprints, sled drags, jump squats, box squats, cleans, snatches, push-presses, power-jumper, vest jumps and so on, endless possibilities to pick from, depending on the ratio between strength and speed you are targeting. Which to choose, for what purposes, with what timing / frequency / intensity / volume, i don't know. But do you need to train with fast resisted concentric? No doubt yes!

Highly overlooked cause of buttwink:

poor glute flexibility.

I mean, the jump is a quick snap of "strength" or tension generation and then there's relaxation to allow the movement to take place. So, if that is the case - then you'd be better saved with a general muscle building exercise (full squat) and a very specific jumping exercise (depth jump for overload, or jumps to rim for maximum specificity).

Kellyb agrees with that, he says that squats and jumps are enough. I agree too. If i had to choose only 2 things to do, it would be one thing at the far edge of strength and one at the far edge of speed, which would be >85% full squats and RVJs. But why choose only two? I am not arguing, i am agreeing, i am just saying that it is even better if you also choose an extra "in between" exercise, in the middle of the speed-strength spectrum. Or 2, or 3, it is like sampling, the more the better.
Also, one could say that maybe besides the actual jumping that you MUST do since this is what you are training for, the actual movement, maybe you should better do one thing that combines both, in the middle of the spectrum. So, for example, do 60% 1RM explosive squats. And although i disagree with that approach, i can't find a good argument to contradict it.
The only thing i can say is, again, why to have to choose one thing and not do many to cover all aspects?

Really? Did you just render ALL 'intermediate' speed-strength and strength-speed training invalid???

Maybe. Maybe that increased TUT in the half squat allows enough time for the lesser explosive guys to actually turn on and recruit muscle fibers better. So I guess the transition towards more specificity from the general full squat COULD be applied with half squats while at the same time getting some additional specificity bonuses.