So, why is this picture on the TBB blog? Well, AJ is a friend and someone I have known since he was a kid. His progress is remarkable and he has trained with the best, both Brent Mikesell, King of Squats, and more recently Westside Barbell.
The other part of this is that AJs lift has been called into question by some unruly internet denizens. Not being at the meet, this is the closest I can come to seeing it. What you think of this lift, in particular the depth, will say a lot about where you should be competing.
Personally, I think this is a solid squat for the organization(s) we choose to compete in. It is not blatantly high where you can look at this picture and say: "What a travesty", nor is it two inches below parallel, which quite frankly is not necessary and probably impossible in properly supportive gear. Could this lift go either way? Probably. However, 3 judges gave it white lights and we as outsiders need to respect this.
If you are amongst those who feel that it is not convincing enough and that a lifter should have to go deeper, you probably need to evaluate where you choose to lift. There are organizations that certainly will not pass this. Do you want to lift there? That is fine, and this is a personal decision, but you should realize that the majority of guys who compete multiply are just fine with this and the benefit going to the lifter. Many of us go to meets, put huge weights on our backs and in our hands and know we are rolling the dice (both with our health and with the judges BTW). It is a part of the way we train to move the biggest weights possible. Sometimes things go our way. Sometimes they don't. We don't cry about it when they don't, nor should we malign others if they get a break.
In closing, great job AJ, Billy, Rich, Zane, and others whom with I am friends on Outlaws.
-TF
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