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The Squat is undoubtedly the best exercise for the legs and the trunk even though it has bad reputation in causing injuries on the back (more commonly) and the knees, this is generally urban myths spread by those who never knew how to do the movement correctly and over time created injuries after injuries. It is quite common to know someone who squats with a considerable weight constantly complaining about their knees. Usually the damage is done when the squat is not full. Partial squats can create tendinitis and give a false illusion that we can lift more weight, this is also the most usual way to injure the lower back. The squat works in the hips, hamstrings, upper and lower back, shoulders, arms, thighs, front and side abdominals in isometric form.
This article is focused on the correct implementation of the squat movement and complementary exercises that can be done in order to improve the technique. These exercises should be performed by beginners and sporadically by experienced lifters.
The benefits of the squat are the secretion of growth hormone, testerone and high nervous system shock. It is normal in athletes with ages in the age range of 18-24 to feel a strong stimulus in libido after a hard session of squat.
The equipment required to perform the squat are: an olympic bar preferably as they are long and good for maintaining a stable center of gravity preventing oscillations of the torso [2,6] To give more security to the movement the lifter should additionally use a belt with no preference as to the type and some large bandages for the knees. [4,5,7]
Note : The use of bandages only increases the level of security that the exercise can be done and should not be used as motivation to lift heavier weights. Also, they should be wrapped a bit tightly.
The squat should never be done alone and you should always use the help of spotters, ideally one on each side that will sustain the total weight of the bar and plates in the case of a sudden move made by the lifter. This type of aid is particularly used in competition where there is more chance that the bar can be unstable.
The movement must be done balancing around the hips and knees using the muscles biomechanicaly as they are supose to. Never give many steps when taking the bar of the rack support to the initial position of the exercise. Never start the exercise by taking the bar in the direction forward to the rack, the bar must always be taken back from the rack.
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The best way to squat is with the spine in a normal neutral position, not strictly vertical compared the floor. The objective is to also keep the head in a neutral position, parallel to the torso, so as not to make much pressure in the cervical spine. The angle of the feet should be 30º from outwards the center and is very important because it will reflect itself in the capacity in which the torso will go deeper causing more stress on the hamstrings wich is what we want. During the exercise is essential that the bar is placed on the posterior deltoids and not on the trapezius as it is more common to see. By placing the bar in the posterior deltoids we are removing weight from the most fragile part of the back, the cervical spine and instead we use a center of gravity that reduces the pressure on the spine in 21% [1,2]. The bar on posterior deltoides also cause less rotation in the lower back.
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The more the hands are positioned inside of the bar the more pressure will be made in the internal muscles of the torso and not directly on the bones.
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The thumb should be above the bar (see next image) to ensure that the wrist is perfectly aligned with the arm, thus avoiding pressuring the wrist and lifting the weights with the arms.
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The correct position for the knees is slightly ahead of the feet, depending on the anatomy of each athlete.
Initial Movement Stage (before going all way down)The correct position of the chest is outwards forcing the stress to be done on the hamstrings and in the glutes. When the knees move forward is a sign that the hamstrings are relaxed, this can be a serious problem particularly in athletes with some years of training already, what happens is that when this position of the knees is taken it will be maintained throughout the movement.
Intermidiate Movement Stage (bottom)The lowest point of the movement is reached when the top of the thigh is below the level of the knees. When the movement is well done there is a full flexion of the hips and the hamstrings are completely stretched. The level of security in the joints depends on the speed of the movement, is ideal to not go very fast nor very slow thus causing stretch reflex that gives more momentum upwards. Stretch reflex is a biomechanical feature of the human body that can be amplified by the use of some bandages. A nice tip to beginners with little elasticity to achieve the bottom position more easily is to place a stick under the heels.
One way to injure your knees is when we are at the bottom position and relaxe the hamstrings which result in the moviment of the knees forward making it more dificult to bring the weight all way up again, this happens more commonly in the last reps of the set.
Final Movement Stage (back up again)Because the discs are designed to accommodate the spine in a position slightly arched and natural, the better area to support the bar is the area of the kyphosis lardosis.
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At the end of the movement the bar should be placed on support of the rack walking normally until hitting the rack and only then lowering the bar vertically.
Additional InformationA good method to train the correct way to squat is to train the squat near a wall so that the heads and the knees never touch the wall, a front Wall Squat kind of exercise.
References
[1] - Mark Rippetoe - Starting Strength, 2006
[2] - Lander JE, Bates BT, Devita P - Biomechanics of the squat exercise using a modified center of mass bar, Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1986.
[3] - Capozzo A, Felici F, Figura F, Gazzani F - Lumbar spine loading during half-squat exercises, Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1985.
[4] - McGill SM, Norman RW, Sharratt MT - The effect of an abdominal belt on trunk muscle activity and intra-abdominal pressure during squat lifts, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. 1990.
[5] - Lander JE, Simonton RL, Giacobbe JK - The effectiveness of weight-belts during the squat exercise, Department of Health and Human Performance, Auburn University, AL 36849-5323, 1990.
[6] - Potvin JR, McGill SM, Norman RW - Trunk muscle and lumbar ligament contributions to dynamic lifts with varying degrees of trunk flexion, Department of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. 1991.
[7] - Lander JE, Hundley JR, Simonton RL - The effectiveness of weight-belts during multiple repetitions of the squat exercise, Department of Sports Health Science, Life College, Marietta, GA 30060 , 1992.
[8] - Dolan P, Earley M, Adams MA - Bending and compressive stresses acting on the lumbar spine during lifting activities, University of Bristol, U.K. 1994.
[9] - Warren LP, Appling S, Oladehin A, Griffin J - Effect of soft lumbar support belt on abdominal oblique muscle activity in nonimpaired adults during squat lifting, Department of Allied Health, Chattanooga State Technical Community College, Tenn, USA, 2001.
[10] - Giorcelli RJ, Hughes RE, Wassell JT, Hsiao H - The effect of wearing a back belt on spine kinematics during asymmetric lifting of large and small boxes, Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, USA, 2001.
[11] - Anderson K, Behm DG - Trunk muscle activity increases with unstable squat movements, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1C 5S7, 2005.
[12] - Bazrgari B, Shirazi-Adl A - Spinal stability and role of passive stiffness in dynamic squat and stoop lifts, Division of Applied Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, Québec, Canada, 2007
