The Process of the Squat

Dominic Esposito

Introduction The average extent of the general publics knowledge of squats is that they use the legs. What does this even mean though? Could it be that squats use more than just the legs? The answer is yes. Squats are a very functional and natural human movement, which involves muscles from the entire body. With this being said, this document will explain the process of a squat and how the muscles are able to perform the movement. The squat is broken down into five parts: The starting position The descending position The bottom position The ascending position The ending position. Before these parts are explained, a few basic muscle groups and their actions need to be discussed. Basic Muscular Anatomy and Muscular Actions Squats require a great deal of movement throughout the whole body to perform. A brief description of some the anatomical movements and their movers are: Knee Extension: Straightening of the lower leg so that the lower portion of the leg moves away from the back of the thigh. The Quadriceps (Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis, and Vastus Intermedius) muscles function is knee extension. These muscles are highlighted in yellow in the chart on page 4 (except for the Vastus Intermedius, which lies under the Rectus Femoris).

Knee Flexion: Bending of the lower leg so that the lower leg moves toward the back of the thigh. The Hamstrings (Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus, Bicep Femoris), Calf (Gastrocnemius), Gracilis and the Sartorius are the main knee flexors. These muscles can be located in the chart highlighted in green.

Hip Flexion: Movement of the thigh towards the front of the body about the hip joint. The muscles that cause hip flexion include the Rectus Femoris, Sartorius, Gracilis, Tensor Fasciae Latae, Psoas, Illiacus, Pectineus, Adductor Longus, and Adductor Brevis. These muscles are highlighted in red on the anatomy chart. The Adductor Longus, Adductor Brevis, Psoas, and Illiacus are all deep muscles and do not show up on the anatomical chart on page 4. At the bottom of this page is a chart of the deep muscles of the hip and lower back.

Hip Extension: Movement of the thigh towards the back of the body about the hip joint. The main hip extensors are the Hamstrings, and the Gluteus Maximus. These muscles are highlighted in blue on the anatomy chart.

These four movements are the main movements used in a squat. There are many other muscles used during the squat, such as the core muscles, which work to stabilize the body. Many of the muscles previously stated are core muscles, such as Psoas, Gluteus Maximus, etc.

Basic Anatomical Muscular Chart *

Knee Extensor Knee Flexor Hip Flexor Hip Extensor

* The Rectus Femoris, Sartorius, Gracilis, and the Hamstrings serve multiple functions. They are highlighted in several colors to represent this.

The Squatting Process

1. Starting Position

The starting position for a squat is in the upright standing position, this allows for optimal stability. At this point and in every other point in the lift, the core muscles as well as the knee, ankle, shoulders, and elbows will be used for stability so that the weight is able to stay firmly on the lifters shoulders. 2. Descending Position

The descending portion of the squat involves hip and knee extension and flexion to provide stabilization. The knee extensors and flexors both contract to allow for a controlled descent of the weight and body. The hip flexors also activate to control the descent of the weight and to assist the body in being in a natural position. The hip extensors also contracted to allow for increased stability of the back and hips. The core muscles also contract to increase stability and to protect the spine from injury.

3. Bottom Position

During the seated or bottom position of the squat, the hip joint is lower then the knees as seen in the illustration above. This forces the hip extensors to activate more since they are becoming lengthened, and allowing them to provide more stabilization. The knee extensors, flexors, and hip flexors are all also contracting to allow for a stable, seated position. 4. Ascending Position

From the seated position, the lifter must overcome the force of gravity to push the weight and upward. The knee extensors pull on the lower leg so that the thigh is able to move out of the seated position and the lifter is than able to begin to stand up. It can be seen that the lower leg is moving away from the body just like the illustration of knee extension on page 1. The hip extensors also pull on the thighs to allow the hip and back to come to a more erect position. This is also seen on page 1 where the thigh moves away from the body. Consequently though, since the hip flexors and knee flexors are still contracting for stability and since the seated position forces the lifter in a forward hip position, the extensors must overcome the flexors in order to properly erect the body. The core muscles continue to contract during all of this as well.

5. Ending Position

The squat ends in the same position as the exercise started. The core muscles are contracting for stability of the hip and spine. Conclusion Squats are a more complex movement than most people understand. Knee and hip flexion and extension are involved in order to move the body through a squat. The squat starts off in the standing position where the core muscles as well as many other joints in the body remain in a stable position. The individual then moves to the descending position where the knee and hip extensors and flexors contract to allow for a controlled descent. After the descent is completed, the lifter goes into the seated position where the flexors and extensors contract for optimal stability. The lifter then contracts the knee and hip flexors and extensors to contract to push the body upwards. The lifter ends in the standing position where the core muscles are constantly contracting to allow for a stable hip and spine.

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