EverythingYouAlwaysWantedtoKnowAbout

theSquatButWereAfraidtoAsk
BradSchoenfeld,MSc,CSCS,CSPS,NSCACPT

WhySquat?
Kingofallexercises!
Highlyfunctional
ADLs
Athletics

Over200musclesactivated
Metabolicbenefits
Hypertrophy

HipJoint:FunctionalAnatomy
Ballandsocketjoint
Freelymobileinallthree
planesofmovement
Flexionandextensionin
thesagittal plane,
Abductionandadduction
inthefrontalplane
Internal/externalrotation
inthetransverseplane

HipTorqueDuringSquatting

Hipextensiontorques
increaseinconjunctionwith
increasesinhipflexionto
approximatelyaparallel
position

Forwardleanispositively
correlatedtoincreasedforces
aboutthehipjoint

HipMusculatureDuringSquatting
Activityofthegluteus
maximus exhibitsa
positiverelationship
withsquatdepth
Hamstringsonly
moderatelyactive
duringthesquatand
relativelyunaffected
bysquatdepth

KneeJoint:FunctionalAnatomy
Tibiofemoral joint
Modifiedhingejoint
Smallamountofaxialrotation
presentduringdynamic
movement

Patellofemoral joint
Glidingjoint
Providesadditionalmechanical
leverageinextension
Reduceswearonthequadriceps
andpatellartendonsfromfriction

ForcesActingattheKnee
Compression
Forceapplied
longitudinally
(squeezingforce)
Moreeasilyhandled
thanotherforces

CompressiveForcesattheKnee
Bothtibiofemoral and
patellofemoral
compressionhasbeen
showntoincreasewith
increasingkneeangle.

Theseforcesthoughttoprovidea
protectivefunctionatkneeby
initiatingacocontractionbetween
quadsandhamsandthus
protectingagainstexcessiveshear.
Menisciandarticular cartilage
undergreateststressathigh
compression

ForcesActingattheKnee
Shear
Forceappliedperpendicularto
longaxis
Notwellhandledbysofttissue
structures
Cruciate ligamentsmost
affectedbyshear

Twomainshearforces
duringsquat:
Anteriorshear
Posteriorshear

AnteriorShearForcesattheKnee

Maximumanteriorshear
forcesduringthesquat
tendtooccurwithinthe
first60degreesofknee
flexion
TheACLprovides
approximately86%ofthe
restrainingforceagainst
anteriorshear

PosteriorShearForcesattheKnee

Posteriorshearbegins
tomanifestatabout30
degreesofflexion,
reachingapproximately
90degrees.
ThePCLexertsthe
primaryrestraintagainst
posteriorshear

KneeMusculatureDuringSquatting
Quadricepsactivitytendsto
peakatapproximately80to90
degreesofflexion,remaining
relativelyconstantthereafter.
Suggestssquattingpast90
degreesmightnotresultin
furtherenhancementsin
quadricepsdevelopment.

Vasti musclesabout50%more
activethantherectusfemoris

AnkleJoint:FunctionalAnatomy
Theanklecomplexiscomprised
ofthetalocrural and
talocalcaneal joints.
Duringsquatperformance,the
talocrural jointfacilitates
movementthroughtheactions
ofdorsiflexion andplantar
flexionwhiletheprimaryaction
atthesubtalar jointisto
maintainposturalstabilityand
limiteversion/inversionatthe
foot.

AnkleMusculatureDuringSquatting
Thegastrocnemius shows
onlymoderatelevelsof
activationduringsquatting
Soleus ismoreactivethan
thegastrocnemius when
squattingathighdegrees
offlexion.
Plantarflexors more
sensitivetosquatloadthan
todepth

Spine:FunctionalAnatomy
Glidingjointmultiplejoints
thatinteractwithoneanother
24vertebrae7cervical,12
thoracic,5lumbar
Bottomportionconsistsof
sacrum(5fusedvertebrae)and
coccyx(4fusedvertebraetail)
Startssmallontopandgets
progressivelybiggeronbottom
Supportmoreweight
Providelargerbaseformuscle
attachment

DiscFunction
Theintervertebral discs
formcartilaginousjoints
betweenadjacent
vertebrae
Stabilizethespineby
anchoringthevertebraeto
oneanother
Facilitatemultiplanar
spinalmovementandhelp
absorbvertebralshock

DiscAnatomy
Discsarecomprisedofthreedistinctportions:an
outerlayerannularfibrosus,acentralnucleus
pulposus,andtwohyalinecartilageendplates.
Theannulusservestoresistoutwardpressureduring
axialcompression,stabilizethevertebraljointduring
motionandcontaintheinnernucleus
Thenucleusfunctionsasa"waterpillow,"helpingto
cushionthevertebraefromaxialloadsanddistribute
pressuresuniformlyoveradjacentvertebralendplates.
Theendplatesservetopreventthenucleusfrom
protrudingintoadjacentvertebraeaswellashelpingto
absorbhydrostaticpressurecausedbyspinalloading
andallowingfornutrientdiffusion

DiscsIllustrated

SpinalForcesDuringSquatting
Squattingwithflexedlumbarspinedecreasesthemoment
armforthelumbarerectorspinae,reducestoleranceto
compressiveload,andresultsinatransferoftheloadfrom
musclestopassivetissues,heighteningtheriskofdisc
herniation
Squattingwith2degreeincreaseinextensionfromneutral
positionheightenscompressiveforcesintheposterior
annulusbyaclinicallymeaningfulaverageof16%
Propersquattechniquerequiresarigidspinethat
eliminatesanyplanarmotion.
Ensuresastable,uprightpostureismaintainedthroughout
movement
Increasingintraabdominalpressuremayservetofurther
alleviatevertebralforces.

SpinalMusculatureDuringSquatting
Thelumbarerectorspinae
(e.g.iliocostalis lumborum,
etc)areparticularly
importantduringthesquat
astheyhelptoresist
vertebralshearand
maintainanteroposterior
spinalintegrity,providing
thegreatestcontributionto
spinalstabilization
Weakerectorscanlimit
squatstrength

SpinalMusculatureDuringSquatting
Thebacksquat
involvessignificant
staticrecruitmentof
theanteriorcore
musculature
Greaterrectus
abdominisactivitythan
thetraditionalplank

SafetyofDeepSquats
StudybyKleinatUniversity
ofTexasintheearly60s
showeddeepsquatscaused
laxityinthecollateraland
anteriorcruciate ligaments,
predisposingthemtoinjury.
In1962,theAMAcameout
againstanydeepknee
exercises,citingtheir
"potentialforsevereinjury
totheinternaland
supportingstructuresofthe
kneejoint."

FollowUpStudies
SubsequentstudiesreplicatingKleinsprotocol
didnotfindreducedstabilityinweightlifters
ForcesonACLandPCLactuallyreducedathigh
flexionangles
Kneestructureshighlyconstrainedatanglesgreater
than120degrees
Shearforcesreduced
Muchlessanteriorandposteriortibial translationand
tibial rotation
Betterstabilityandgreatertolerancetoload.

HowLowShouldYouGo?
Athletics
Hypertrophy
ADLs

DeepSquats:Contraindications
Greatestriskofinjuryaretomenisciandarticular
cartilage
Underincreasedstressathighflexionanglesdue
togreatercompression.
Maybeincreasedsusceptibilitytopatellofemoral
degenerationduetostressfromcontactofunderside
ofthepatellawitharticulatingaspectoffemur.
Femoroacetabular impingementreducesROMathip
Essentialtoconsideranindividualspathologic
conditionindeterminingoptimalsquatdepth.

KneesOverToes?

Fry,etal.had7recreationallytrained
malesperformthreeunrestricted
squatliftsandthreerestrictedlifts
whereawoodenboardwasplaced
immediatelyinfrontofbothfeetso
thatthekneeswerepreventedfrom
movingforwardpastthetoes.
Kneetorqueincreasedfrom~117vs
~150Nmintheunrestrictedsquat.
Hiptorquewasincreasedduring
restrictedsquatting(~303vs ~28Nm)
Greaterforwardleaninrestricted
squatsresultinincreaseshearforces
atthelumbarspine.

Gaze
Downwardgazeshowntoincrease
trunkflexionby4.5degreesandhip
flexionbyapproximately8degrees
comparedtoastraightaheador
upwardgaze
Giventhatexcessivetrunkandhip
flexioncanplaceexcessivetorqueon
thevertebralcolumn,thissuggestsit
isbeneficialtomaintaineithera
straightaheadorupwardgazeduring
performance.

BarPosition
HighBarSquat
Greaterkneeextensortorqueand
lesshipextensortorquevs lowbar

LowBarSquat
Greaterhipextensortorqueand
lesskneeextensortorquevs high
bar

FrontSquat
Lowermaximaljointcompressive
forcesatthekneeaswellas
reducedlumbarstressascompared
tobacksquats
Maytargetthequadricepstoa
greaterdegreethanbacksquats

FootPlacement
Narrowstance(87to118%ofshoulderwidth)
Greatergastroc activity
Increasesforwardkneetranslationby5cm(shear)

Widestance(158to196%ofshoulderwidth)
Greatergluteues maximus,hamstringsandadductor
activity
Increasescompressionforcesby~15%

Footposition(hip/tibial rotation)
Greateradductoractivation
Kneesshouldtrackinlinewithtoes

ForFurtherReading

QuestionandAnswer
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