Back Squat PDF - UK Strength & Conditioning Association

The Back Squat Stuart Yule, BSc (Physio), ASCC Stuart Yule is the column editor for the ‘Exercise of the Month’ section. Stuart is the current English Institute of Sport Strength and Conditioning coach for Judo. He is responsible for delivering National S&C services to world class funded players acr...

The Back Squat Stuart Yule, BSc (Physio), ASCC Stuart Yule is the column editor for the ‘Exercise of the Month’ section. Stuart is the current English Institute of Sport Strength and Conditioning coach for Judo. He is responsible for delivering National S&C services to world class funded players across the UK. Stuart previously worked for the Scottish Institute of Sport, where he had the role of leading the S&C service to athletes in the West of Scotland as well as leading and coordinating S&C nationally for the Judo and Badminton programmes. Stuart is a physiotherapy graduate and his sporting background lies in Olympic Weightlifting, where he represented Scotland at two Commonwealth Games. In this, ‘exercise of the month’ article, the back squat will be discussed. It is a well established exercise in many athletes’ training programmes and is an exercise that every strength and conditioning coach should have in their armoury. The back squat is an exercise that can be used across sporting populations and can be manipulated extensively as a tool to produce your desired training response. The back squat is commonly seen in gyms and its use amongst athletes is becoming more prevalent, however there is often debate as to the correct implementation of the technique. In this article the correct and safe technique will be described. Some issues and solutions to squatting problems will be highlighted and finally the practical application and positive benefits of successful back squatting will be discussed. Overview The back squat is a knee and hip extensor exercise. The list below highlights the key muscles that are used in the correct execution of the back squat and the muscle action: • Quadriceps-knee extension • Gluteus maximus-hip extension • Gluteus medius (posterior fibres) - hip extension and lateral hip rotation • Hamstrings-hip extension • Erector spinae-spinal and pelvic stabilization • Latissimus dorsi-spinal and pelvic stabilization • Adductors (magnus, longus, brevis, minimus)-assist with hip extension and stabilization • Abdominals- spinal and pelvic stabilization Technique Technical issues Table 1 and figures 1-7 highlight a correct and safe technique, which when performed with appropriate supervision can enhance performance and aid in an injury prevention strategy. The two issues that have caused debate are the depth to which the squat should be performed and the extent to which the knees go beyond the toes. In the sporting environment it is important to provide an appropriate stimulus which will result in specific adaptations necessary to improve sporting performance. It is therefore important to consider the specificity of force and power characteristics as well as movement in the sport prior to prescribing a particular squatting technique. In dynamic sporting activities hip extension is central to explosive movement. During a full range of motion back squat, UK STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION 20 w: www.uksca.org.uk e: [email protected] the gluteus maximus, a powerful hip extensor, becomes increasingly more active, the deeper the squat is performed (Caterisna et al 2002). This highlights the importance of performing the movement, through its full range, if specific force and power characteristics are desired. Coaches will often prescribe partial squats, the rational being that the knee angle is specific to that which occurs during running. However the force and power characteristics are often neglected and the load that is required in the partial squat position to overload sprinting or jumping is substantial. Prescribing partial squats should always be carefully considered, through analysis of athlete’s training history, their ability to load through their spine and the power and force characteristics of the event/sport. These considerations will establish an understanding of the partial squat load, which is required to give an appropriate training overload, for a particular event and also the athlete’s ability to perform the exercise effectively, to have a positive transfer of training effect and avoid injury. Knee and hip/lumbar spine torque are central to the second issue. It is very common to see individuals from the health and fitness industry squatting and not allowing their knees to go beyond their toes; however is this appropriate and safe within a sports performance context? Firstly, if we merely consider the action of taking our knees past our toes. Does it happen in sport? It depends on the sport and the techniques involved, however from judo to curling, the knee is stressed in a position beyond the toes. The fact that it happens raises the questionshould we train it? Forward motion of the knees beyond the toes is dependant on squatting depth and anterior trunk inclination. Research does suggest that increasing knee extension does decrease patellofemoral and tibiofemoral compressive forces (Escamilla, 2001) and therefore by increasing the forward motion of the knees during the squat, will increase the shearing forces through the knees. If stress through the knees is to be minimized, there must be a re-distribution of the force and this occurs around the hip and lumbar spine. Due to the anterior trunk inclination, to minimize knee stress forces, excessive forces are potentially transferred through the hips and lumbar spine (Fry et al 2003), thus increasing injury potential to the lower back. With an injury free athlete, it is important therefore to apply correct technique and allow the forces to be distributed evenly through the hips and knees safely to avoid injury by allowing some anterior trunk inclination and allowing the knees to move forward in front of the toes. Figure 1. Start position Figure 2. Descent Figure 3. Descent approaching parallel position Figure 4. Descent- maintaining posture Application As has been described, the back squat is multi joint hip and knee strengthening exercise. Its use across sports and the qualities it is aiming to develop are unique to the sport and individual. Outlined below are some examples of variations that may be applied, the physical benefits at different stages of a periodised sporting plan and an example of the sports that may benefit. At all stages of training it must be emphasized that correct technique and the athletes well being is paramount. Figure 5. Descent/Ascent-loss of spinal posture UK STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION w: www.uksca.org.uk e: [email protected] 21 Table 1. Outline of back squat technique. POSITION DESCRIPTION PROBLEMS Start position (Figure 1) Hands evenly spaced shoulder width apart on bar Unable to have shoulder width Widen grip until comfortable grip due to poor shoulder external rotation Pain across neck where bar is Ensure bar is below 7th cervical vertebrae positioned Low bar-positioned below rear deltoids and upper trapezius Bar positioned just below C7 across upper trapezius and rear deltoids-high bar Descent (Figures 2-5) VARIATIONS/SOLUTIONS Athlete stands extended through Unable to hold extended spine, hips and knees-bracing position spinal musculature Ensure athlete has no spinal pathology that limits ability to extend thoracic and lumbar spine. Has ability to hold correct posture without bar or load Feet are positioned just outside Potential depth problems shoulder width with toes pointing slightly outwards Allow athlete to experiment with stance width to find a comfortable position that allows a full range of motion Athlete takes a breath in at start Unlocks hips and begins to flex at knees with a slight anterior lean with trunk Hips go behind heels and knees Unable to reach parallel and hips flexed until femur is parallel with floor Feet remain flat throughout Widen stance, point toes out slightly Heels come off floor Check ankle range of motion. Widen stance, turn feet out slightly. Raise heel of shoe (weightlifting shoe) 1. Athlete leans too far forward 2. Athlete allows lumbar spine to flex 3. Allows thoracic spine to flex 1. Widen stance, adjust load, encourage athlete to drive and extend hip 2. Ensure that athlete can posteriorly and anteriorly tilt pelvis in an unloaded situation. Adjust load and practice correct movement patterns 3. Encourage athlete to keep chest up and to keep their elbows under bar and not extend behind their body Knees deviate inwards and hips internally rotate Possible weakness in hip abductors. Increased foot pronation. Load too heavy? Single leg exercises may need to be considered in conjunction with reinforcement of squatting movement pattern Knees go beyond toes in the sagittal plane and maintain alignment over toes in the coronal plane Athlete maintains anterior trunk lean throughout motion maintaining lumbar lordosis and thoracic rigidity Ascent (Figures 5-7) Feet forcefully driven into floor Knees and hips extend Knees maintain position over toes in coronal plane Hips raise at the same tempo as Hips raise at a higher tempo bar than bar Athlete has relative weakness in hip extensors. Load is too heavy? Encourage athlete to extend at hip forcefully through sticking point Spinal curvature is maintained (rigid extended thoracic and lumbar lordosis) Load too heavy? Weakness in spinal extensors Encourage athlete to drive chest up. Lumbar and thoracic flexion Hold breath until final stages of the lift and 'brace' the trunk musculature UK STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION 22 w: www.uksca.org.uk e: [email protected] General preparation: • Leg and hip hypertrophy (sprinting, rugby, throwing..) • Leg and hip strengthening (judo, team field sports, track and field, racket sports curling…) • Rehabilitation/prehabilitation (all sports, female athletes prone to ACL/ligament ruptures) • Specific trunk strengthening (rugby-front row forwards, contact sport…) Specific preparation: • Leg and hip strengthening (track and field, rugby….) • Partial squats-overload certain weak positions specific to event/sport (throws, sprints..) • Speed squats-leg and hip power (badminton, explosive anaerobic sports…) Competition: • Strength maintenance (team/seasonal sports….) • Jump squats – power development Table 2 (below) is an example of how the back squat could be progressed in a power sport and the volume load and intensity manipulated over a mesocycle. General preparation B SL BS SL BS SL BS SL Figure 6. Ascent- foot and knee alignment Figure 7. Ascent- incorrect knee alignment (internal rotation) Specific preparation 1 Specific preparation 2 Competition BS BS BS JS BS BS BS BS PS JS PS JS PS JS JS VL I Table 2. Example of back squat volume load and intensity over a mesocycle Key: VL- back squat volume load, I-back squat intensity, BS- back squat, PS- explosive partial squat, JS-jump squat, SL- single leg squat. Acknowledgements Thank you to photographer Tommy Yule and demonstrator James Karageorgiou. References Fry AC, Smith JC and Schilling BK. Effect of knee position on hip and knee torques during the barbell squat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 17(4): 629-33, 2003. Escamilla, RF. Knee biomechanics of the dynamic squat exercise. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. 33 (1): 127-141, 2001. Caterisano A, Moss RF, Pellinger TK, woodruff K, Lewis VC, Booth W, Khadra T. The effect of back squat depth on the EMG activity of 4 superficial hip and thigh muscles. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 16(3):428-32, 2002. UK STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION w: www.uksca.org.uk e: [email protected] 23