Question

Analyze squatting by biomechanical factors broken down into skill, anatomical/performance factors, potential injuries, and equipment/environmental influences and determine the most important one. Analysis of ankle, knee, and hip joints as far as joint action, musculature, and muscle action while squatting.

Answer 1

The squat exercise exist to maximize 1 repetition maximum (1RM) potential, such as using an excessively wide stance with a toe out posture. This posture reduces the amount of hip and knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion needed to reach full depth. While from a biomechanical perspective this variation enables the lifter to complete the exercise with higher loads because range of motion is reduced.

Hip Flexion: Decreasing the angle between the femur (thigh) and pelvis. This occurs from a standing position when a person elevates their knee toward their abdomen (femoral-on-pelvic hip rotation) or when bending forward from the trunk, as if touching their toes (pelvic-on-femoral rotation).

Knee Flexion: Decreasing the angle between the lower leg (tibia, fibula) and femur. This occurs when a person bends their knee, bringing their heel closer to their thigh or butt.

Ankle Dorsiflexion: Flexion at the ankle in which the top of the foot (dorsal) is brought closer towards the shin.

The barbell squat is a compound, multi-joint exercise designed to target many muscles of the lower body and lumbo-pelvic-hip complex (pelvis, low-back, and abdominals). The primary joint actions that occur during the squat include:

Eccentric (lowering) Phase

• Hip flexion
• Knee flexion
• Ankle dorsiflexion

Concentric (lifting) Phase

• Hip extension
• Knee extension
• Ankle plantarflexion

Agonists	Gluteus Maximus (largest butt muscle) Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis oblique, vastus intermedius (quadriceps)
Synergists	Biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus (hamstrings) Erector spinae (muscles along the spine and back) Adductor magnus: posterior fibers (inner thigh muscle) Gastrocnemius, soleus (calves)
Stabilizers	Transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal oblique, pelvic floor (deep abdominal muscles, close to the spine) Rectus abdominis (six-pack abdominal muscle) External obliques (love-handle muscles)