Squats Analysis

Improvements in barbell back squatting have been correlated with athletic movements requiring explosive power, like sprinting.

About:
Squats are often a center piece in a weight training program to enhance performance in sports. These closed chain multi-joint movements primarily utilizing muscles of the thigh, hip, and back. Beyond the weight room squatting is a highly functional movement that is essential for activities of daily living, for example, going up and down stairs and sitting and standing from a chair. Measured peak force and rate of force development are well established to correlate with sporting events require high power output. Moreover, lower body strength as been show to be highly related to increased longevity, making squats not only essential for sports but over all health and wellness.

The coordination pattern of a squat can be described as a controlled lowering and raising of the body center of mass by a sequence of flexion and extension at the ankle, knee, and hip. The figure shows the eccentric phase of the squat, where the hip, knee, and ankle flex until the COM has reached a minimum. Despite persistent recommendations about how squats should be performed (e.g., foot placement, stance width, knee displacement, etc.), there is considerable variation in joint kinematics and neuromuscular coordination even among experienced lifters. Meaning technique should be individualized to ensure appropriate loading of the joints and minimize injury risk.

References:
[1] Kim, Y. (2025). Inter-subject variability in muscle synergies during squatting movements. Human Movement Science, 99, 103322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2025.103322
[2] Kristiansen, M., Rasmussen, G. H. F., Sloth, M. E., & Voigt, M. (2019). Inter- and intra-individual variability in the kinematics of the back squat. Human Movement Science, 67, 102510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2019.102510
[3] Lorenzetti, S., Ostermann, M., Zeidler, F., Zimmer, P., Jentsch, L., List, R., Taylor, W. R., & Schellenberg, F. (2018). How to squat? Effects of various stance widths, foot placement angles and level of experience on knee, hip and trunk motion and loading. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 10(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-018-0103-7
[4] Sato, Y., Nagasaki, H., & Yamada, N. (2016). Joint Coordination Organizes to Form the Task-Dependent Trajectory of the Body Center of Mass. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 06(01), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.4236/jbbs.2016.61001
[5] Straub, R. K., & Powers, C. M. (2024). A Biomechanical Review of the Squat Exercise: Implications for Clinical Practice. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.94600