Movement Analysis of the Back Squat
Analyzing the Movement as a WholeThe Back Squat – The Technique
U
sing a squat rack or Smith machine, the bar should rest on
the shoulder blades, off the notch of the neck. Grasp the
bar with your palms fac-
ing forward about 10-15 cm
outside of your shoulders.
Stand with a neutral spine
and feet shoulder-width apart
with your toes pointed out at
approximately 30 degrees.
Slowly start the descent
with the hips back, keeping
the weight centered over
the heels or mid foot. Lower
the body to approximately
90 degrees of knee flexion.
Pause, and then slowly re-
turn to the starting point.Some training points to em-
phasize:
• Do not allow the Scapu-
lae to protract
• Rest the barbell on the up-
per back, not on the cervi-
cal spine, especially C7
• Avoid the use of a block
or board under the heels
• Maintain a neutral spine
throughout the exercise
• Try to keep the head look-
ing straight ahead, not tilted up to the ceiling
• Avoid any excessive forward lean of the trunk during the de-
scent
• Knees should track over the second toe during the descent
• Bring the thighs down to a maximum of parallel to the ground,
only moving the hips lower when training for more advanced
sport
• Do not lock the knees at the top of the movement
• Adequate flexibility of the shoulder into lateral rotation is re-
quired to be able to firmly hold the bar in place
• Trainers should watch for lateral deviation of the hips
• Trainers should watch for pronation of the anklesBack SquatChapter 5 Biomechanics and Applied Kinesiology
Sample Pages PDF Extract
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