![]() ![]() Lean too far forward, and you might end up kissing the floor. The forward lean of the torso is particularly important for stability during squat and impact the workload of the erector spinal muscles. In 2017, a study done by Fuglsang, Telling and Sørensen (1), revealed that the total range of movement available in ankle dorsiflexion was more relevant to the angle of your trunk leaning forward during squat than the ratios of your limbs relative to your torso. Therefore, here are a few ways it can help you. This is the flexion movement of the ankle and it is a crucial factor in the mechanics of the body during the squat movement. It is the same movement as when you bring your toes and the front of your foot up off the floor when your heel is still on the ground. When you squat down, your ankle forms a sharper angle with your foot and shin. So, during extension (aka plantar flexion), your ankle forms a more open angle. This happens when you point the toes, like a ballet dancer, or when you push your heel off the floor while walking. ![]() The extension, to make matters more confusing, is called plantar flexion. ![]() While this topic goes quite deep and covers a lot of aspects, let us look at ankle mobility in the case of squat as an example of this phenomenon.įirst, let us define a few key terms. Increasing mobility will affect the outcome of both the exercise form and performance and can help in injury prevention. And what scientists have found is a nightmare for most athletes: yes, the dreaded M-word. There are ways to at least partially work around this. However, recent studies have shown that this is not necessarily as set in stone as was once thought. So, the length of the levers (aka, the limbs) certainly affects the way one squats and which muscles bear the brunt of the work. Those are useful tweaks for the personal trainers looking to optimize a client’s progress or an athlete who wants to make the most of their time under the bar. Having the foot lower on the plate of the leg press or pendulum squat machine will tend to recruit more quadriceps, whereas putting them higher will tend to place more of the tension on the hamstrings and glutes. Then, there is also the question of foot placement. The length of your segments (legs to torso and shins to thigh) is especially important for lower body movement and their execution. Conversely, if you have short legs and a long torso, you will find squatting relatively easy. If you have a short torso and long legs, like a sprinter, chances are you will be more comfortable in a deadlift or powerlifting squat. And this in turn depends on your body type and the length of your limbs relative to your torso. It depends highly on what you find comfortable. The choice of squatting style is not always a conscious one though. A good demonstration of this principle is that the same back squat can recruit vastly different muscles whether you use a traditional, more Olympic lifter style or the low bar powerlifter style. Scientists explain that this is due to bar placement relative to the center of mass of the body. A back squat, especially done in the powerlifting style, can recruit the glutes a lot more than the front squat. Although research in the field of exercise science is not as glamorous as finding a cure for cancer, it did progress and manage to turn up a few interesting tidbits.įor example, we have known for ages that the type of squat you choose can drastically change muscle demands.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |