1. CHAPTER 13 Resistance Training Exercises 261
SQUAT
Rating: B
■■ FIGURE 13.6.
• The bar rests on shoulders in a low bar (across the
posterior deltoids and in the middle of the trapezius)
or high bar (above the posterior deltoid at the base of
the neck) position with shoulders abducted upward
and scapula retracted to create a shelf for the bar.
• Bar is grasped with a closed, pronated grip slightly
wider than shoulder width.
• Feet are parallel and shoulder width apart or wider
with toes pointing slightly outward.
• Head is tilted upward with the eyes focused directly
ahead at or above eye level.
• Hips and knees are flexed during descent and bar is
lowered in a curvilinear pattern with control while
keeping an erect and braced torso (chest out, shoul-
ders back).
• Descent continues until the top of the thighs are par-
allel to the ground.
• Ascent occurs via extension of the hips and knees.
• May have one spotter on each side of bar or one spot-
ter behind the athlete. It is important to follow the
athlete downward during descent. When needed,
force may be applied around the athlete’s chest/upper
torso or to the bar. It is important not to push the ath-
lete forward when applying assistance.
• Coaching tip: teaching the bottom position of the exercise
is a good place to start for a beginner. Some new lifters
have difficulty reaching this position and lack the con-
fidence to squat down and back. Teaching this position
first makes it easier for the athlete to descend with proper
technique. Using a box or bench as a low-point location
marker can be beneficial as the athlete must descend
until gluteal contact with the box or bench.
Single-leg versions of squats are common in training and
athletic assessment. Because many sports require move-
ments where one leg is pushing off to accelerate the body,
single-leg squats force hip, knee, and ankle stabilizers to
forcefully contract for stability and assist in sport-specific
strength development. They require bodily control over
the planted leg, thus reflective of hip/knee strength and
postural control. Gender differences are seen in the abil-
ity to perform single-leg squats where women display
greater motion in the frontal plane and greater valgus
forces on the knee (30).
CAUTION! Knees too far ahead relative to toes,
excessive forward lean, not performing exercise
in a fully-prescribed range of motion (ROM), and head
facing downward are common mistakes. The athlete
should be instructed to contract the gluteal, hamstring,
and quadriceps muscles as forcefully as possible to
reduce lower-back strain. Some advocate using a
board to elevate the heels in athletes with poor ROM.
A board is not needed. Rather, the coach should work
on improving the athlete’s ROM. A good pair of lifting
shoes, by design, slightly elevates the heels.
CAUTION!
excessive forward lean, not performing
in a fully-prescribed range of motion (ROM), and head

2. 262 ACSM’S FOUNDATIONS OF STRENGTH TRAINING AND CONDITIONING • www.acsm.org
rack squats, belt squat, sissy squat, machine squat,
safety squat, SB wall squats, ISOM wall squats, squats
with bands around ankles (to increase hip abductor
strength), BW squats, BW squats with TRX, MB squat
(with shoulders flexed), knee squats, buddy squat, keg
squat, sand bag squats, BOSU or balance board squats,
single-DB sumo squat, BW/DB duck walks, balance
squat (one-leg support, one-leg hip flexion from BB
squat position), KB swing squat, and jump squats (DB,
MB, KB, Smith machine, sand bag, weighted vest).
OTHER VARIATIONS AND SIMILAR
EXERCISES Front squat (arms over bar), hack
squat, DB/KB/sand bag squat, DB squat (with shoul-
ders flexed parallel to ground), Smith machine squat,
split stance squat, box (or bench) squat, squat with
chains or bands, pause squat, lateral squat, staggered
(stance) squat, single-leg squat (floor, BOSU), single-
leg squat (rear leg supported by SB or bench), single-
leg squat (elevated on bench to allow opposite leg to
relax downward), TRX single-leg squat, Zercher squat,
OTHER
EXERCISES
squat, DB/KB/sand bag squat, DB squat (with shoul
Biomechanical Analysis of Foot Position During the Squat
Escamilla RF, Fleisig GS, Lowry TM, Barrentine SW, Andrews JR. A three-dimensional biomechanical analysis
of the squat during varying stance widths. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33:984–998.
Escamilla et al. (9) analyzed the BB squat with a narrow (∼107% of shoulder width), medium (∼142% of
shoulder width), and wide (∼169% of shoulder width) stance width and found that in comparison to a nar-
row stance, the wider stance produced:
■■ 7–12 degrees greater horizontal thigh position
■■ 6–11 degrees greater hip flexion
■■ 6 degrees greater hip external rotation
■■ 5–9 degrees greater vertical shank (lower-leg) position
These results show that varying stance width affects squat kinematics. Some athletes perform the squat with
varying stance widths to alter muscle activation, strengthen muscles in a different way, and add variety to a
workout.
Interpreting Research