Biomechanical evaluation of Barbell Squats, for the purpose of Quadriceps and Gluteus development
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In this video, we analyze the bio-mechanics of Barbell Squats, with an emphasis on whether this exercise optimizes the load to the Quads and Glutes. We also examine the risks to the spine and lower back. A muscle grows on the basis of how much load it gets, during an exercise. But how much load it gets depends on physics - how much magnification or reduction occurs, to the weight that's being used. Often, we can load a muscle more, using less weight...or load a muscle less, using more weight. The wisest approach is to maximize muscle load, while minimizes skeletal stress.
Buying his book was one of the best investments I ever made. A great teacher is one who can teach complex subjects in a simple, clear and understandable way. And he makes it interesting too. I have seen all of his videos on youtube and read all of his articles. More please, Doug
Same here. I've read a ton of books on resistance training, and Doug's is easily the best one. It's transformed my own routine, and eliminated long-standing shoulder issues I was having since ditching incline and overhead pressing. I just don't have the bone structure for those! My side delts have definitely improved since focusing on cable lateral raises with optimal resistance curves.
@@greenknight73 The muscle groups I dont get results with, are legs ( quads/hams ). They dont even get sore from leg extensions, legcurls and cable squat. My legs even shrunk within a year. Im going to incorporate light barbell squats and lunges again.. see how it goes..
@@seyog8420
Try one leg squads on a bench. Isolated, no huge weight on your spine and add a little weight to, about 20% bodyweight.
The Genius 🔥
@@greenknight73ce n’est pas une question de structure osseuse mais que le mouvement anatomique n’est pas bon 🤷♂️
Hi Doug. I wish I had this book from the time I first began training in 1968 to date. I would have avoided pitfalls that introduced me to Prof. Pain and the Land of Reduced Gains. Congratulations on finally finishing your masterpiece! Respect, Mark Rustad
mdrchinaable Yeah, my elbows wish I'd read this book years ago !
Doug's presentations cause me to rethink every exercise I perform and how I should be executing those movements.
Doug is the man! "The Physics of Fitness" has been a great tool in my training... I go back to it every few months. Love your content Doug! - Joe Lalli
Found you on Ric's channel and have been watching all your videos and I must say it is so nice to see someone giving legitimate advice when it comes to exercise science instead of all the regurgitated bro science you find all over the internet. This channel definitely deserves a massive following. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for making these videos. I’ve enjoyed watching all of your videos and talks on TH-cam and you have educated me lots about exercise science. It amazes me when people still hold on to myths and beliefs about certain exercises even after they’re shown evidence as to why the exercise is inefficient or dangerous. Looking forward to watching more of these. Thanks again.
Why this guy is not more known is a mystery
Your uploads are like Christmas morning. Thank you and I cannot wait for future videos!
Yep his book was also the best I’ve read.
Helped transform my routine and keeps weight of my spine.
Learned more in 2 days reading his book Physics of Fitness than I had read cumulatively in all the other trash information I read
Awesome information Doug. To me, this just makes so much sense and I just don't understand why very few seem to understand or want to understand this.
Ego lifting
Because people worship the squat, at the expense of listening to their body.
So glad you have started a you tube channel ! Appreciate the " free " advice so much and thank you Ric that i found your channel
We higly appreciate your videos, hopefully they will keep on cooming !
His book is great. I also changed from low reps and heavy to light weighs and more rep. Works for me. It agrees with my ACTN3 gene. I have XX, the endurance polymorphism.
Yay! I can stop squatting 😄
This is the best think I've ever watched about biomechanics in fitness oh man this is too good 😐
Rip Doug , you were a good man .
I was a avid squatter for years/decades. Once I exceeded 400# issues started to crop up. Then, when my chiropractor showed me an xray of the damage I was doing to my upper-back, I dropped them immediately! My quads grew bigger and shaplier void of squats. Placing a heavy load at the top of a kite shaped structure simply doesn't make sense.
Doug please do a video on the pros and cons of full body training, that would be great
Great video and info also great to see Doug starting his own channel. its about time :)
Need to work on the video titles thou ;)
Great job Doug! You explained everything very clearly and well. Strongly recommend The Physics of Fitness to everyone.
Well explained, sir. It’s always a pleasure to listen to your evidence based dissertations.
Length of lower limbs is major factor in how much forward lean you have and where you place the load. Long legs=more lean and more rear chain
and people with longer torso and shorter legs are more quad dominant. No matter what quads will not get loaded as effectively as targeting them specifically like with leg extensions or sissy squats. If you need to squat for some reason then do so safely and adjust your technique to accomplish your task depending upon your leg length. If you don’t need to squat which encompasses 99% of people then save your joints and train smarter
The King of barbell movements the basic Squat .
I love high rep front squats!! 10-15-20 rep sets & sissy's or walking lunges have given me thick quads. Much more thigh development than a back squat.
Great videos! Subscribed!
Stopped barbell squatting and instead do Bulgarian split squats. Never felt better.
Excellent video as always.
Do you think squats are still important to keep overall functionality? Maybe not loaded with tons of weight but to develop the body into doing squats naturally , like when we have to pick things up in day to day life? I feel like if people only isolate u forget the idea of how the body naturally moves. I am trying to see the grey area between people who preach isolation for health vs people who preach functionality
For overall health and fitness for real world functionality u must work movements and get good at them. Think practice not WORKIN UR SELF OUT. Dont gotta be super heavy but as heavy as its comfortable.
Thanks so much
I only use the squat in the bathroom with no weights
Great stuff
Great explanation Doug ;)
I'm going to reread his book right now.............
BIG LIKE DOUG !!
Thank you so much !
The squat is a natural body movement more so to me than the leg extension also you get the indirect effect with the squat it helps the hole body grow .
*"hole body"* LMAO
Once again someone doesn’t listen and misses the point...yes squatting is a natural movement pattern that can only happen BECAUSE you flex and extend the leg. ( leg extensions machine has it’s drawbacks but extending the leg is a natural movement)You will do the squatting pattern more effectively if you strengthen the actual muscles that are performing the task individually as apposed to combining their efforts. BTW although squatting is a natural movement pattern, doing it with a tree on your back isn’t. Unless you are an athlete that needs to load the pattern for some reason or you power lift, give your joints a break and strengthen them smarter
The squat is a great natural movement , period . The leg extension is hard on the knees although I'm not saying it's contraindicated . Compound free weight movements in strict form full range are tremendous for building the whole body .@@brianc2823
@@biblebill6206tu est un idiot incapable de comprendre la physique 🙄😂
It is not only about loading the muscle. When a compound exercises is used, such as the squat, you get a boost of testosterone along with it, which equates growth all over your body. Something you will never get using cables or machines. Now are you targeting the muscle more effectively with cables?, perhaps. Are going to grow from it?, I don't think so. If you are exercising just for health purposes then the Brignole's book is good for you. If you are into bodybuilding and your goal to build the most muscle then look somewhere else. I recommend "beyond brawn" and "Starting Strength"
If you wanted to load the quads more, wouldn't you be doing front squats instead of back squats? I've always seen the benefits of barbell back squats to be that they hit the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and low back all in one movement. Front squats load the quads much more.
dudeman209 Front squats cause the torso to be more vertical, which reduces the load on the lower back. That reduction shifts more of the load to the quads - yes - but since the lower leg is still closer to vertical, than it is to horizontal, the quadriceps load is still much less (percentage-wise) than it is during a Sissy Squat or during Leg Extensions.
Hi Doug, would it be a good idea to do isolation exercises for quads and hams followed by lighter squats.?
Larry Gale If your goal is mostly muscle development, with a secondary emphasis on “sports conditioning”, isolation exercise for the quads (I.e., knee extension) and the glutes (I.e., hip extension) is perfectly adequate. However, if your goal is primarily sports conditioning (sports requiring movements that simulate squats), then performing lighter squats in your leg workout would be a good idea.
Doug about the book. Any idea when it's going to be available as a hardcopy? Further in bookstores or only online purchase? Thanks. :)
We're hoping to have the printed version to be available in February. Once it's published, it will be available through my website, and also directly from the publisher, and also on Amazon. It may also be available in other places, but I'm am not aware of that at this time.
Thanks Doug. It would be awesome if it were available in Chapters/Indiego. I await the announcement of its arrival! :)
@@dpbrig1 Could you do a video on walking lunges? No other exercise gets me more sore. ( I've been following your methods for more than a year, but with no results for legs )
I respect what Brignole says; however I truly doubt that you will grow using cables or machines. Someone who does squats gets growth all over the body, you get more muscular as a whole. If you are exercising for health purposes and you don't care about building muscle then yes any exercise will do. I bet even brignole squatted in his heyday and look how his legs looked back then. They were massive. Now he does the cable squats but he did squatted before which built his foundation and there is also muscle memory.
I get what you're saying but I imagine he also did leg extensions back in the day as well, so how much do we credit the squat or leg the leg extension for the development of dougs quads. It's impossible to say. Same example can be used with almost every body part.
You are wrong! Compare the leg development of Planet Fitness members to Olympic Lifters. Olympic Lifters pale in comparison.
You doubt growing with machines ? I dumped squats for sits squats on Smith. Hack squats. And leg press and grew far better . Secondly for back I did same and incorporated Doug's PULL INS. for lats with cable. And hmmaerstrenght. Back rows.....also better results than barbell rows. Don't think you can grow with machines ? Wrong
Encore un idiot qui ne comprend strictement rien à la physique 😂 c’est quand même incroyable d’être aussi bête 🙄
Al I know is when I squat hard and strict which is lowering yourself slow pausing at parallel not locking out at the top, I get a great pump and the next day my legs feel worked and sore so that tells me squats hit the quadriceps muscles .
bible bill You’re missing the point, Bill. I didn’t said squats don’t work the legs. I said squats require you to use more weight to get the same amount of muscle loading as a more efficient exercise would, using less weight. The ultimate goal should be maximum muscle loading, with the least amount of skeletal abuse. If you can optimally load your muscles with more efficient exercises, and less skeletal abuse, why would choose to use the less efficient, more abusive exercise? Choosing an exercise based on the fact that it allows more weight to be lifted, fails to recognize that physics plays a very important role in resistance exercise.
I understand , I'm saying the squat is more like a natural movement than the leg extension and with compound movements you get the indirect effect as I stated which Arthur Jones taught . Like when you throw a stone in a pool of water it makes the initial contact and then there is the ripple effect out from that spot where the stone made contact with the water . The purpose of the quad is knee extension so yes the leg E. is working the quads for sure but there is something to basic compound movements that can't be overlooked .@@dpbrig1
Hi, i wanted to ask you about squats with a dip belt, do they eliminate spinal compression completely ? Thanks.
just wish you showed us the better exersizes ................keep vids comming
mark puccetti You should grab a copy of Doug's book. There are separate chapters for each body part and he rates lots of different exercises for each part. Honestly, you won't regret it. 👍
@@woodulous i have it but learn better from videos !
mark puccetti That's actually not a bad idea. 🤔 A video version of Doug's book.
I'd buy it.
Theres a video of cable squats on my face book page Fitness and Weight Training after 45 facebook.com/weight45/ @mark puccetti
Your looking at the wrong angle. You need to look at the knee joint angle created by extension, not flexion (hams). Quads extend the knee, and the knee joint is 90 to 110 degrees (extend an imaginary line forward from the knee). By this logic tricep dips wouldn't work the triceps because the forearm is at 0 degrees (perpendicular to gravity).
Tricep dips do work the triceps, but it isn't the most optimal movement for developing the triceps...
Get that book printed and ill buy it =)
I made the mistake of doing accessory work as main work for years and didn’t start getting muscle growth until I did compound exercise like the squat deadlift and overhead press. Also as far as the rectus femorus goes look up active and passive insufficiency
What about a seated leg press with leg on the lowest point.
Not good...
Wish my gym had a multi hip machine
Tu peux le faire sur une poulie avec une sangle de cuisse ou un accessoires maison
Algorithms
Then can you explain why most top bodybuilders with big quads swear by the squat?
The point is NOT that “squats do not develop the quads”. Squats DO develop the quads, but-and it’s important to understand this-all benefits require a cost. A wise choice, at all times, is selecting an exercise that has a good “cost / benefit” ratio. An “efficient” exercise has maximum benefit for less cost. Squats are not "efficient".
You can load your quadriceps just as much when doing squats, as you can when doing leg extensions, but you need to use about three times as much weight, in order to do it. Using 300 pounds during a Squat, loads the quadriceps with (approx.) the same amount of resistance as 100 pounds on a leg extension machine.
This is like saying that you want to buy a house, and you can pay 3 million dollars for it, or 1 million dollars for it. Either way, it’s the same house. Which choice would you make?
Let me be specific. When we select a weight to use, during any exercise, we select a weight that corresponds with the maximum strength capacity of a muscle that exercise works. How much weight we are able to use with any given exercise depends on the physics (the mechanics) of that exercise. The strength capacity of your target muscle is absolute. It’s constant.
So, let’s say that the strength capacity of your quadriceps is 1,000 pounds of force (…this is realistic, by the way).
The quadriceps operates the lower leg. The quadricep’s function is to extend the knee, which moves the lower leg. How much force is demanded of the quadriceps is influenced by the fact that the lower leg is a lever which has a certain amount of length. Longer levers magnify force more than shorter levers.
The “length” of the lower leg (as the “operating lever of the quadriceps”) is 20 to 1. This means that a force you place against the ankle or foot, will require approximately 20 times more force by the quadriceps, in order to extend the knee.
When you’re selecting a weight on a Leg Extension machine, what you’re actually doing is choosing a weight that causes your quadriceps to produce (approximately) 1,000 pounds for force - because you’re trying to work your quadriceps to their full capacity. Therefore, you would likely select “100 pounds” on the Leg Extension machine, because 50 pounds per leg = 1,000 pounds of force per quadriceps (50 x 20 = 1,000).
The resistance from a Leg Extension machine presses directly against the ankle-perpendicularly. This is important.
Now, let’s say you want to do barbell squats, and you’re deciding how much weight to use. Again, whether you’re aware of it or not, you’re actually seeking (you will select) a barbell weight that requires that same 1,000 pounds of a force from your quadriceps. However, when we squat, the resistance that is placed against the lower leg is NOT perpendicular-as it is during a Leg Extension.
When a resistance is applied to a limb perpendicularly (as it is when using a Leg Extension machine), 100% of the weight used is loaded onto the muscle that moves that limb. However, when a resistance is applied to a limb from an angle that is not perpendicular, a lesser percentage of the weight being used, is loaded onto the muscle that moves that limb.
When resistance is parallel to a limb (for example, when we’re standing straight up, before descending into the squat position), that resistance loads a muscle with zero load. Any lever (or limb) that is parallel with the direction of resistance, is typically called a “neutral” lever.
When a resistance is applied to a limb at a 45 degree angle, the resistance that is loaded onto its corresponding muscle is about “half” of what it would be if the resistance were applied perpendicularly, because a 45 degree angle is “half way” between vertical and horizontal.
(Note: Technically, trigonometry would be used to calculate these percentages. However, it’s not necessary to arrive at the exact amount. What matters is knowing what is “most”, what is “least”, and what is “in between”.)
When we do squats, the lower leg only tilts forward about 28 degrees from the neutral (vertical position)-not even half way between vertical and horizontal. Therefore, the amount of resistance that is loaded onto the quadriceps is only about 30% of what it would be, if the resistance were being applied against the lower leg perpendicularly.
This is what is meant by an exercise being “inefficient”. It does not mean that that exercise “does not work”. When an exercise is “inefficient”, means that it requires much more weight, in order to load the target muscle with same amount of resistance that a different (better / more efficient) exercise would require.
Ultimately, what matters is how much load the muscle gets. The muscle doesn’t care whether it’s loaded with more weight that is LESS magnified, or less weight that is MORE magnified. Either way, it can be loaded to capacity.
The difference is the amount of skeletal abuse. Using more weight abuses the skeleton - the spine, the hips, the knees, etc. - much more than using less weight, even though that lesser weight is magnified more to the working muscle.
Pro bodybuilders who don’t understand the physics of resistance exercise only understand raw poundage. Therefore, they make the assumption that using heavier weight “obviously” works their quads (i.e., legs) more than exercises which do not allow them to use as much weight. But that is a false incorrect assumption.
Lastly, it’s important to understand that the quadriceps primarily extend the knee. So, whether you’re doing Leg Extensions, Squats, Leg Presses, Sissy Squats, Hack Squats or Front Squats, the quadriceps are doing the exact same thing in every exercise-extending the knee. Therefore, it’s foolish to assume that you “must” use a variety of exercises for a good quadriceps workout.
The “best” quadriceps exercises are those that allow the greatest range of motion, and use the most efficient leverage (i.e., load the quadriceps with the highest percentage of weight being used)-meaning that the resistance is applied perpendicularly against the lower leg. This would include Leg Extensions and Sissy Squats.
Any compound exercise, which involves both knee extension and also hip extension, will automatically be “inefficient”, to some degree-because each of these two movements require a different direction of resistance against their operating levers (i.e., the lower leg for the quads / knee extension, and the glutes for the femur / hip extension).
@@dpbrig1 Thank you for your detailed response. My legs are pretty thick from years of front squats, sissy squats (knees way out over toes Platz style) & walking lunges. 27"@ 5'9 210 lbs. I have also done your cable squats. I prefer the front squat bc I get more quad stimulation than a back squat. I learned those from Jeff King. I get many comments & compliments from people about my front squats & sissy's and about the thickness of my legs. My knees are healthy & strong with no issues at 58. My routine is effective so I will stay with it. I have your book & tell others about it as well.
@@Stalker0965 The fact is that when someone declares that one particular exercise is significantly responsible for the development of a particular muscle, we should not automatically assume that that person is making an accurate statement.
Since most people do a variety of exercises for each muscle, they cannot possibly know which exercise contributed more to that development, and which ones contributed less. They just know that they have good development, and which exercises they did.
Squatting heavy can feel very “gratifying”. We often devote more time to the heavy exercises, so it’s easy to make the assumption that investing the largest amount of effort in one exercise has paid off. But people don’t necessarily make fair comparisons. What if they spent an equal amount of time and effort doing another exercise? What if they only did one exercise for a month, and then only did another exercise for a month, and then another exercise for a month? Then they might have a better sense of which exercise produced more growth, having made a fair comparison of each exercise using equal effort.
Another factor that compounds people's “belief” is genetics. If a person is genetically predisposed to having muscular legs, it often results in them being able to perform squats more successfully (i.e., being able to use more weight and using good form), and squats may also feel very good to them (i.e., good pump). But this is not a fair way of comparing exercises. It just means this person likely has a bias in favor of an exercise, and probably isn’t able to make an unbiased comparison.
There are many people who experience problems with their backs (herniated discs, intervertebral disc compression, etc.), even when they haven’t loaded hundreds of pounds of weight directly on their spine, for years. Loading the spine with heavy weight, every week, for many years, can significantly increase the likelihood of spine injury-obviously. So, we should ask the questions, “is that necessary?” and “is that the best way of building the legs?”. The answer is “no” to both questions. Yes, a person CAN build their legs that way, and yes people DO build their legs that way. However, it’s not the only way, it’s not necessarily the best (most productive) way, and it’s not the safest way.
Any person who has studied engineering and understands “classical mechanics” (physics) can easily see the compromised use of levers (i.e., the angle of the lower leg, and the reduced length of the upper leg / femur / moment arm, caused by the lower leg doubling under it), thereby requiring that more weight be used in order to compensate for the reduction in load percentage, on the quads and glutes.
Unfortunately, people tend to have a “reverence” for squats that precludes them from being able to evaluate the exercise from a strictly mechanical perspective. Naturally, being able to squat heavy-seeing the bar bending and the weights swaying-is admired and makes people feel “beastly”. But we should not allow emotional gratification to influence the analysis of an exercise, nor to block our ability to listen to (and to “hear”) a more reasonable assessment.
@@dpbrig1Thanks for the help. Next time I am in California I would like to get in a workout with you. I will keep you posted. Take care.
In your video about knees over toes, the comments are disabled so I have to comment here about that. I do sissy's exactly how you demonstrated with my knees way out over toes, upper body leaning way back & holding a plate to my chest. My knees are healthy so I have no issues. Great outer thigh burn. I get many comments in the gym about them & how can I do them bc they supposedly kill the knees. I explain the mechanics them & mention you & your book.
I love doug, don't always agree with him however he makes you think.
V squats or hack squats with feet at the lowest part of the platform is a superior quad developer than a barbell squat.
That being said,many people have developed impressive quads by doing just barbell squats.
Right, so imagine how good their quads would look if they did a superior exercise, like sissy squats or leg extensions, without all the spinal compression.
@@jordan19862000 perhaps but maybe they reached their full capacity for muscle growth by doing squats and I'd be interested to know if their are world class bodybuilders that developed their quads by doing leg extensions exclusively and not in conjunction with barbell squats.
@@TheCatseyepub "many people have developed impressive quads by doing just barbell squats"
For example?
@@randomnumb3r2000 Jason Gallant for example th-cam.com/video/-Vgtg9mkT1o/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/I7KLLxUme7g/w-d-xo.html
@@randomnumb3r2000 dave Williams,doc Cramer etc
You can’t eliminate squatting in everyday life you do it every day to get up and down. Learn to do it correctly like your body does in daily life like getting up and down from a chair. Spinal compression is basically a myth. It’s not natural for your knees to bare weight like they do in a leg ext. or a sissy squat look at the physiology of how we move and the levers work together. The point of resistance training is to move like you normally would except under load.
Learning and practicing the mechanics of a simple bodyweight squat for everyday life is different from putting 200 pounds on your neck for leg growth, you don't need to do the latter.