Introduction
The squat technique is described as the King of all exercises (Bompa, 2002) as it is an effective exercise that works a variety of muscles including the gluteals, hamstrings, quadriceps and abdominals. This report focused on the lower limb muscles only. Understanding different types of movement is important for sport and exercise to help rehabilitate injuries of athletes. Coaches and trainers may find understanding the squat a good way to prevent injuries as it is an excellent way to build the muscles of the lower limbs.
The four main phases of the squat technique are the starting phase, the downward phase, the holding phase and the upward phase. The aim of this report was to fully understand the squat technique. This…show more content… The Gastrocnemius is the agonist muscle that contracts eccentrically to dorsi flex the ankle, the soleus is also contracting eccentrically to allow dorsi flexion.
Holding Phase
Hip
At the holding phase the hip has paused in a flexed position. The gluteus maximus is holding the hip in a 90° angle, by contracting isometrically, this muscle is the agonist. The hip flexors, the iliopsoas, are isometrically contracting, acting as the antagonistic muscle of the pair (Tortora and Derrickson, 2009). The quadriceps and hamstrings are isometrically co-contracting to cause the hip to be slightly flexed and keep it in this position. The hamstrings are acting as the stabilizer of the hip joint. The Sartorius isometrically contracts to bear the weight of the body by causing the hip to flex (Martini and Nath, 2009).
Knee
At the holding stage the knee is flexed at a 90° angle. The quadriceps and hamstrings extensively isometrically co-contract to hold the knee in a flexed position to prevent the leg from collapsing (Seeley et al., 2003). The Sartorius and Gracilis both isometrically contract and act as stabilisers. The gastrocnemius is also contracting isometrically in the holding phase to cause the knee to stay flexed (Martini and Nath, 2009).
Ankle
In the holding phase the ankle is being held in the dorsiflexed position at about a 30° angle. The tibialis anterior is contracting isometrically, acting as the agonist muscle to cause the
