The Squat

In the effort to give my blog greater consistency and depth, my next few posts will be dedicated to this unbeatable exercise, its many variations, techniques to ensure proper form, and of course more than a few comments on all the ways it is done wrong by many. (I promise, you will either know what I am talking about, or recognize it on your next session in the gym.)

The squat, in all its forms, is perhaps the apogee of all exercises for both its impact on the body, and its functional implications. It is an exercise that everyone should be doing, and it should be the centerpiece of any program. Any program. Sport specific, general fitness, functional movement, muscle hypertrophy, muscle endurance, power, strength; if you can come up with a program, the squat can be modified to match the desired outcomes. Promise.

The squat is a core exercise, and because the spinal column is loaded, it is also a structural exercise. This means that a maximum amount of muscle across the entire body is activated, and the movement pattern is very natural to the engaged muscles, and there are many.

The lower body, the core, and the upper body are are highly engaged in the squat, and even more amazing are the subtle variations that can be made to the Classic Squat to emphasize certain muscle groups over others.

Again when properly performed, the squat is something that can benefit anyone, at all ages, and there are studies to prove this. (References will be thick in my upcoming posts.) If you are unsure that EVERYONE can benefit from squats, count the number of times you sit down in a chair each day. That is a squat. It is also one of the things that squat training has shown to help the elderly do with greater ease.

Stay tuned.

On the Use of Weight Belts

The weight belt, to use one or not?

If you ask five people , you will get five different reasons why you should or shouldn't be lifting with a weight belt. Sadly, the most common reason is most likely that people see others wearing them around the gym, or because logically they look like they would be a safe idea. This issue is analyzed in depth in a NSCA Hot Topic Series paper by Stuart McGill, 'On the Use of Weight Belts'.

Below are five particularly interesting points to take into consideration.

1. Lifters with no previous injury appear to gain no benefit from lifting belts.
2. Belts appear to change lifting style, depending on the lifter, they can increase or decrease the loads on the lumbar spine.
3. Lifting belts give people the impression they can safely lift more weight.
4. Injuries that occur while using lifting belts tend to be more severe.
5. Belts appear to increase intra-abdominal pressure and blood pressure.

1

When a neutral spine is maintained over the course of the lift, the stiffness added by the belt is minimal. This means that for the belt to exert a maximal effect, the lifting form must actually be poor! An experienced lifter who always uses clean form and an appropriate weight, will likely not be at risk of an injury, and thus will likely not be in need of a weight belt.

2

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to determine with each lifter whether the belt is increasing or reducing the pressure on the lumbar spine. (A laboratory assessment would be needed.) This means that each lifter is gambling with an possible harmful outcome.

3

When using a belt, an inexperienced lifter may be given a false sense of security. As a result, more weight than is safe may be added to the lift. When inappropriate amounts of weight are lifted, often poor form is employed to recruit additional muscles to move the weight.

4

The combination of points 1 through 3 means that a weight belt, when used by an inexperienced lifter, or even when used regularly by an experienced lifter, creates a compounded risk of severe back injury. Poor form and unconditioned core musculature when combined with excessive weight can result in major injuries to the lower back.

5

Weight belts appear to increase intra-abdominal pressure as well as blood pressure. It is often assumed that this increases stability of the core and reduces pressure on the spine. While increased intra-abdominal pressure does increase core stability, a 1986 study by Nachemson and colleagues shows that increased intra-abdominal pressure also increased, not decreased, intra-discal pressure.

The spine is protected not by intra-abdominal pressure, but by proper form.

A lifter would be far better served by building up their core musculature during lower body / power lifts by using the Valsalva manoeuver, the natural way of maintaining intra-abdominal pressure by holding their breath through most of the lift.

Note: Lifting belts and the Valsalva manoeuver are contraindicated for people with high blood pressure, heart conditions, and an increased risk of stroke.

So who should be using lifting belts?

In short, experienced lifters who are well trained in heavy lifts can gain benefits from lifting belts, but even they should only use them when performing lifts at or above 90% 1RM levels. This means when they are performing maximum lift training or during competitions. The vast majority of lifters in a gym setting would be far better off always focusing on proper form and appropriate loads. Through reasonable overload and careful progression, the large lifts will build many of the major muscles of the body, and keep the back safe and strong.

Reference

On the Use of Weight Belts. McGill, Stuart. National Strength and Conditioning Association 'Hot Topic Series'. March 2005, rev. September 05, 2005.

Put a Hex on your Deadlifts

Barbell rack at Quads Gym, Chicago.

The deadlift is one of the most important core exercises for strength and power training, and when performed with proper form and heavy loads, it will engage all the major muscle groups of the body. An article in the NSCA's Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compares the biomechanic differences between the Straight Barbell Deadlift and the Hexagonal Barbell Deadlift. The results of the study by Paul A. Swinton and colleagues are very interesting, if your gym has a hexagonal barbell, you may want to add it to your routine.

The study involved 19 male powerlifters recruited from the Scottish Powerlifting Association. Subjects performed both 1RM lifts and submaximal lifts. Markers were placed at 12 different points on the lifters bodies, as well as on the ends of the barbells, this allowed for three dimensional tracking of the markers during the deadlifts.

Kinematics

During the SBD, the load is in front of the lifter, even when the bar is held as close to the body as possible. During the HBD, the lifter is within the bar and the axis of the load is aligned with coronal axis of the body.

Because the lifter is standing in line with the load during the HBD, the moment arms at each joint are significantly reduced. This means less shear force on the joints and greater muscular efficiency. Of particular interest is the reduction of the moment arm in the lumbar spine region, reducing disc pressure. The HBD also results in reduced lateral movements of the load over the course of the concentric action; the straighter the path of action, the more efficient the lift.

Kinetics

While force exerted during the HBD was only marginally greater than the SBD, velocities increased significantly at loads greater than 40% of the subjects 1RM. This means that power exerted during the HBD was significantly higher than that of the SBD. In addition, greater loads were able to be lifted with lower risk of injury.

Application

Choosing which barbell to use can thus be made based on desired muscle recruitment and joint activation. The SBD emphasizes engagement of the musculature of the lower back and hips, while the HBD emphasized engagement of the musculature of the hips and knees. The HBD may be used for lifters that are new to deadlifts, or that have had back problems in the past. Additionally, the HBD may be preferred for lifters seeking to develop power at higher loads.

Reference

A Biomechanical Analysis of Straight and Hexagonal Barbells Using Submaximal Loads. Swinton, Paul A., et al. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. July 2011 vol. 25, no 7. (pp 2001-2009).