Upon reading several threads based on the squat I have seen this piece of advice several times "in order to perform a squat in good form you should concentrate on using your glutes and hamstrings (when referring to the concentric portion)." What is really meant by this? Simply to sit back and transfer the stress through the hips rather than the knees? The hamstrings don't play a part in the concentric phase because they are responsible for knee flexion. The concentric phase of the squat involves hip extension (glutes) and knee extension (quads). The hamstrings should only come into play on the eccentric portion of the squat. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. This is only for my own knowledge, not that it makes a huge difference in actually performing the technique.
You're wrong. Do a stiff legged deadlift. Feel it in your hamstrings? you should, yet there is no knee flexion whatsoever. The good morning motion of a squat where you sit back is where you incorporate your hamstrings. Think about the sheer physics of it: in order to sit back you need to lean forward or your center of gravity will be off base and you'll fall backwards. Rectifying this lean on the concentric portion of the lift is where you use a lot of hamstring and posterior chain strength.
I know they extend the hips in a goodmorning/deadlift fashion, but I didn't realize there was as much trunk flexion in a squat to consider them a prime mover. Thanks for the info.
Because the Hamstring is long enough and stretches when your torso moves closer to the front of your thighs, you should feel a bit of tension on the hamstring muscle. But, no. The Quadriceps are really where you should be feeling this movement. Your back should remain as uniplaner as possible. Simply squat down and drive the force through your heels until you stand upright.
Please stop posting. Thats just wrong. Squat => Glutes and Hams. Quads don't do much unless you are using some kinda high bar olympic squat. Why you'd be doing that I don't know.
now I don't think it's fair to say the quads don't do much, but It would be a hell of a stretch to call them the most important muscle in the movement... unless, like you said, you're squating improperly.
Damn....... So regardless of stance, hips and hamstrings should have the same effect? I'm not sure how i would spread the floor with a narrow stance. It seems like the movement going from paralle to up relies on the quad alot though.
If you're performing an olympic style squat, the technique is different, and the quads will play a big role, just look at the build of an olympic lifter.
Ted, I've just recently been able to take my stance out wide(real wide). Simply a case of taking it slowly. I dont know if its related, but for a brief time I was sumo dl'ing, and I wonder if putting emphasis on the hip increased my stability in a wide stance.
