Activity of Trunk and Lower Extremity Musculature: Comparison Between Parallel Back Squats and Belt Squats

Abstract

The back squat is widely used in strength training programs. Alternatively, the belt squat has been gaining popularity since it loads the weight on the hips, as opposed to the shoulders and spine. The purpose of this study was to determine whether using a belt squat would result in less lumbar extensor activation while providing similar excitation of other prime mover and stabilizer musculature. Ten participants (9 males, 1 female; age 29.3 ± 4.9 years; body mass 96.2 ± 17.8 kg) who regularly trained both belt squats and back squats performed three sets of 5 repetitions with 100% bodyweight for each exercise. Peak and integrated muscle activity was calculated and normalized to a maximum voluntary isometric contraction. A one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05) was used to compare conditions. Belt squatting decreased lumbar erector impulse (45.4%) and peak (52.0%) activation as compared to the back squat. Belt squatting did not alter activation of the lower extremities except for a decrease in the gluteus maximus (35.2% impulse and 32.1% peak), gluteus medius (54.1% impulse and 55.2% peak). Furthermore, belt squatting reduced activation of the rectus abdominus (44.3% impulse; 31.1% peak), and external obliques (45.8% impulse; 53.7% peak) as compared to back squatting. Our results suggest belt squatting provides similar muscular demands for the quadriceps, hamstrings, and plantar flexors, but is less demanding of trunk stabilizers, and gluteual muscles. Belt squats may be a suitable alternative to back squats in order to avoid stressing low back or trunk musculature.

Análisis de electromiografía en la sentadilla libre con barra: Revisión sistemática (Electromyography analysis of the free barbell squat: A systematic review)

“…Todos los artículos aceptados analizaron sujetos sa-nos con experiencia en entrenamiento resistido, 10 de éstos fueron realizados con sujetos hombres, cuatro con mujeres y cuatro con grupos mixtos; en ninguno de los casos se evaluó a competidores de Powerlifting o Halterofilia. De los grupos mixtos, un caso presenta una muestra muy reducida de mujeres como para obtener parámetros de comparación entre géneros (Joseph et al, 2020), del resto, un caso no identificó diferencias significativas de reclutamiento muscular entre grupos (Evans et al, 2019) y dos estudios encontraron una mayor actividad del Ga (Gulick et al, 2015) y del BF (Mehls et al, 2020) en hombres cuando se comparan con mujeres. Datos generales y resultados más relevantes pue- El incremento de carga aumenta la activación muscular (no lineal), disminuye la velocidad de la barra, la duración de la fase CON incrementa y la velocidad pico ocurre de forma tardía.…”

“…En cuanto a la participación muscular, siete de los estudios reportan las cifras numéricas de EMG en porcentajes de MVC o MVIC, las cuales identifican a la región del cuádriceps femoral (QF) cómo aquella con mayor actividad muscular en la SLB (Contreras et al, 2016b;Mina et al, 2014Mina et al, , 2016, y específicamente el VM como el músculo con mayor porcentaje de activación con respecto a su propio %MVC (Joseph et al, 2020;Mehls et al, 2020;Hasan U. Yavuz & Erdag, 2017;Hasan Ulas Yavuz et al, 2015). Ocurriendo de forma similar en casos de cifras procesadas de EMG al RMS en mV, en donde el VM mantiene la misma predominancia (Andersen et al, 2016;Lawrence & Carlson, 2015).…”

Comparison of muscle activation of 3 different hip belt squat techniques

“…https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.jnpr.1001035 lower body muscle activation to the barbell back squat (quadriceps, biceps femoris, hip adductors, hip abductors, gluteus maximus, gastrocnemius) [4]. Evans, et al [5] and Joseph, et al [6] utilized two different lever arm belt squat designs, Pit Shark and Wenning Strength belt squat machines respectively, and found the muscle activation of the belt squat to be similar to back squats in the quadriceps, hamstring, and plantar lexor muscles. However, both studies found the lever arm belt squat designs to have signi icantly lower gluteus maximus muscle activation when compared to the back squat.…”

“…However, both studies found the lever arm belt squat designs to have signi icantly lower gluteus maximus muscle activation when compared to the back squat. In addition, Joseph, et al [6] found the lumbar erectors, gluteus medius, rectus abdominus and external oblique muscles to have signi icantly lower muscle activation when utilizing the Wenning Strength belt squat. Previous researchers [6] hypothesized that the difference in indings between studies may be related to the differences in belt squat designs, with weight anchored to a ixed point versus free-weight-on-guiderod.…”

“…In addition, Joseph, et al [6] found the lumbar erectors, gluteus medius, rectus abdominus and external oblique muscles to have signi icantly lower muscle activation when utilizing the Wenning Strength belt squat. Previous researchers [6] hypothesized that the difference in indings between studies may be related to the differences in belt squat designs, with weight anchored to a ixed point versus free-weight-on-guiderod. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to expand upon the previous research and use electromyography (EMG) differentiate between muscular activity of three different types of belt squats (SquatMax-MD, Pit Shark and Monster Rhino) and the muscle activation of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus medalis oblique (VMO), gluteus maximus (Gmax), and gluteus medius (Gmed).…”