Biomechanical Analysis to Determine the Most Effective Posture During Squats and Shallow Squats While Lifting Weights in Women

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the most appropriate squat posture for women by analyzing different squatting methods and weights. Methods: Twelve healthy women were recruited as subjects (age: 20.1 ± 1.2 years, height: 163.4 ± 3.7 cm, weight: 57.9 ± 4.9 kg). The 10-camera Vicon MX13 + motion capture system was used to collect squat and shallow squat motion images at 250 Hz sample rate and a Kistler force plate was used to collect ground reaction force at a 1000 Hz sample rate. The two-way ANOVA (α= .05) was applied to assess for significance. Results: The knee joint torque increased as the weight increased (p< .001). The weight affects maximum knee flexion and joint torque during extension, but no difference was found between the squat and shallow squat methods. Greater knee maximum adduction/abduction and internal/external rotation torque were found in squat lifting. Conclusion: The squat and shallow squat had a similar knee loading under the same weight. Shallow squatting yielded better knee stability, which makes it more suitable for the general female population. Squat training was found to be more suitable for well-trained athletes.