AUTHOR=Larsen Stian , Kristiansen Eirik , Helms Eric , van den Tillaar Roland 

TITLE=Effects of Stance Width and Barbell Placement on Kinematics, Kinetics, and Myoelectric Activity in Back Squats

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

VOLUME=Volume 3 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2021.719013

DOI=10.3389/fspor.2021.719013

ISSN=2624-9367

ABSTRACT=Both barbell placement and stance width affect lifting performance in the back squat around the sticking region. However, little is known about how these squat conditions separately could affect lifting performance. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of stance width and barbell placement upon kinematics, kinetics, and myoelectric activity around the sticking region during a three-repetition maximum back squat. Nine men and nine women (body mass: 76.2±11.1, age: 24.9±2.6) performed back squats with four different techniques: high-bar narrow stance, high-bar wide stance, low-bar narrow stance, and low-bar wide stance where they lifted 99.2±23.6 kg, 92.9±23.6 kg, 102.5±24.7 kg, and 97.1±25.6 kg, respectively. Main findings were that squatting with a low-bar wide stance condition resulted in larger hip contributions to the total moment than the other squat conditions, whereas squatting with a high-bar narrow stance resulted in greater knee contributions to the total moment together with higher vastus lateralis and less gluteus maximus myoelectric activity. Our findings suggest training with a high-bar narrow stance could be beneficial when targeting the knee extensors and plantar flexors, whereas a low-bar wide stance could be beneficial when targeting the hip extensors.