INTRODUCTION

The squat is a common weightlifting exercise with which most people can identify. However, most people perform the squat with bad form caused by excessive weight. Bad form is when the lifter puts themselves in a biomechanical position that increases the risk of injury. This bad form can lead to knee joint and back pain. However, the squat, when done with proper form, is not injurious to the healthy knee (Escamilla, RF 2001). Since the squat is such a common exercise, we felt it was important to study the squat and its effect on the knee joint and trunk segment. Proper technique and form can lead to increase leg strength and many other possible health benefits.

In our study, we will compare a lightweight squat with a heavy weight squat. It is our belief that most individual's bad form is caused by using excessive weight. By comparing the heavy and lightweight squat, we will be able to look at the knee joint and trunk segment angles of each movement and see if there are significant differences between the two. If there is a difference between the two movements, we can assume that form and technique are being altered and a potential for injury is increased. We predict that the heavy weight squat will alter trunk segment angle and put excessive strain onto the lumbar spine. We will use a digital video of both movements to aid us in our studies.