30 Seconds SummaryWhat gives out when you fail a heavy squat?
- Muscle usage in exercises like the bench press and squat varies; different muscles may contribute more at different load levels.
- In bench pressing, pecs may exert closer to their max force at lower loads compared to triceps, which exert more as loads approach 100% of 1RM. This pattern can differ between male and female lifters.
- Previous studies suggest quads are heavily used even at low loads in squats, with hip extensors' effort increasing as loads get heavier.
- A recent study involving male lifters confirmed these findings, showing that knee extension moments remain consistent across different loads, while hip extension moments increase with heavier loads.
- This research supports that proximity to failure affects muscle usage in squats; quads are relied on more in easier reps, and hip extensors contribute more as failure approaches.
- The findings suggest that different exercises might need varying proximity to failure to effectively train specific muscles, such as needing to go closer to failure in single-joint exercises for optimal results.
Stronger By Science
Greg Nuckols
