There is nothing new here, the topic is quite well covered by respected coaches such as Yuri Belkin, Nikolai Suslov, etc. I will show you my method for determining the effective movement model for each athlete, which I think is simple and convenient. I must say that in some points my opinion differs from the above-mentioned specialists, but I believe that everyone can and should have their own practice, because powerlifting is relatively young and any more or less successful training models take place.
Let's list the parts of the body that are of interest to us that participate in squats: the torso, hip, and lower leg. If we consider the squat in the sagittal plane, the ratio of the lengths of these links can affect the position of the center of gravity during movement.
The first thing to determine is the ratio of the length of the body to the hip. The longer the length of the hip in relation to the body, the more you will have to tilt the body during movement to maintain balance (to maintain balance, as you know, the center of gravity of the bar must pass through the center of the foot). Obviously, if the barbell on the back is too high, then with an optimal tilt (in the case of an elongated hip), this will cause the center of gravity to shift to the toes and roll forward. If you do not tilt the body sufficiently, having a long hip, then this most likely promises you insufficient squat depth.
The conclusion is as follows: the longer your hip is in relation to the body, the lower the bar should be located on the back in order to achieve the correct technical performance and the possibility of developing maximum effort. It is important to understand that it will be incorrect to consider this issue without taking into account the capabilities of the hip joint (see the previous article).
If the athlete has the ability to spread his legs wide and expand his knees, this will bring the center of gravity of the bar closer to the foot in the side projection, which will level the length of the hip and excessive back tilt. In my opinion, this is successfully used by Andrey Konovalov, which allows him to keep the body relatively straight and put the bar high.
Now consider the case of a shortened hip relative to the body. Here I see the situation exactly the opposite: the shorter the hip in relation to the body, the more vertical the body should be during movement, and, accordingly, the higher the neck should lie. But we must understand that such models must also take into account the real projection from the side, taking into account the width of the legs and the turn of the knees, because this will also affect the shift of the center of gravity back or forward. Conventionally, the closer the pelvis is to the feet and the center of gravity of the bar at the lower point of movement, the more vertically the body should be and the higher the bar should lie. Therefore, many short-legged athletes often allow themselves a narrow alignment with slightly separated knees. An Example Is Ravil Kazakov.
Let's talk about the length of the lower leg. We will consider it in relation to the length of the hip. I see it this way: cases where the lower leg is too long relative to the hip are much less common than a shortened lower leg. That is why it is more convenient for the majority of people to squat in weightlifting shoes than on a flat sole, because with a shortened lower leg, there is a need to lengthen it, first, at the expense of the heel, so as not to cause it to overstretch at the lower point of the squat, and secondly, to shift the center of gravity slightly back towards the pelvis, which will provide a deeper seat. Conclusion: if the lower leg is significantly shorter than the hip, weightlifting shoes and vice versa.
How can I build a schematic model for each athlete? I do this: I take a video of a side squat, make a freeze frame at the bottom of the movement, then take a screenshot and draw lines along each link of the body, and now the ratio of the links of the body becomes clear. And then, depending on the results obtained, I adjust the height of the bar position on the athlete's back and, if necessary, change his shoes to a flat sole or heel.
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