blog

Among fitness movements, the squat is a classic exercise that includes multiple joints and targets a variety of muscle groups. From basic to advanced, there are many different ways to do the squat, but the most popular one may be the parallel back squat. The parallel back squat needs not only muscle strength and endurance, but also requires balancing a barbell across your shoulders and upper back during the movement. There are four main muscle groups and some secondary muscles that fire during this exercise. Learning how the muscles work while squatting can help you do the exercise correctly and prevent injuries.

1. Core Muscles

Core muscles include the muscles that support your back, including the erector spinae that run alongside the spine and the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transversus abdominis at the front of your body. When you perform a parallel back squat, these muscles must work hard to ensure your spine is held in the right position and that your back remains flat. A strong core is essential for squats and can help prevent injury.

2. Gluteus Maximus

The gluteus maximus, located on the back of your hip and essentially your butt, is a large and powerful muscle that does a lot of work when you squat. It works with the hamstrings to control the hip joint. The squat is an effective butt-building exercise. The gluteus maximus contracts eccentrically to control the speed of the downward phase of the squat, and concentrically to extend the hip during the upward phase.

3. Hamstrings

The hamstrings include three muscles — the biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus — which are also active when you perform squats. All three muscles attach to the back of the pelvis and insert below the knee joint. The hamstrings help the gluteus maximus with hip extension, functioning eccentrically during the downward phase and concentrically as you return to the starting position.

4. Quadriceps

The quadriceps include the rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis muscles. They run from the hip to below the knee at the front of the thigh and are the primary knee extensor muscles. Like the hip extensors, they contract eccentrically during the downward phase of the squat and concentrically during the upward movement.

5. Secondary Muscles

There are also several secondary muscles that assist in the squat. The hip adductors and abductors work to ensure the knees do not track inward or outward during the movement. Your upper body muscles must also work very hard to support the barbell and keep it balanced on your shoulders and upper back.

For supporting all the muscles mentioned above, we strongly recommend wearing LP ACE compression apparel during your workout. The Target Compression System of compression tops compresses and covers the erector spinae to strengthen muscular contraction through stimulation. It provides extensive support to the spine to stabilize the torso and maintain proper posture during exercise.

For the lower body, the Thigh Support Compression Short is designed with the Target Compression System to directly compress the hamstrings and facilitate hip flexion and knee extension by providing sufficient support and tension to the hamstrings.

Furthermore, the Target Compression System also compresses and covers the hip adductors and abductors to strengthen muscle contraction through stimulation. It provides sufficient dynamic stability to the knee joint by balancing medial and lateral muscle strength.