The Claim
In female participants of Les Mills BODYPUMP classes, performing squats with a 90° knee angle leads to greater mean and peak muscle activity in the vastus lateralis and gluteus maximus, and higher peak muscle activity in the biceps femoris and lateral gastrocnemius, compared to performing squats with a 125° knee angle, indicating that deeper squats increase neuromuscular demand in major lower-body muscles during resistance training exercises.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
Women doing Les Mills workouts get more muscle activation in their quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves when they squat deeper (90 degrees) compared to a more shallow squat (125 degrees).
See the scientific wording
In female Les Mills BODYPUMP participants, squatting to a 90° knee angle results in greater mean and peak muscle activity in the vastus lateralis and gluteus maximus, and higher peak activity in the biceps femoris and lateral gastrocnemius, compared to squatting to a 125° knee angle, suggesting deeper squats increase neuromuscular demand in key lower-body muscles during resistance training.
What the research says
1 studyStudy: The effect of back squat depth and load on lower body muscle activity in group exercise participants
The study found that squatting deeper (90 degrees) makes key leg muscles work harder than shallower squats (125 degrees) in women doing BODYPUMP, which is exactly what the claim says.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.