The Study
The effect of back squat depth and load on lower body muscle activity in group exercise participants
This study watched 10 women do squats with different depths and weights and measured how hard their muscles worked. It can tell us which squat style made muscles more active, but it can't prove that the squat style caused the change because it didn’t randomly assign or compare groups like a true experiment.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at how deep you squat and how much weight you use affects which muscles work harder during squats in a group fitness class.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 526 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, this means going deeper and using more weight can make your workout more effective for certain muscles.
- 2Squatting deeper (90°) made more muscles work harder than shallower squats (125°).
- 3Using 38% of bodyweight made glutes and calf muscles work harder than using 23%.
- 4Depth and weight didn’t change each other’s effects.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Sports Biomechanics
Year
2021
Authors
Kathy E. O’Neill, S. Psycharakis
Related Content
Claims (4)
Your quads work hard during squats no matter how heavy the weight, but your glutes really kick in only when the weights are heavy or you're almost too tired to keep going.
For women doing squats in BODYPUMP classes, how deep they squat and how heavy the weight don’t affect each other when it comes to which muscles are working — each factor works on its own.
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).
For women doing Les Mills BODYPUMP, using heavier weights (about 38% of your body weight) in squats makes certain leg muscles work harder than using lighter weights (23% of your body weight).
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.