The Relationship between Lever Distance and Squatting Success-Bringing “Math” Into the Equation..get it?
You don’t have to be a calculus teacher to be strong, or do you? Well, not really, BUT math is a big part of our success with the iron. You can discuss the anatomy, physiology, and cellular level focus on generating movement, but in addition to these topics it’s also import to understand the biomechanical aspect of lifting which in this case, we will focus on the levers of the body. These levers are the bones of our body, but if you were to get really technical, it would be the appendicular skeleton we would be discussing. For the focus of this topic, I would like to discuss how the lever distance of the femur can have an effect on your squat. In other words, why do some people seem to squat better than others?
When you witness a barbell squat, whether on social media or at a top tear national event, the biggest focus is if the athlete “met depth”. To those who aren’t aware, meeting depth on the squat is what truly defines if a lift was successful or not. For a lifter to be granted a “good lift”, the hip joint must be below knee joint, or if you’re a southern gentleman, the hip crease must descend below the top of the thigh. The most common of sayings, though, has to be that the lifter must “break parallel” in order to be granted a good lift. Regardless of how you view this, just understand that the focus of this lift is between the knee joint and the hip joint. And in between those two joints is our femur, one of the most prized possessions we claim at birth.
Now depending on your future ambitions, your genetic code could put you at an advantage or a disadvantage especially with lifting. For the sake of conversation, lets say you’re biggest desire is being the heaviest squatter you know. In order to do that, it takes a lot of time, practice and effort. But one thing that could work against you is your genetic code. You can’t change your levers! Even if you try your hardest at being a top tier receiver at your high school with ambitions for playing at Alabama under the fieriest of coaches (Nick Saban, yes that’s you)…if you’re only 5’5, chances are you’re going to be unseen by others and not given that fair chance you have worked so hard for. Have there been exceptions? Sure has! Perhaps you’re thinking of the illustrious of NFL stars such as Doug Flutie, Drew Brees, or Darren Sproles? These gentlemen were not the typical size respected to their position in football, but they still excelled and live with tremendous merit. Although they weren’t blessed with the levers of the traditional football athlete, they still found a way to make it all work.
But what does this have to do with the squat? Let’s go back to the initial comment I made about being the “heaviest squatter you know”. Even if you have the best approach and the perfect programming offered, you could still have a tough time gaining ground on your squat if youre someone who has longer levers than your peers. The people who tend to be more successful at squat tend to have the shortest of levers in regards to their femur. How does this work? Below I have an image of a geometrical calculation called “arc length”
Arc length is the distance around a circle. I know that our squat overall doesn’t perfectly showcase a circular motion, but if you were to consider the movement in general, you would consider that the femur is the radius and that when you squat, the arc length would be the tracking distance of the hips as they descend and ascend during the squat motion. Initially, the arc length calculates the circumference of a circle, represented by the values “2πr”. 2 and π are already predetermined values, so you only have to measure the radius value which is the length of the femur. Although it might not be the most accurate, image measuring the thigh and taking a tape measure to the knee joint and hip joint. Now again, this is by no means accurate, but as long as you are consistent with the way you measure, it is possible you can get an overall comparison of someone who might have a longer femur compared to someone with a shorter femur. Below, I have demonstrated this concept to you with a video I posted on my youtube channel “Harvesting Strength”.
In this video we compared the two values of someone who has the femur distance of 16 inches and 18 inches. In the end, we were able to calculate the arc length of the hips during the “perfect” squat motion and for someone who has a 16 inch lever, their squat was about 50.1 inches which considers the ascending and descending motions of the lift. When you consider an individual with an 18 inch lever, the total distance was 56.5 inches. The difference between both lifters was 6.4 inches, meaning the person with the shorter lever performed their lift at about 6 inches less than the other individual. And if you have ever max on the barbell squat,, you understand that every inch counts towards being successful or not. This information, although rounded and not tremendously accurate, is still telling about the fact that someone with a shorter femur is going to be potentially more successful due to the distance their hips performs the squat.
But whether you’re that pipsqueak that sulks about their mathematical disadvantage or not, no one is going to give you an exception at competition due to your body’s levers. They will still place you in weight classes, and you will still have to perform with all the others! The purpose of this information was to enrich your understanding of the barbell squat and how some of us are genetically predisposed to advantages regarding our body’s natural levers. This, however, was not an opportunity to give you an excuse or an “out”. You still have to compete, you still have to get better, but now you understand why someone could potentially have an advantage against you. But no one is going to sit there and give you an excuse, so take this information and continue to get better! Sometimes it isn’t the sharpest swords that win in battle, but rather the sharpest minds. As always….KNOWLEDGE IS KEY!