Wretenberg et al. (1996) found that peak knee extensor moments were lower during powerlifting squats than during Olympic weightlifting - style squats, even though the powerlifting squats involved the use of
greater absolute loads; Swinton et al. (2012) reported that peak knee extensor moments were greater in the box squat variation than in either the traditional or powerlifting squat variations, but there was no difference between traditional and powerlifting squats.
This would then explain why eccentric training tends to produce greater gains in strength overall, because eccentric training typically involves
greater absolute loads (as well as more muscle damage).
They reported no difference in erector spinae muscle activity between the two squat variations despite
a greater absolute load being lifted during the back squat.
Not exact matches
Comparing the power clean with the jump squat using the same
absolute loads, MacKenzie et al. (2014) reported that peak GRF was
greater in the power clean.
Similarly, Gorsuch et al. (2013) reported that the
absolute load was
greater during squats to above parallel than during squats to parallel, when using the same relative
loads.
Comparing the back and overhead squats, Aspe and Swinton (2014) found that the back squat displayed
greater ground reaction forces to the overhead squat with the same relative
load but similar ground reaction forces when using the same
absolute load.
Additionally, while Comfort et al. (2011) found that muscle activity was
greater in the superman exercise than in the back squat, this involved a low
absolute load and therefore it is unsurprising that Hamlyn et al. (2007) reported
greater muscle activity in the back squat than in the superman when using a heavy relative
load (80 % of 1RM).
Comparing the box squat and back squat, McBride et al. (2010) reported that the box squat displayed
greater ground reaction forces than the traditional squat with 70 % of 1RM (but not 60 % or 80 % of 1RM), when using the same
absolute load.
Heavier
loads, faster bar speeds,
greater depth (with the same
absolute and relative
loads), and using running shoes rather than no footwear all lead to increased quadriceps muscle activity during back squats.
Faster bar speeds and
greater depth with the same
absolute loads (but not the same relative
loads), lead to increased hamstrings muscle activity during back squats.
In contrast, with the same
absolute load (
load lifted in both movements equal to 90 % of overhead squat), there was no difference in gastrocnemius muscle activity during the concentric phase yet
greater muscle activity during the eccentric phase when performing the overhead squat.
Comparing front and back squats, Comfort et al. (2011) reported
greater muscle activity in the front squat than in the back squat (using the same
absolute load) but Gullett et al. (2009) and Yavuz et al. (2015) found no differences between front and back squats when using the same relative
load.
They report that
absolute load was
greater during the partial squat compared to the parallel squat.
Rectus abdominis muscle activity tended to be
greater in the standing barbell overhead press compared to the front and back squat with the same
absolute load.
Finally, with a similar
absolute load,
greater depth during squats leads to a
greater hip extension moment, at least as far as parallel (Bryanton et al. 2012; Yoshioka et al. 2014).
It is expected that performing deadlifts with the same
absolute load would produce
greatest EMG amplitude in the gluteus maximus when deadlifts are pulled from the lower starting points because external hip extension moment arm lengths and hip extension moments are
greatest at lift - off in comparison with knee - passing and lock - out (Escamilla et al. 2000; Escamilla et al. 2002).
Although performing back squats with the same
absolute load but to a
greater depth has been found to lead to increased gluteus maximus EMG amplitude (Caterisano et al. 2002), this is likely because
greater depth leads to
greater hip extension moments for the same
absolute external
load (Bryanton et al. 2012; Clark et al. 2012).
I don't love the fact that it
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