CINEMATOGRAPHICAL EXAMINATION OF POWERLIFTING AIDS IN SQUATTING

Abstract

Six experienced weight-lifters were compared in powerlifting squats with and without lifting aids. Lifting aids were commercial, competitive elastic lifting suits and knee wraps. Subjects were filmed with a 16mm Locam camera at 50 fps while performing 3 trials of 3 repetitions maximum under the two lifting conditions. Squats were divided into four phases (2 for descent, 2 for ascent) by trunk to hip and thigh to leg rotations. Postural torques about the hip and the knee were estimated from digitized images. Inertial torques were discounted as modulating contributors to performance due to their invariance across the lifting conditions.