Jessica Yuska

SSC432 : Biomechanics and Kinesiology

Biomechanics of a Squat Jump
The vertical jump is a movement that is widely used within strength and conditioning
exercises for development of strength of the lower extremities (Lees, Vanrenterghem, De Clercq,
2004). Lees et. al, (2004) described the vertical jump as using multiple joints and muscular
strength from the ankle, knee, and hip joints. Most athletes have some form of jump training,
whether that is plyometric programs or weight lifting exercises such as the squat jump or split
jump. Assessing the proper form, as well as the muscles and joints involved will help athletes
and those involved with the study of physiology and kinesiology of the human body. The aim of
this assignment is to analyze a human movement, in this case a vertical jump with a squat or
known as a squat jump, and identify the main phases within that movement.
Using Wolffs Law which states that the body will adapt to the amount of stress forced
upon the body, analysis of the movement can allow us to prevent injuries from happening from
bad habits. If the body is accustomed to performing a movement a certain way, it will
compensate by putting more force on other muscles. By performing the movement correctly, the
overall reaction force can be decreased with the help of the bodys ability to absorb some of the
ground reaction force when completing the jump. First, the base of support is usually at a square
stance, where both feet are shoulder width apart and with neither foot in front of the other. The
individual should maintain core strength to help with stability and balance throughout the
movement and land softly while bending at the knees to absorb some of the ground reaction
force.

Vaverka, et. al. (2013) found that there are three main phases in vertical jumping: the
preparatory phase (PP), the braking phase (BP), and the acceleration phase (AP). These three
phases help to identify the first three phases of the squat jump analysis.
The Ground Reaction Force was used to measure the length of the phases, as well as the
force impulses during breaking and acceleration, average forces during acceleration and
breaking, and the impact of the landing. Hall (2012) states that, Ground Reaction Forces (GRF)
reduces the jumpers horizontal velocity and creates an upwardly directed vertical velocity.
The participants in the Vaverka, et. al. (2013) article performing
the vertical jump, were asked to keep their arms crossed with their
hands at their chest, which meant that only their lower extremity
muscles were doing the work. Unlike the article, the individual in
Figure 1 uses their arms to aid in the achievement of maximal jump
height (JH) of the squat jump. Arm swing can significantly contribute to
the angular moment, mentioned Hall (2012) regarding divers. Using
arm swing in a squat jump can help project the body to reach maximal

Figure 1

Jump Height (JH).

The preparatory phase (PP) (Vaverka, et. al, 2013) is when the participant begins to lower
their body. In the case of the participant in the photo, the main muscle groups that were
contracting during the PP were the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, calves, and arms. There is
rotation in the Glenohumeral Joint, also known as the shoulder joint (ball and socket joint), as the
arms extend back, as well as at the Coxal Joint, or hip joint (ball and socket joint), the
Tibiofemoral joint, or knee joint (hinge joint), and the Talocrural joint, or ankle joint (hinge
joint), where there is rotation allowing for the body to lower itself into a squat position.

The quadriceps group is moving eccentrically, while the hamstrings are moving
concentrically; the calves are eccentrically contracting. The posterior shoulder and arm muscles
are concentrically contracting, while the anterior shoulder and arm muscles are eccentrically
contracting.
At the end of the PP phase, the Breaking Phase (BP) begins (Figure 2).
Now the article by Vaverka, et. al (2013) says that, the breaking phase
(BP) is the deceleration as the body lowers until the bodys center of gravity
has a velocity of zero in the downwards direction. As the body lowers and
the arms extend, the bodys center of gravity also continues to lower until the
body reaches its lowest point. The muscles that were being contracted during
the PP are still being used and contracting in a similar way. Once the body
Figure 2

has reached its lowest point, the Acceleration Phase (Figure ) begins.

Towards the end of the AP, the body is almost completely

upright and the individuals feet are about to leave the ground. Figure
4 (Figure ) shows the individual at the end of the acceleration phase
about to leave the floor. Notice the arms are rotated forward, caused by
rotation in the Glenohumeral joint and activation of the flexor muscles
of the arms and shoulders. Notice that the knees and hips are extending
as well, which means that there is rotation in the Coxal joint, as well as
the Tibiofemoral and Talocrural joints, and activation of the extensor
muscles of the lower extremities. These muscle contractions are now
the opposite of the same muscle groups in the PP and BP. The quadriceps group is now moving
concentrically and the hamstrings group is moving eccentrically. The calves are concentrically

contracting, and the posterior shoulder and arm muscles are eccentrically contracting, while the
anterior shoulder and arm muscles are concentrically contracting. From here, the body will
continue to accelerate vertically using both the arms and leg muscles to propel itself into the air.
The Vaverka, et. al, (2013) article, explained the first three phases but did not continue to
explain the rest of the jump, because it was focused on the Breaking Phase
of the jump with added weight on the individuals. When landing the jump,
after reaching the Maximum Jump Height (JH) from the force that was
created by the body in the three previous stages, the landing can create
Figure 3

difficulty within the individuals performing the squat

jump. Elvin N., Elvin A., Amoczky, &Torry (2007) found that the impact
forces of the jump decreased with increased flexion of the knee on landing;
Figure 4

a small increase in knee flexion angle at near full knee extension has a

significantly greater effect on impact forces than the same angle increase at larger knee flexion.
Form is a big part of the landing, just as much as the beginning phases
that were covered earlier on. It is important that individuals know how
to squat, as well as land, properly to prevent any harm or injury due to
improper form.
Linear Kinematics studies movement in a straight line, from
Point A to Point B. Analyzing a squat jump, allows for classification of
the movement as a general motion, where there is both translation, all
parts of the body are moving in the same direction and the same
distance, and rotation around the joints within the body. The entire
body is moving from Point A to Point B, but there is rotation along the

Glenohumeral joints, as well as the Coxal joints, Tibiofemoral joints, and Talocrural joints,
bilaterally. There is a starting point of the squat jump, as shown in (Figure 3), and from there the
individual follows through the Preparatory Phase (Figure 1Error: Reference source not found),
the Breaking Phase (Figure 2), the Acceleration Phase (Figure ), and then continues with the
jump once leaving the ground after the AP. The object can no longer be influenced by the ground
and its motion cannot be changed unless there is a force put upon it. In this case there is no force
being applied to change the direction of the individual. The total distance that the individual will
travel will be determined by how far the individual travels when

Figure 3

decelerating towards the maximum JH, as well as when accelerating towards the ground. The
displacement, however, will be determined by taking into account where the individual started
and where they ended; the differences between the two are the direction that the individual is
going and determining the difference between the starting and ending points. The average speed
will be determined by dividing the total distance the individual traveled in the jump by the time it
took to complete the jump. The average velocity of the jump is found by dividing the
displacement of the jump by the time it took to complete the jump. It is important for the
individual participating in the squat jump to increase their velocity as much as possible before
leaving the ground to achieve the maximal jump height. Previous studies (Feltner et al., 1999;
Feltner et al., 2004; Lees et. al., 2004) have shown that arm swing helps produce a higher
maximal jump height, due to an increase in vertical velocity at takeoff, (Blache & Monteil, 2013)
It is important to understand that once the body leaves the ground it is considered a
projectile. Hall (2012) defines a projectile as a body in free fall that is subject only to the forces
of gravity and air resistance. The only forces that are put on the individual that is jumping
straight up into the air using the eccentric contractions to build force, will reach a high point,

until the force of gravity is greater than the force that was exerted off of the ground by the body.
Because the body becomes a projectile throughout the motion, it will follow in a parabolic
motion, and there will be no horizontal acceleration because the horizontal velocity stays
constant after leaving the ground due to lack of horizontal force. The vertical force acting on the
body is gravity. Gravity is a major factor in any vertical movement because of its constant force
of -9.81N on the mass of the object.
Linear Kinetics includes the forces that are associated with the motion. When examining
the principles of linear kinetics, we find terms like inertia, mass, force, center of gravity, and
weight. Inertia is directly related to the amount of mass, or quantity of matter composing a
bodythe common unit is the kilogram, (Hall, 2012). Finding the force of an object would be
taking the mass and then multiplying it by the acceleration of the mass. The use of a free body
diagram allows for an analysis of the forces being placed upon an object throughout the motion.
Below are body diagrams featuring center of gravity, as well as the ground reaction force being
applied throughout the movement. The arrows in the body diagrams increase in size due to the
generation of more force by the muscles while in the PP and BP to project the body up in the
vertical direction.

Also, Newtons laws are important explanations during analysis of linear kinetics of the
squat jump. Newtons third law, the law of reaction, states that when one body exerts a force on
a second, the second body exerts a reaction force that is equal in magnitude and opposite in
direction on the first body, (Hall, 2012). This helps to explain the placement and direction of the
arrows on the body diagrams. When applying this law to the muscle mechanics of a squat jump
we realize as stated previously, that when the muscles are flexing on the anterior side of the body,
the muscles opposite, on the posterior side of the body, are extending, and vice versa; the
muscles are antagonists of the opposite side. The body uses equal and opposite forces to build
torque through muscle contractions to propel us off of the ground. This law can also be applied
to the bodys force pushing off of the ground in a vertical direction. While gravity has a constant
force of -9.81N on the body, we can multiply that our body mass to measure our weight. This
weight will be the force that will help project the body in a vertical direction, and it is the same
force that will be applied by the ground if the individual is standing still, which leads to
Newtons first law of inertia. Newtons first law of motion states that a body will maintain a
state of rest or constant velocity unless acted on by an external force that changes the state,
(Hall, 2012). When the body begins to push off, the force exerted by the body must be more than
the force exerted by the ground. By generating force exerted through the muscles, the net force is
no longer balanced allowing for the body to leave the ground.
Other forces that should be taken into account are friction and air resistance, but due to
the motion being more vertical that horizontal, those were not included in the body diagrams. Let
it be known that they are important in assessing movements in a realistic environment where
numbers and calculations are present. The momentum of the body in motion can be caused by

either a change in mass or a change in velocity. When the body is idle or standing still, the
velocity is zero, but because of the change in velocity as the body uses its muscle contractions to
jump into the air, its momentum changes.
When examining the landing of a jump we find that impulse can be measured. Whether
the individual that just performed the jump landed softly or landed straight up and down with no
bend at the knees will allow for measurement of impulse. If the individual lands straight up and
down with no muscle flexion upon landing, the Ground Reaction Force will be much greater than
if the individual flexes at the hip, knee, and ankle joints, increasing the time period for the
landing, (Hall, 2012). When the body allows for absorption of the ground reaction force, it is
much easier on the joints being affected and will help reduce the likelihood of injury. The wider
the Q-angle of the individual, the increased likelihood of injury to the ACL, which is more
prominent in women, stresses the idea of good form and soft landings.
The angular kinematics involved in a squat jump focuses largely on joint movement at
the four joints involved: the Glenohumeral joints, Coxal joints, Tibiofemoral joints, and the
Talocrural joints. Without the angular movement within these three joints, the motion would not
be possible. Restricted angular movement in these joints could cause difficulty within the
motion. The focus of these joints would be the Range of Motion (ROM) to understand the
muscle activity that surrounds the joints. By examining the angular velocity, the ROM helps
determine the change in angular position that might occur at the four major joints that are used in
the squat jump. The goal of most sports is to increase angular velocity to quickly reach the
maximal jump height. The quicker the body can move through a greater angular displacement,
the quicker the individual can reach maximal jump height. Also, with a greater angular velocity
and higher maximal jump height, this means the body is in the air longer.

Within the muscles there is a form of centric torque, where the force is coming from the
middle of the muscle in the concentric contraction and produces a linear motion. The tensile
force developed by the muscle pulls on the attached bones and creates torque at the joints crossed
by the muscle, (Hall, 2012). As the muscles in the shoulders, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves,
and ankle are contracting they are creating a torque. The magnitude of this torque is determined
by the contractile forces applied through the muscle and the length of the muscle. The equation
for torque is below:
Torque = Force x Momentum Arm
The momentum arm is the distance from the center of gravity, which must be
perpendicular to the force when being measured. When looking at the conservation of torque,
which states that the amount of torque you leave the ground with is the same amount of torque
that you will land with, we can see that the amount of torque the body produces to project into
the air during the jump, is the same amount that will be forced upon it on landing.
Countermovement, the movement in the PP and BP, occurs throughout the muscle
mechanics, as the anterior muscles are antagonists of the posterior muscles. The
countermovement allows the muscles to build up enough torque so that they produce more force
to perform a higher jump in the vertical direction, (Bobbert, Gerritsen, Litjens & Van Soest,
1996).
There are many benefits to analyzing a squat jump because it is used in a variety of
different exercises and athletics, such as gaining an understanding of how the bodys muscle
mechanics work throughout the movement, helping us to enhance performance, reducing the risk
of injury, and improving basic science knowledge, which are all goals of Biomechanics. By
applying basic physics to a motion, such as a squat jump, we are able to study the forces and how

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they affect the human body more realistically, as well as educating individuals on ways to reduce
the amount of unnecessary forces by performing simple movements such as landing softly on a
squat jump.

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Sources:
Blache, Y. Y., & Monteil, K. K. (2013). Effect of arm swing on effective energy during vertical
jumping: Experimental and simulation study. Scandinavian Journal Of Medicine &
Science In Sports, 23(2), e121-e129
Bobbert, M. F., Gerritsen, K. G., Litjens, M. C., & Van Soest, A. J. (1996). Why is
countermovement jump height greater than squat jump height?. Medicine and Science in
Sports and Exercise, 28(11), 1402-1412.
Elvin, N. G., Elvin, A. A., Arnoczky, S. P., & Torry, M. R. (2007). The correlation of segment
accelerations and impact forces with knee angle in jump landing. Journal Of Applied
Biomechanics, 23(3), 203-212.
Hall, S. (2012). Basic biomechanics. (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
Lees, A., Vanrenterghem, J., & de Clercq, D. (2004). The maximal and submaximal vertical
jump: implications for strength and conditioning. Journal Of Strength & Conditioning
Research (Allen Press Publishing Services Inc.), 18(4), 787-791.
Vaverka, F., Jakubsova, Z., Jandacka, D., Zahradnik, D., Farana, R., Uchytil, J., & ... Vodicar, J.
(2013). The influence of an additional load on time and force changes in the ground
reaction force during the countermovement vertical jump. Journal Of Human Kinetics,
38191-201.