Squats and body weight: coaches answer

Squats involve more than the weight you load onto the barbell. When you squat, deadlift or do a pull-up, you also move part of your own body weight. Here are two answers from coaches that, despite their age, remain useful: how much weight you actually move, and why your abs get a workout even without endless sit-ups.

Why squats involve more than the weight on the barbell

The question was simple: if you move your own body as well as the barbell during an exercise, how do you calculate the actual training load? This is particularly relevant to fundamental lifts such as squats, deadlifts and pull-ups.

The answer is that no single formula can give an exact figure for everyone. Bodies differ. You can, however, use approximate body segment masses. In their book Fitness and Strength Training for All Sports, Hartmann and Tunnemann give the following proportions:

head: 7%
trunk, or torso: 43%
upper arm: 3.5%
forearm: 2.3%
hand: 0.7%
thigh: 11.4%
lower leg: 5.3%
foot: 1.8%

The basic principle is simple: during squats and deadlifts, you do not directly lift the mass of your feet and lower legs to the same extent as the rest of your body. You can therefore estimate the actual weight you lift by adding 86% of your body weight to the weight of the loaded barbell.

How the calculation changes for squats and pull-ups

Take this example. If a 91 kg person squats with a 102 kg barbell, the calculation involves more than just 102 kg. Since 86% of a body weight of 91 kg is 78 kg, the total weight being moved is actually about 180 kg. That does not make your training log wrong, but it helps explain why heavy squats tire your whole body.

Pull-ups work differently. Your hands and forearms are not counted in the same way, so the actual weight you lift in a bodyweight pull-up is about 94% of your body weight.

If the same 91 kg person does pull-ups with 23 kg of added weight, they are lifting more than just that extra weight. 94% of their body weight is 85.5 kg, and 85.5 + 23 = 108.5 kg. So the weight actually moving upward is 108.5 kg.

Do you need to calculate this every workout? No. But it is useful when comparing exercises or wondering why a pull-up can feel harder than a machine exercise with a higher number on the weight stack.

Squats, abs and compound exercises

The second question concerned the abdominal area. If you do not need to do cardio to exhaustion to burn belly fat, do you need to train your abs separately at all? What actually happens?

Charles Poliquin gave a fairly direct answer. If you want strong abs, regularly put serious effort into major compound exercises: squats, pull-ups, deadlifts, and standing barbell and dumbbell presses. These exercises require you to stabilize your body. Your abs are actively involved throughout.

Many people have felt this after a tough workout. Even 1 2 days after pull-ups with substantial added weight, your abs can feel tired and drained. The same can happen with standing presses. Your body has to hold its position as well as push the weight upward.

Your abs act like a natural belt during heavy compound exercises. They connect your upper and lower body and keep your torso stable. If your torso loses stability, the lift falls apart too. That is why a strong core matters even when the exercise is not described as an ab exercise.

What coaches recommend keeping in mind

Exercises that focus more on isolation, such as pullovers, biceps curls or triceps pushdowns, also require you to stabilize your body. The difference lies in the weight and the tension throughout your body. The training load in these exercises is usually lower than in squats, deadlifts, pull-ups or standing presses.

Verkhoshansky and Siff have emphasized that when you use heavy weights, it is virtually impossible to eliminate abdominal involvement. In some cases, the tension in the stabilizing muscles can equal or even exceed that in the muscles the exercise appears to target.

This does not mean that training your abs separately is pointless. It means that compound exercises already give your core plenty of work. If you add sit-ups, leg raises or planks, do so with a purpose, not out of guilt.

A practical tip: keep recording the weight of the loaded barbell and any added weight in your training log as usual. When assessing the overall training load, though, remember that squats and pull-ups move much more than the number on a barbell or weight belt suggests.

FAQ

Should you always add 86% of your body weight when calculating squat weight?

This is an approximate calculation, not a laboratory measurement. 86% helps you estimate the training load, but your build, technique and range of motion affect how it actually feels.

Should you count 94% of your body weight in a pull-up?

Yes, as a rough estimate. In a bodyweight pull-up, you move about 94% of your body weight. For a weighted pull-up, add the extra weight you use to that figure.