Max-Reps: Squats

Purpose: Evaluate the ability of the lower body and core muscle groups to sustain repeated contractions against body weight resistance for an extended period of time or until failure.

Equipment: Chair or box (approximately the same height as participant’s knees)

Procedure: Instruct the participant to stand in front of the box with feet slightly outside of their shoulders and forward. Cue him or her to take in a deep breath at the top, begin to lower the body in by flexing at the knee and hip joints, pushing the gluteal muscles out, and keeping weight on the heels, in one fluid motion.

The bottom of the squat is reached when the upper legs are parallel to the ground, the lower leg and spine are parallel. On the up phase, instruct him or her to concentrically contract the gluteal muscles, driving hips forward to raise the body while breathing out. Repetitions should be completed until their body fatigues and can not perform correct technique.  The score is calculated as the number of repetitions completed.