Isometric Belt Squat Test Setup Guide

Overview

The Belt Squat s assessment of an athlete’s force producing capabilities. This test, like the IMTP measures isometric force. The difference is that this test does not allow the athlete to use any upper body pull to complete the test.

Set Up

This is typically completed with a custom rig
Or it can be rigged up in a belt squat machine, or in the ground with an anchor point
- Once setup instruct the athlete to step onto the plates
- Select Isometric Test from the menu, and tag it "belt squat"

Instructions

Place the belt on the athlete, and instruct them to bend their knees maintaining an upright torso. The body position should be comparable to the second pull position of the clean, similar to the mid thigh pull.
- Knee angles between 125-145 degrees and Hip angles between 140-150 degrees
Once the athlete is in position, remove slack out of the belt, without pre-tensing the involved muscles. The athlete should remain still until the test starts.
Press the play button on the bottom right of the screen.
After the beep and flash immediately cue the athlete to stand up and maximally push away from the ground as hard as possible. This should last for a period of roughly 4-seconds. The tester should give verbal encouragement during this period.
The athlete should remain on the plates until the test is completed by pressing stop or allowing it to auto collect.

Considerations

Strong verbal encouragement should be given by both the practitioner and teammates.
Research shows that verbal encouragement ensures maximal effort is achieved.
To ensure repeatability of testing conduct the test on the same day and time between testing session. This will ensure comparisons of data can be drawn and interpretations can be made.
Maximal force output is correlated to the readiness of the individual. If maximal force output is unexpectedly significantly lower than average, the practitioner should address the individual and training adjustments should be made.

Demo Video