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Objectives: To investigate the accuracy of visual assessments made by physical therapists of lumbo-pelvic movements during the squat and deadlift and how much movement is considered injurious.

Design: Quantitative Cross-sectional.

Participants: 14 powerlifters, 10 Olympic weightlifters and six physical therapists.

Setting: The lifters were recorded simultaneously by video and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) system while performing squats and deadlifts. The physical therapists assessed the videos and rated whether specific lumbo-pelvic movements were visible during the lifts and whether the movement amplitude was considered injurious.

Main outcome measures: The nominal visual assessments, if there was a movement and if it was considered injurious, were compared to the degrees of movement attained from the IMU system.

Results: During the squat, a posterior pelvic tilt of ≥34° was required to visually detect the movement. For other lumbo-pelvic movements, there was no significant difference in the amount of movement between those who were assessed as moving or not moving their lumbo-pelvic area, nor was there a difference in movement amplitude between those who were assessed as having an increased risk of injury or not.

Conclusions: Physical therapists did not consistently detect lumbo-pelvic movements during squats and deadlifts when performed by competitive lifters.