Squat Stance

[robert da strongman]

narrow, wide or somewhere inbetween?

what helps you get deep?

[BrotherIron]

I back squat with a stance that is a bit wider than shoulder width.

As for helping get deep in the hole, stretching helps A LOT. I stretch for a solid 10min before squatting and than do several warm up sets before actually lifting.

There is a big difference betw squatting to parallel and squatting ass to ankles.

[BK]

IF you lack flexibility about the hips, hamstrings,and lower back then this will make it much harder to get low. Shloulder width to abit wider stance like Brother said and angle your feet to about 30 to 35 degrees. Angling your feet opens your hips and allows you to get lower.

[BrotherIron]

That is something I forgot. I squat "duck" meaning my feet are turned out a bit. Like BK said this does help out a lot. It helps open everything up and let me get deeper.

[robert da strongman]

yeah my feet duck out.

i need to stretch my hips more. funny but the heavier i go the easier it is for me to go deep.

[realmccoy]

a little bit wider than my shoulders

[Ninja Loco]

I cant seem to find it right away no matter what I do. Ive even tried to make some memory markings on the floor but it seems Im always adjusting.

[BK]

yeah my feet duck out.

i need to stretch my hips more. funny but the heavier i go the easier it is for me to go deep.
Overhead squats really help with flexibility issues. I have been staying comnsistent with them for about 10 weeks and they have really helped in my lower back flexibility but they have also helped out in my jerk. Do these as a warm up to your squat/deadlift workout.

[Gerb]

somewhere in between but closer to narrow than wide. I have trouble going real deep wide.

[crashcrew56]

I go really wide (as can be seen in my photo album), but I'm a powerlifter and I have to do what I can to lift the most weight. I don't have a problem going deep, but I always stretch good before I squat. I'm also pretty flexible in the groin so I would imagine that helps a lot.

[BK]

But if you get real wide you won't get as low as with a shoulder width stance because your Adductors and and hip flexors can only stretch so far. I think Rob is wanting to know the best possible stance for getting the lowest which is no doubt around shoulder width apart. A good pair of weightlifting shoes will help too.

[JAR OF NATTY]

i love the narrow, feet pointed outward

[rinse]

Wide I guess. To get depth I always squat to a box slightly under parallell on sundays.

[Mudpro69]

I go a bit wider than shoulders and feet "ducked out" This allows me to go as deep as possible. Sadly though not as deep in the as I would like...

[Sistersteel]

Overhead squats really help with flexibility issues. I have been staying comnsistent with them for about 10 weeks and they have really helped in my lower back flexibility but they have also helped out in my jerk. Do these as a warm up to your squat/deadlift workout.

Overhead Squats are great, but they are MURDER on my wrists so I cannot do weighted ones often. I'll overhead with the bar on the days I snatch. They do wonders for balance, core strength and flexibility. I like doing them barefooted. You really condition yourself to keeping that back arched on the squat while working on hip and ankle flexibility. I'll even warm up the shoulders with a stick before I do my overheads so that just in case I lose the bar behind me, I don't lose a shoulder with it.


But if you get real wide you won't get as low as with a shoulder width stance because your Adductors and and hip flexors can only stretch so far. I think Rob is wanting to know the best possible stance for getting the lowest which is no doubt around shoulder width apart. A good pair of weightlifting shoes will help too.

I find that the wider my stance, the more strain on my hip joint and the less quad I use in the hole to bounce back. The narrower stance, puts too much strain on my knees. So it really depends on how I feel that day. If my knees are bothering me, I will use a wider stance than usual. But typically the perfect stance for me is a ducked shoulder width stance. I like doing most of my squat warm ups barefooted. Makes a HUGE difference in my workout after I put my weightlifting shoes on, especially with the added heel. Hips, ankles and lower back are far looser!

SS

[robert da strongman]

anyone use box squats to help with depth?

[BK]

anyone use box squats to help with depth?
I would'nt personally because box squatting uses a slightly different form then a regular squat. Especially if you are using a low box.

[marcusmucheck]

closer my feet, easier depth.

how about bar placement?

[robert da strongman]

I would'nt personally because box squatting uses a slightly different form then a regular squat. Especially if you are using a low box.

but would it help loosen or strengthen the hips for depth?

[robert da strongman]

closer my feet, easier depth.

how about bar placement?

low bar for me

[BK]

but would it help loosen or strengthen the hips for depth?
Actually stretching the hips, hamstrings and calves will do more for you then squatting on a low box

[robert da strongman]

Actually stretching the hips, hamstrings and calves will do more for you then squatting on a low box

i definitely need to stretch

[BrotherIron]

Actually stretching the hips, hamstrings and calves will do more for you then squatting on a low box

Dont forget the ankles too.

[robert da strongman]

Dont forget the ankles too.

alright someone post up some pics or vids...

[dublin-lifter]

yea usually just past shoulder width

[crashcrew56]

I think squat depth really has to do a lot with groin and glute flexibility, because I never have a problem going deep on squat even with as wide of a stance as I use, my coach told me at the meet after I missed my 2nd squat attemp when I went too low that he had never seen anyone squat that deep with as wide of a stance as I was using, and the only thing I can attribute to that is the good flexability I have in my glutes and groin

[HammerStrength12]

Low bar I really like to take a wide stance and sit back as far as I can. This helps engage the posterior chain. Easy to hit parallel, but not below.

If I'm doing olympic style squats, I'll take a pretty narrow stance. It's also much easier to to A2A this way because of the more upright back.

[robert da strongman]

http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/stretching_1.html

pretty decent

[Little Bear]

If you want to learn how to get great depth start working in some front squats. The totally different feeling will help you keep your back straighter and learn to go deeper. That's how I took myself from being able to go a little below parallel to ass to the grass.

[toddbz]

What Ive found that is a major issue for me on squat depth is I.T. Band flexability. Course if you look at how that fascia attaches, it's right up there to the hips. So when it's tight my pelvis tilts under before I'm even 1/2 down. Foam rolling that thing helps quite a bit to after a warm up or 2.
Also found that my knees like me much more when I stretch the I.T. Band.

[thaistyle]

With box squats I go wide enough to clear the sides of the box. With front squats I go slightly wider than shoulder width.

[robert da strongman]

i have a strange thing with box squats...
i can do more with my feet close and in front.

[rinse]

What do you mean with in front? I would probably say that your posterior chain needs work. Train box squats wide and sit back. That's when they really work. Personally I would do almost all my squatting exercises wide even if I can squat more close. The wide stance has more potential and it builds the muscles that are weak in you(based on that you do better with a close stance).

[robert da strongman]

What do you mean with in front? I would probably say that your posterior chain needs work. Train box squats wide and sit back. That's when they really work. Personally I would do almost all my squatting exercises wide even if I can squat more close. The wide stance has more potential and it builds the muscles that are weak in you(based on that you do better with a close stance).

its my hips

[rinse]

What, an injurie or are your hips weak?

[robert da strongman]

What, an injurie or are your hips weak?

tight as fuck.

[rinse]

Well get massages and stretch. Make stretching a priority in your training. Take it as serious as your training. Right now that's probably one of your biggest weaknesses so improve it if you want to go forward. Also do the box squat as wide as you can and start with a depth that's comfortable and work yourself down to parallell or slightly under over a long period.

I train with one of Swedens top strongmen and our training has carried over very well to some of his event. He has also improved his overall strength alot. I highly beleive this is from strengthening his posterior chain and making him more explosive. Wide box squats with bands has been the main thing here and also various posterior chain assistant exercises.

[toddbz]

One thing a friend of mine with regularly tight hips does to stretch them is hold a kettlebell or DB with your hands between your legs and go into your squat bottom position. Since the weight isn't on your back (back can relax for the most part) and you can just drop the weight at any time. It really stretches adductors and hips. Also does a pretty good job of stretching the patella tendon as well.