Wider squat stance or higher heels?

[baxpin]

Hi Rip,

I have an old injury in my left ankle that prevents the knee from travelling past the toes. I can barely get the knee in line with the toes. This is the way it is, there is nothing I can do about it (its been like this for more than 20 years now, I'm 40).

Now, this obviously affects my squatting technique. So far I've been using a pretty wide stance (and Adidas weightlifting shoes with a 3/4" heel). This feels quite OK, but it is not the squat you teach.

Would you recommend that I get shoes with a higher heel to be able to use the athletic stance? Or should I continue the wide stance squats? Which approach is better for general strength?

[Mark Rippetoe]

A higher heel might help. If your ankle is actually frozen like this you won't be able to do the version of the squat we teach, so just do the best you can. Your brain seems to be working fine.