Stance width and uneven quad development?

[canoscan]

My physiotherapist (who I'm seeing for my hip, which I have a problem with nobody seems to be able to figure out) told me that squatting with a "wide stance" as per starting strength, puts more emphasis on the outer quads which after a long time can tighten to the point where it can start pulling the patella out of place. He further pointed out that because my quads stick out more on the outer side (which it has done since I can remember, even before I started weight training) this is the reason, and that I should either switch to a narrow knees straight ahead stance, or at least to do squats like that sometimes. Is there any truth to it, or is it silly bullshit?

(also, if you have any idea, my hip makes popping noises when extended, sometimes it even hurts, could this cause the pain in my hip I get from squatting? I haven't squatted or deadlifted in at least 2 months because I get pain in the joint afterwards. And it's only on one side, though both pop)

[Mark Rippetoe]

As is usually the case, your physiotherapist is full of shit. The only way a "wide-stance" squat can cause patellar tracking problems is if the femur and the tibia are aligned wrong, i.e. your feet are not in line with your femurs. This means that the wider the stance, the wider the toe-point must be. If this alignment is respected, all the quadriceps work evenly to extend the knee. The advantage of my "wide-stance" squat is that it also works the adductors, left out by close-stance squats. Does you physiotherapist know that adductors are involved in the squat?

As for your hip injury, it could be the hip joint, or it could be the trochanteric bursa, under the glute insertions on the top of the outside of the femur, and not really a hipjoint problem. Where is the pain? Exactly?

[canoscan]

As for your hip injury, it could be the hip joint, or it could be the trochanteric bursa, under the glute insertions on the top of the outside of the femur, and not really a hipjoint problem. Where is the pain? Exactly?

In the back and the front of the the joint. More so to the back.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The acetabulum/femoral articulation is high on your crotchline, a couple of inches down that diagonal line from the hip pointer (ASIS). If you felt this in the back of the joint, that would mean under your glute. I'll need a picture.

[bango skank]

The acetabulum/femoral articulation is high on your crotchline, a couple of inches down that diagonal line from the hip pointer (ASIS).

I've had a faint soreness here and "clicking" on my right side. Not sure what to make of it... hasn't gotten noticibly better or worse for the past two weeks. Maybe a 1 on a pain scale of 1 to 10. Is this something I need to be concerned about?

My hunch is that this has developed because of how my legs are streched as I sleep (left leg supinated, right leg splayed out usually). I've been trying to correct this.

I take 10-11 grams of fish oil and a dose of glucosamine/chondroitine/msm daily.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Some slight swelling would cause these symptoms. The happy news is that you will have shit like this as long as you train, and you'll get used to deciding about whether to train through it or not. And if you don't train through it you won't get much training done.

[bango skank]

Some slight swelling would cause these symptoms. The happy news is that you will have shit like this as long as you train, and you'll get used to deciding about whether to train through it or not. And if you don't train through it you won't get much training done.

Oh happy day!

Thanks Coach, time to cowboy up.