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Thread: Stance Width

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Default Stance Width

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    Quick question guys. I have always squatted with a rather wide stance, further than just outside of shoulder width. In the last week I have tried to narrow my stance to some degree to help me stay on my heals and focus on hip drive (I always felt like I was coming on to my toes with a wider stance because I was compensating for not shoving my butt back). The last couple of workouts have been really weird, I'm just wondering if narrowing my stance will benefit me and how I can improve flexibility, and hopefully improve my technique overall.

    I tried to squat like this today and I was really weak, relatively speaking, I suppose due to the fact that this new stance is different for me.

    Anyone else have this issue?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Pittsburgh
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Hagerty View Post
    Quick question guys. I have always squatted with a rather wide stance, further than just outside of shoulder width. In the last week I have tried to narrow my stance to some degree to help me stay on my heals and focus on hip drive (I always felt like I was coming on to my toes with a wider stance because I was compensating for not shoving my butt back). The last couple of workouts have been really weird, I'm just wondering if narrowing my stance will benefit me and how I can improve flexibility, and hopefully improve my technique overall.

    I tried to squat like this today and I was really weak, relatively speaking, I suppose due to the fact that this new stance is different for me.

    Anyone else have this issue?
    I have. I recently have narrowed my stance quite a bit, and focused on getting my knees out and sitting down between my legs. It was awkward for the first few workouts, but I'm getting more comfortable with it. It has made it easier for me to maintain back tightness and to keep my torso a bit more upright (I'm a big leaner). lifting shoes also helped. If it's a big change for you but you need to make it, my opinion is to cut the weight and move up doing it the right way. but if you're stance width is natural for you and you are squatting well with it, change for change's sake may not be necessary. hard to tell without seeing it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    Birmingham
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    I cannot squat or deadlift without what looks like an extremely wide stance compared to other folks.

    My squat looks a lot like Gary Gibsons, but I have narrow shoulders which makes it look less "balanced"

    I used to try an force myself to have a narrower stance till I read the "active hip 2.0" article. I realised that my femurs have to be at a certain angle to my pelvis for my back to be at all extendable.

    My front squats are also extremely wide stance, and with some experimentation I have also realised I can extend my back for deadlifts or cleans using either sumo or frog-leg technique.

    I think you can judge how wide your stance is supposed to be by how your hips function; if they impinge, if you get severe butt-wink, if you find it impossible to extend lower back for deadlifts/cleans etc..

    These things suggest a wider stance will help.

    If you can get good depth and no butt wink, by all means bring your stance in. But remember that the goal is to have balanced tension and effort coming from all the thigh/hip muscles. There is a lot of detail in SS and in the hip article about this. You may already be using an optimum width.
    Last edited by Dastardly; 03-04-2010 at 07:59 PM.

  4. #4
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    Jul 2009
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    31

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    I think narrowing the stance helps with tightening my torso. I honestly took a wider stance because of doing a lot of air squats where you are just moving quickly and it is easier. I can tell that I am tighter throughout the lift when my legs are narrower. I am a leaner to and I think it is mostly because of the fact that with a wider stance I am not as consciously as tight as I could be. I guys I might as well try it out and see it were it takes me.

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