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Barbell Narrow squat stance

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PeterLuffman

PeterLuffman

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I've been barbell back squatting for 20 years. I always squatted with a narrow stance and worked up to 150kg for one rep at a body weight of 100kg. Nothing majorly impressive, but then at 6ft 4 inches and naturally skinny, I don't feel like I'm built for heavy weights anyway.

Plus I always squat well below parallel, and as we know, many people claim big numbers and then proceed to do a quarter squat or something that looks like a cursty!

Anyway..

On advice from the SFL manual and others I experimented with a wider stance.

To cut a potential long story short, I never felt stronger the wider, and for context, I mean just outside of shoulder width. I also started picking up a niggle around my right knee, which has gone away since returning to my preferred narrower stance.

So my observations are that I should just stay in the stance that I feel strongest in. My narrow stance.

Anybody else prefer a narrow stance? Or am I in the minority?

Pretty sure Tom Platz preferred to be narrow and he was a pretty decent squatter...
 
My preferred squat stance is also narrow, but all the parameters here are interrelated, e.g., if I decide I want to turn my feet out more, then I use a wider stance. If I want to limit my depth to just below parallel, the combination of straighter feet and a wider stance is how I make that happen.

-S-
 
you can't argue with success! If you've gone over 300lbs without injury for a long time, that's success! There's no reason you can't widen your stance, but as Steve says, the important thing is to figure out how to angle your feet so your knee joint can bend without torsion. There's a continuum, so you just have to pay attention to it and figure that out. Goblet squats with a 20k plate, or 24k kettlebell would be a great way to experiment with this- you can get down low, stay there, and adjust your feet and pay close attention to all the changes from ground to hips and learn what's comfortable and non-stressing. Not good to learn at your regular weights!

Typically, the wider stance is probably be less quad dependent and gets better use of your glutes and hamstrings. I did some courses of narrow squats, though, when I cycled a lot, keeping feet pedal width apart, and that gave a lot of quad strength for hills. For that, I used about 50%mr and ranged between 30-40 reps.
 
There are certain generalizations that have a solid base. But everyone is individual with specific strengths and should find their own way to do the lifts. But finding the way means plenty of meaningful experimentation. And of course, practical experience and wisdom from true professionals is always worth a listen to.
 
PeterLuffman said:
I've been barbell back squatting for 20 years. I always squatted with a narrow stance and worked up to 150kg for one rep at a body weight of 100kg. Nothing majorly impressive, but then at 6ft 4 inches and naturally skinny, I don't feel like I'm built for heavy weights anyway.

Plus I always squat well below parallel, and as we know, many people claim big numbers and then proceed to do a quarter squat or something that looks like a cursty!

Anyway..

On advice from the SFL manual and others I experimented with a wider stance.

To cut a potential long story short, I never felt stronger the wider, and for context, I mean just outside of shoulder width. I also started picking up a niggle around my right knee, which has gone away since returning to my preferred narrower stance.

So my observations are that I should just stay in the stance that I feel strongest in. My narrow stance.

Anybody else prefer a narrow stance? Or am I in the minority?

Pretty sure Tom Platz preferred to be narrow and he was a pretty decent squatter...
Click to expand...

I'm 6' 2" and also prefer a more narrow squat stance, always have, years ago my barbell squat go to was narrow stance sets with 315, it always felt safer and more natural. These days I love doing goblet squats the same way.
 
Matts said:
you can't argue with success! If you've gone over 300lbs without injury for a long time, that's success! There's no reason you can't widen your stance, but as Steve says, the important thing is to figure out how to angle your feet so your knee joint can bend without torsion. There's a continuum, so you just have to pay attention to it and figure that out. Goblet squats with a 20k plate, or 24k kettlebell would be a great way to experiment with this- you can get down low, stay there, and adjust your feet and pay close attention to all the changes from ground to hips and learn what's comfortable and non-stressing. Not good to learn at your regular weights!

Typically, the wider stance is probably be less quad dependent and gets better use of your glutes and hamstrings. I did some courses of narrow squats, though, when I cycled a lot, keeping feet pedal width apart, and that gave a lot of quad strength for hills. For that, I used about 50%mr and ranged between 30-40 reps.
Click to expand...

Matt, you said something of interest there to me. The foot angle and torsion thing. I think that might be the reason why I got the niggle. I changed it along with the width.

Pavel Macek said:
@PeterLuffman High bar back squat I suppose?
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Yes sir! High bar. When I go low bar my stance feels better wider. I typically go just outside shoulder width.
 
@PeterLuffman That is what I thought. All good, keep your stance. Do you use weightlifting shoes as well?
 
Pavel Macek said:
@PeterLuffman That is what I thought. All good, keep your stance. Do you use weightlifting shoes as well?
Click to expand...

I don't feel the need for weightlifting shoes. I don't know if you recall, but I can score a 3 on the FMS deep squat with ease. Should I try them? Do they offer other benefits other than helping with depth?
 
PeterLuffman said:
I don't feel the need for weightlifting shoes. I don't know if you recall, but I can score a 3 on the FMS deep squat with ease. Should I try them? Do they offer other benefits other than helping with depth?
Click to expand...

3 on deep squat? Good for you. I would say - keep doing what you are doing. If you recall from the SFL back squat block, high bar may have a bit more narrow stance and a bit more upright position compared to the low bar BSQ. If it ain't broken, don't fix it.
 
It depends on what you're squatting for as well. Powerlifting, Olympic lifting, martial arts, athletic training, hypertrophy...the back squat is great for all these things but essential to a select few. If it's not for powerlifting, I'd say it's best to continue to use the stance that doesn't aggravate your knee. If you decide to train with the wide stance/low bar, it is a new technique and lift as the leverages are altered and should be practiced as a new skill. Similar muscles are used, but the hips are stressed more, and certain groups that aren't trained as much in a narrow stance probably need to be addressed, otherwise your knees may be picking up the slack of a lever they weren't meant to handle. More of a hinge, like Miller said, as the bar is closer to the hips then the knees in this position. So it must be practiced before being loaded like your narrow stance squat. I squatted wide for a while then got hip impingement then switched to narrow high bar. Then my knee got hurt and switched back to wide and my hip was fine. It may be good to learn, as it may help your high bar, as a sumo deadlift can assist a conventional deadlift, but if it keeps giving your knee issues, there are plenty of other way to get good hinge work.
 
I watched a guy next to me squat over 300lbs with his feet nestled tightly together. He had perfect form. He didn't put hid knees out to the side, just held them together out front. Went all the way to parallel really neatly. I wanted to ask him how he had come to use that technique, but he had his ears full of music. Never seen anyone else do it.
 
maybe not relevant to OP, but Karen Smith has just published a blog on this site about feet mobility. I did the 1st couple things she recommended for just a few days, and can't believe the difference in how my foot bends and how much better it makes knees and hips move! I could see this extra mobility really helping with squats no matter how narrow or wide the stance.

Four Mobility Drills to Fix your Performance Killing Feet | StrongFirst
 
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