Different Squat Stances
The squat is known to be the most universal strength training move. It is used by most gym-goers, from athletes, to body builders, to people looking to lose weight. But, just like any other exercise, it can get comfortable and complacent. Once it gets ingrained into your gym routine, it is easy to just perform it mindlessly, over and over again, with the same stance.
If this is you, then you are missing on a huge opportunity to challenge your body further.
Why you should vary your Squat Stances?
If you work on squats through various stances and foot placements, you will bring up weak points you have been holding back. Not only can you fix your weaknesses in the squat, but by training different positions, you can open the door to improved strength in other lifts, such as the deadlift and multiple positions. For athletes, the benefits in varying your stance are great, considering the numerous positions athletes move through in sports. Stance variation can also allow for more muscular balance, which can keep injuries down as well.
Read on for an overview of different squat stances, and their benefits.
Wide Stance
In the wide stance, you want to drive the knees out to avoid stress on the knees.
For this stance, a low-bar position is commonly used. The hips will naturally drive back farther than in a close-stance squat. With this, there will be more hip and hamstring recruitment.
Close Stance
Close-stance squatting can be difficult to do properly for those without much experience training it. Close-stance squats tend to put more emphasis on the quads. A high-bar position is commonly used and for most people, you will not move back as much as in the low-bar, wide-stance squat.
A lot of the emphasis on hips versus quads comes from the centre of gravity and force through the foot. On a wide-stance squat, the weight is further back on the foot and there is more hamstring stretch on the descent. Whereas, in the close-stance counterpart, the weight is on the mid-foot and the knees go slightly further forward, causing emphasis on quads.
At the end of the day, it is important to realise that no matter where you are in your training experience, there is value in occasional stance adjustment. Whether it is to bring up weak points or to keep your body healthy and in balance, varying stance and bar placement can add an element to your training that most of the training world is missing.