Thread: Having trouble keeping my lower legs stable when I squat

Perhaps the load is too heavy. Have you been able to push the same weight without any issues, and this is a new problem?

No, I've been trying to ramp up my weights since I started this program. I'm in the 3rd week and this is the only time I've really felt this was a problem. You could be right though, I could be trying to progress too quickly.

Maybe switching up my stance would help? My stance is pretty narrow, so if I switched to a wider stance, could it correct some of the problems?

Standard form calls for at least shoulder width apart. If you are narrower than that, yes, try widening your stance.

think about spreading the floor next time.

what i mean by that is pushing your feet outward, into the side of your shoe, as if you were trying to spread the floor that you are standing on outward. That should help to engage the abductors (glute max/med, TFL) to maintain femoral control as you extend your hips out of the bottom position.

Work on the idea of spreading the floor and staying tight with your light weights, as you ramp up, to get a feel.

patrick

Ooooh, thanks for the reminder on that "spread the floor" trick. I'm squatting heavier now and need to be mindful of this, myself.

Shoes make a hell of a difference. I squatted in my Nike Shox for a long time, years, ever since I got rid of a super thin/flat soled pair of Diesel sneakers I had which just fell apart on me. Not that stability was a problem, but I was getting some knee pains. One day I decided to squat barefoot and felt great, then Pat posted this article and it sealed the deal for me. I tend to pronate my foot, and having soft soles plus a few hundred pounds on my back did not really work well for my knees. I am now a huge proponent of proper footwear for the activity at hand as I've been in my Samba's for a couple of weeks now, the squat feels more natural and my knee's are thanking the hell out of me.