Thread: Squats???

For sure shoulder width. Its the safest way. My knees have definelty become stronger from doing shoulder width stance squats.

Different widths seem to hit different points on the legs. But you have to adjust weight accordingly to stay with good form.

Say if you were to attempt a 1RM, would you want to use a wider stance?

I've heard that the wider the stance, the more weight you can put up. Please correct me if I'm wrong on this one...

I think you are right. the wider the stance the more weight you can handle. But what gives you the most returns in terms of size?

wide stance is going to put you in a solid position for more hip drive (shortening of the glutes since you are externally rotatated), shorten the ROM and place more of the lift on your extensors). This will give you stronger lifts. A narrower stance will increase the ROM and amount of knee flexion you can get into on the eccentric translating to greater amounts of knee extension and activating more quad. Also, when people squat narrow the usually (but not always) squat high bar (olympic style). This will place a good amount of pressure on the back as well as you are placing the bar further away from the axis of rotation (the lumbar spine) and increase the amount of surface area of the back in the thoracis spine so you need to be strong through there so you don't give to much and turn the exercise into and ass tot he grass good morning.

So p-funk are you succesting that for size I should do Narrow stance?

Nice spelling aye? I meant "suggesting"

narrowing the stance should help you with your quad size.

don't harp on my spelling. I type really fast and I am stupid.

Thanks dude. I will have to lower the weight a little but that isn't a big deal for me. rather grow than get hung up on the amount of weight I lift! Thanks Again.

"it is really muscle tension and degree of coordinated neuromuscular activation rather than load lifted which determines the effectiveness of an exercise."

-mel siff

Originally Posted by P-funk

"it is really muscle tension and degree of coordinated neuromuscular activation rather than load lifted which determines the effectiveness of an exercise."

-mel siff

i believe in that 100%, the funny thing being i totally disregard that when I go to the gym

Originally Posted by fUnc17

i believe in that 100%, the funny thing being i totally disregard that when I go to the gym

disregard it? like you go and do half reps or push heavier weight with crap form??

I try and stick to that as much as possible. I am not perfect and my form goes to shit sometimes but I really try and be solid 99% of the time.

I do curls with fucking 30lb dumbbells sometimes... I can do twice that with good form for a "few" reps but when I want a real burn, nice and slow with the 30's baby.

Originally Posted by P-funk

disregard it? like you go and do half reps or push heavier weight with crap form??

I try and stick to that as much as possible. I am not perfect and my form goes to shit sometimes but I really try and be solid 99% of the time.

no.. i've gotten alot better but sometimes I get ahead of myself. its weird sometimes i have the mentality to lower the weight but other times I go all out. I never do half reps, but the "clenliness" of the reps could be better

I personally feel that if you're going to do squats with any kind of weight go with a wider stance. If you're going light weight - high rep; I would say go with a close stance and go below parallel.