Thread: squats - sumo vs. narrow vs. traditional

A wider stance allows me to go down further and thus activates my posterior chain more effectively.

Depends what your goals are. Nothing like a good set of olympic squats to stress the quads and glutes.

Originally Posted by fufu

Depends what your goals are. Nothing like a good set of olympic squats to stress the quads and glutes.

Olympic style is awesome. Thats how ive always done them till recently.

I think the best way to do them is to change the style every so often.

how wide is wide? To wide will kill your hips (unless you are using gear like squat briefs and a squat suit).

Originally Posted by P-funk

how wide is wide? To wide will kill your hips (unless you are using gear like squat briefs and a squat suit).

P-funk, I do them just outside of shoulder width, with my feet pointing straight ahead. I do down all the way until my hamstrings hit my calves. When I do this, my chest is almost touching my quads, and my knees flair out a bit to the sides. I don't feel any pain or uncomfortable in any way, but am I too much at risk?

Originally Posted by DOMS

P-funk, I do them just outside of shoulder width, with my feet pointing straight ahead. I do down all the way until my hamstrings hit my calves. When I do this, my chest is almost touching my quads, and my knees flair out a bit to the sides. I don't feel any pain or uncomfortable in any way, but am I too much at risk?

I don't think 'just outside of shoulder with' constitutes excessively wide. If I squat in olympic shoes I am really narrow (like when I front squat), but if I squat in flat shoes, I can't attain the same depth, so I take my stance out a bit around shoulder width (a little wider than hip width) and it is no big deal.

Excessively wide would be like some of the guys from westside BB squat, but again, they are using squatting gear.

Why do you squat with your toes straight ahead though? Externally rotate them a little bit and activate the glutes. Plus, the knee has some rotation to it when you lock out at the top of the movement.

Originally Posted by P-funk

I don't think 'just outside of shoulder with' constitutes excessively wide. If I squat in olympic shoes I am really narrow (like when I front squat), but if I squat in flat shoes, I can't attain the same depth, so I take my stance out a bit around shoulder width (a little wider than hip width) and it is no big deal.

Excessively wide would be like some of the guys from westside BB squat, but again, they are using squatting gear.

Why do you squat with your toes straight ahead though? Externally rotate them a little bit and activate the glutes. Plus, the knee has some rotation to it when you lock out at the top of the movement.

I wasn't worried about the width, just the flaring of the knees.

I do it with feet straight ahead because it feels the most comfortable. At most, I do it with my feet externally rotated about 10 degrees.

Originally Posted by DOMS

I wasn't worried about the width, just the flaring of the knees.

I do it with feet straight ahead because it feels the most comfortable. At most, I do it with my feet externally rotated about 10 degrees.

when you say flaring out, what do you mean?

The knee should line up over the toes. You don't want the knee to buckle in or to flare out (excessive abduction) and not maintain optimal alignment.

Originally Posted by P-funk

Why do you squat with your toes straight ahead though? Externally rotate them a little bit and activate the glutes. Plus, the knee has some rotation to it when you lock out at the top of the movement.

Arg, huh. I thought external rotation of the feet was evil.

Originally Posted by Nate K

Arg, huh. I thought external rotation of the feet was evil.

slight rotation of the foot when squatting isn't bad.

Originally Posted by Nate K

Arg, huh. I thought external rotation of the feet was evil.

It's when your foot externally rotates without your concious intervention that you have a problem.


In response to the original post, I think both forms of squatting are great. If you go PL wide, then you can't go down quite as far, but you can still break parallel for sure. You also hit up the posterior chain more and move more weight (Assuming you have the technique down), which is why powerlifters squat that way. However, you get more ROM, more quad action, and less forward lean when you squat Olympic style. I prefer Olympic style, though I do rock the PL squats occasionally.

Originally Posted by P-funk

when you say flaring out, what do you mean?

The knee should line up over the toes. You don't want the knee to buckle in or to flare out (excessive abduction) and not maintain optimal alignment.

My knees move about halfway from above the feet.

Originally Posted by DOMS

My knees move about halfway from above the feet.

are you bow-legged? Do you walk bow-legged? Do you have knee pain?

Originally Posted by P-funk

are you bow-legged? Do you walk bow-legged? Do you have knee pain?

No to all.

Originally Posted by P-funk

when you say flaring out, what do you mean?

The knee should line up over the toes. You don't want the knee to buckle in or to flare out (excessive abduction) and not maintain optimal alignment.

My knees Adduct near the top of the squat when coming out of the hole. Do more abduction work?

Originally Posted by Brutus_G

My knees Adduct near the top of the squat when coming out of the hole. Do more abduction work?

yea, work on some glute strength if your knees are bowing in. Also, slow down the tempo, lower the weight and drill technique. Work on isometric sits in the hole and slower eccentrics and really work on positioning during the squat.

pardon my ignorance but what do u mean by olympic squats!!!