Does anyone here feel weaker when they slightly modify their squat stance. Im not sure, maybe it was the prying but I used to squat with feet pointed out shoulder width. Then changed to feet shoulder width slightly pointed out. Then today adapted to a slighty wider than shoulder width with feet slighty out and felt significantly weaker.
Is it because they hit different parts of the leg?
As far as my understanding goes…the closer together your legs are the more you use your quads in the lift. The farther apart the more you’re using your hamstrings and back.
wider also involves the adductors more. also the outside of your hip. to do with shoving your knees out more / harder, i think.
pretty sure it was Ripptoe… but maybe someone else…
where i read that one should treat an adjustment in stance as starting to do a new exercise. in other words, don’t expect to move the weights you moved with a different stance (at least not yet!!) and be sure to warm up for the stance you want to work.
[quote]alexus wrote:
where i read that one should treat an adjustment in stance as starting to do a new exercise. in other words, don’t expect to move the weights you moved with a different stance (at least not yet!!) and be sure to warm up for the stance you want to work.[/quote]
This is what I was thinking. I’m not an expert, so take this with a grain of salt, but it seems to me that it takes a few times for your body to get into the ‘grove’ of a new movement.
Here was what I experienced. I change up my “squat” every 2-3 months, mostly out of boredom.
Back squat to Sumo squat: Weight I could squat went up.
Sumo squat to zercher squat: Weight was cut in half.