So i’m having a little problem with my feet flairing out while i squat. I read that i should keep my feet pointed forward, but this is very awkward feeling for me. When i stand normally my left foot is at like 85 degrees and my right at like 45. That feels comfortable. When i squat down, both my feet flair out to about 25 degrees and i have a penguin look.
It seems like i put a lot of pressure on my ankles when i push up and i worry that once i get heavy enough one of the ankles will just give out. When i force myself to keep my feet parallel, there is a lot of pressure on my ankle/lower leg and knee area.
Any ideas what could be wrong or how to stop my feet from flairing out so wide? Thanks a lot.
Don`t get too down on yourself, I think we have all gone through this same situation that you are in. It takes a while to develope a good squatting stance that is truly functional for the desired effect. The main muscles to be worked when squatting are the quads, then the glutes, then the lower back, etc. It will take you some time to develope the proper body position, foot position, and depth, for your type of body.
We all have different builds from which to work, and it takes a while to “mold” yourself into someone that can squat safely, and produce the desired results. When I first started, I hated squatting, but the more I worked at it, the , more I like it. I think its all relative to getting the entire body used to squatting first, by doing lots of reps with light weight, and once youve developed your " squatting zone", then you can start adding plates, and get the benefits that squatting gives us. Hope this helps.
[quote]Wreckless wrote:
Why are you so desperately trying to keep your feet parallel? Why not start with the toes pointing out slightly, say 15??[/quote]
well i read you should have your feet pointing straight ahead…i took that as they should be parallel.
not everyone should squat the same, a stance with your feet parrallel might not be right for your build. the wider an angle you have with your feet the lower you can go. when I squat feet parallel I can just get below the depth I need to qualify a powerlifting squat, but I’ve seen guys who can’t. Find what works and go with it.
“Find what stance works for you. This takes a long time and will take some experimentation. Examine your squatting style and see what top lifter is similar. What stance do they use? Remember not everyone can squat like Chuck Vogelpohl or Steve Goggins. They have perfected their form and technique to suit them. You must do the same. Many people have jumped on the ‘wider is better’ bandwagon when some people need to squat a little bit narrower. Everyone is built differently and has different strengths. It’s your job to find yours.”
I was at the gym and i tried a wider stance and was able to get my thighs parallel comfortably. A wider stance puts more emphasis on my inner thighs right? Will that eventually cause a balance issue with my outer thighs?
from what little I understand (pulling from my scrawny to brawny book) if your feet are flaring outward anyway, it is prolly an inner thigh weakness needing to be addressed. So if squating wide hits your inner thighs harder, any “imbalance” that occurs due to your inner thigh getting buff would be a good thing =)
Its a combination of tight hip external rotators and weak adductors. Stretch your external rotators and include some sumo deadlifts and side step-ups in your program.