[quote]Major Dan wrote:
Dominator-
Regardless of force plates, etc, the vast majority of the strongest squatters in the world use a wide stance.
It has nothing to do with hip tightness.
It is a question of whether your primary power comes from the quads or the posterior chain - hamstrings glutes spinal erectors.
It has been shown that the posterior chain can be stronger. The sit-back wide stance squat is the technique of choice for the 1000 lb squatters.
Consider also that the posterior chain is primary to athletic activity.[/quote]
Who the strongest squatters are is debatable. The Powerlifters have it in record because that’s a tested lift, but it’s a well known fact that many Olympic Lifters have been seen squating these totals with a narrow stance. Shane Hammond squated over 1000 with a narrow stance when he was powerlifting, and Rob Wagner employs a narrow stance as well. Do I think that someone can develope into a strong squater by employing a wide stance…certainly, but I believe it more out of necessity rather than ideal function. Also, saying that the posterior chain strength is the reason to squat with a wide stance doesn’t jive with me either. Russian research has shown that the force production of the pull in the Snatch and Clean was unmatched by any other athlete tested, and biomechanicly the pull is just about all posterior chain aside from the initial seperation from the floor, and again this was done with a narrow stance. If it was advantagous to employ a wider stance in the pull to activate the posterior chain, then you’d see just about every Olympic Lifter using that stance.
I don’t want to turn this into OL vs PL argument…I simply want to play the other side and show that the science doesn’t necessarily back the wider stance, but rather both stances can work equally as well as long as it is correctly matched with that person lever system and flexibility.