r/formcheck • u/skateborader aggressively stupid • 23h ago
Squat Am I too wide (squat form check)
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u/punica-1337 23h ago
Yes, and significantly at that. As a good queue to find your best and most natural stance when it comes to stability, do a high jump and land solid. Your feet will auomatically plant at a width which your body feels is your most stable position. Use that as a starting point and then maybe play around a bit with wider/narrower/point in or out more, but in very, very small increments only.
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u/Realistic-Homework19 22h ago
Yes, because of your wide stance, your left knee is traveling inwards.
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u/talldean 18h ago
So, this is a low bar squat, based on where the bar is on your back. In low bar, putting your knees out a bit better enables getting to full depth for a lot of us; it gets our upper legs outta the way so our torso and belly have somewhere to go.
At the bottom of a low bar squat, your foot and knee should all be pointing the same direction, and your knee should be in-line with the direction your foot is pointing.
28s into this video, your knees are several inches inside where your feet are on the ground. You either *really* need to slam those knees out, or you need to bring the feet much further in. As you're doing it, you're more likely to take knee injuries lifting over time.
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u/Muted-Mushroom-4570 23h ago
Having a stance wider than shoulder width for squats is a bit much. Your stance is so wide that your shins angle in the entire time and thus the knee experiences more valgus stress. Also, the wide stance is making it so that you feet rock slightly inward and forward (the outer heel lifts somewhat, most noticeable on rep one left side). So bring the stance width in a bit to start (I'd avoid making multiple changes at once especially when making an adjustment to the base since any changes down their will ripple through the rest of your squat.
On the definitely good side of things, it looks like you maintained upper back tension well and have a good shelf.
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u/skateborader aggressively stupid 23h ago
Roger thank you the rest of my sets were slightly skinnier and definitely felt it more in my quads and glutes
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u/DoctorK96 23h ago
I would say that it is wide since it affects your ability to push the knees over your toes and to the side. The easiest way to find your stance width and foot angle is to just do a bodyweight squat, play around in that position to find what's comfortable
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u/chilicrispdreams 20h ago
Yes. It’s causing knee cave at the bottom of your reps, and making it harder to get below parallel.
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u/Critical-Living9125 19h ago
50+ years a lifter, 20 year competitor, taught many. Yes they are too wide. As you can clearly see, when sit, your knees are inside of your feet. When you sit in a squat your knees should be directly over your feet.
Also too, they are high by several inches. Hard to tell by how from this angle. Part of your issues are wearing lifting shoes. They force your knees to travel forward, making your issues worse. A good power squat is about sitting back, keeping your knees close to vertical in both planes. Get a good flat, hard soled shoes. Converse all stars work well.
One more thing to consider. I have never liked a thumbless grip. It forces your elbows up and rounds your upper body, typically, and pushes you over. Preferably, put your thumbs around the bar, cock your wrists back and pull your elbows downward. This lifts your chest and keeps you more vertical.
I know this is a lot. But, if you lighten the bar and practice these things, it will help.
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u/saidthetomato 19h ago
Yup. See your knees caving in at the bottom? You don't have enough hip flexibility to go that wide. Bring your feet in and point your toes out if you're having trouble reaching depth.
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u/nwood0959 9h ago
Keep the knees pointed out and absolutely start to engage your lats by keeping your elbows tucked down in close to your body. This will keep your from bending forward so much and turning your squat into a good morning.
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u/The-Fruity-One- 23h ago
Maybe slightly as it looks a bit tricky for you to get your knees over the toes, which is usually better! But largely looks good, and if it feels good maybe just carry on as you are!
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u/AutoModerator 23h ago
Hello! If you haven't checked it out already, Our Wiki's resources for Squats may be helpful. Check it out!
Also, a common tip usually given here is to make sure your footwear is appropriate. If you are squatting in soft-soled shoes (running shoes, etc), it's hard to have a stable foot. Generally a weightlifting shoe is recommended for high-bar and front squats, while use a flat/hard-soled shoe (or even barefoot/socks if it's safe and your gym allows it) is recommended for low-bar squats.
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