Can't find a comfortable foot placement when squatting

blopmiyers

I'm new to exercising regularly and I train my legs once a week. I'm having issues with squatting, I stretch pre and post workout. I can't find a foot placement that seems ckmfortble when I barbell squat. Currently my feet are a bit to the side of shoulder width with my toes slightly pointed out, any narrower and my quads get too tight and it hurts.

shor0814

blopmiyers wrote: »

I'm new to exercising regularly and I train my legs once a week. I'm having issues with squatting, I stretch pre and post workout. I can't find a foot placement that seems ckmfortble when I barbell squat. Currently my feet are a bit to the side of shoulder width with my toes slightly pointed out, any narrower and my quads get too tight and it hurts.

What seems to be the problem with the current foot placement? You described the tight quads with a narrower stance but not the current one.

blopmiyers

shor0814 wrote: »

blopmiyers wrote: »

I'm new to exercising regularly and I train my legs once a week. I'm having issues with squatting, I stretch pre and post workout. I can't find a foot placement that seems ckmfortble when I barbell squat. Currently my feet are a bit to the side of shoulder width with my toes slightly pointed out, any narrower and my quads get too tight and it hurts.

What seems to be the problem with the current foot placement? You described the tight quads with a narrower stance but not the current one.

I just dont feel comfortable while performing it and im fairly sure I'm messing up the movement while performing it with a stance to wide. Ill record myself later to confirm that

Dano74

Congrats on being new AND tackling squats. That's legit.

I don't know that you're messing anything up... you're just refocusing with stance. I mean, sumo squats are wide, wiiiiide. Still a good squat, just more emphasis on glutes and inner adductors.

What I mean to point out is... squats are great and all focus on the quads, hammies, glutes, calves and even hips. The important part is proper form- spine and align and all that. Discomfort from burning muscles is one thing-- pain is quite another.

CipherZero

blopmiyers wrote: »

shor0814 wrote: »

blopmiyers wrote: »

I'm new to exercising regularly and I train my legs once a week. I'm having issues with squatting, I stretch pre and post workout. I can't find a foot placement that seems ckmfortble when I barbell squat. Currently my feet are a bit to the side of shoulder width with my toes slightly pointed out, any narrower and my quads get too tight and it hurts.

What seems to be the problem with the current foot placement? You described the tight quads with a narrower stance but not the current one.

I just dont feel comfortable while performing it and im fairly sure I'm messing up the movement while performing it with a stance to wide. Ill record myself later to confirm that

When you record, try to get a 45-degree angle from the back at around knee height - it's the best angle to see everything that's going on. Make sure both your feet AND at least one end of the bar is in view as well.

DopeItUp

It's just gonna take trial and error. Try feet straight ahead, all the way to feet pointed out 45 degrees. You can have a stance that's super narrow, all the way to having your feet at the edges of the power rack. Just play with it.

Willbenchforcupcakes

DopeItUp wrote: »

It's just gonna take trial and error. Try feet straight ahead, all the way to feet pointed out 45 degrees. You can have a stance that's super narrow, all the way to having your feet at the edges of the power rack. Just play with it.

So much truth here. You will learn through practise what your best squat stance is.

sarahkw04

Throwing in another suggestion... Box squats helped me get my form down. It was probably more of a mind game as it helped me to know "something" was back there to catch me if I dropped anything - never mind the massive man that is my trainer spotting me...

etruscansunited

Other tips:
1. Deliberately plan a sequence with different foot placements. You can refine this over time: do certain foot placements only with specific modes (e.g. sumo only with med ball).
2. Target overhead squats first and with no weight. Use a broom handle. Overhead squats instantly show up poor form compared with other squats. I get newbies to trial these first for their their awareness of their form.
3. Use an incline / decline squat box (for standing on). Better functionally for runners and better generally for all to reduce injury risk. Many manufactured angled boxes for squatting are too small to get wide foot spacing and don't give options for achieving different angles optimal for incline vs decline but you can improvise in a gym (board or weight plates) or make one cheaply for your home gym.

a45cal

If you've got time for a long, but really informative read (or just want to jump to sections you feel are relevant), I found this super helpful on figuring out my own squat: http://strengtheory.com/how-to-squat/

Personally, I have to squat sumo because I have hypermobile knees (they bend backwards when I'm standing and not really minding them) and they just wobble too much for me to be able to find stability in a standard squat. As long as you can successfully get down to/past parallel and back up in good form without pain, I don't think there is a "too wide".

canadianlbs

squats are the bane of my life. the bloody bane, i tell you. two and a bit years in, and i think i'm still just inventing new ways for mine to be either unsafe, uncomfortable or just plain unnatural. i'm still trying to locate 'my' form in a way that will stay with me for more than a few weeks at a time.

i actually find it helpful to re-learn my squats from the bottom up. it's easier for me to start right out in the right posture down there in the hole and then engage the right muscles to help me stand up, than it's ever been to try and second-guess what it will take at the top to deliver me into the hole with the right form.

so when i'm re-learning, i try to do that. i like to stand with a kettlebell between my feet, get down below parallel and make sure my spine is neutral and i have my weight in my posterior chain muscles (hamstrings and bum). and then once i'm properly feeling the right muscles i pick up the bell. pause once again to make sure that i'm still feeling them, fire the glutes and stand up.

i find my feet sort themselves out automatically while i'm down there, for whatever that's worth. it's much easier for me that way, than to stand with a bar on my back trying to guess what is going to be right once i'm there.

Gallowmere1984

With squats, you're going to have to find your own way, and play with it. Some people do well with feet at shoulder width, toes slightly out. Others do well in extremely tight form, toes forward. Personally, I spread the rack, and my toes are out at nearly 90 degrees. I have reeeeaally weird shaped joints, and even when just normally walking, my toes point out to about 75 degrees. If you've ever seen Rhino squat, it looks a lot like that.

The only downside to my way, is that I put a lot more load on my glutes, hips, and hamstrings than my quads. But eh, there's always heavy full ROM leg extensions for bringing those up.

pontious11349

Forget barbells until you have nailed down a beautiful and meaningful air squat. Google 'crossfit squat therapy' and that will walk you through the process. There's all sorts of progressions that can help.