When squatting heavy, is it better to use a wide grip (outside lines of Olympic bar) or a medium grip (little fingers inside lines of bar)?
if your hands are wide then your elbows will be pointing backwards and you will be forced to lean forwards on the descent to compensate and stay up. if you keep your hands in close you can pull your elbows forwards so that they are directed towards the ground. this will keep you upright and therefore less erector load and more quad load. however, if your after sheer weight to move, youll want the erectors involved so outside is probably better but for bodybuilding purposes inside is better
One factor to consider is what you find to be the most comfortable. If you are a larger framed guy, you would probably feel better with a wider grip.
For me, definitely outside. If you are squatting relatively heavy and us a closer grip, you run the risk of developing rotator tendonitis. I did and am just getting over it 2 months later. Anyway Louis Simmons recomends a wider grip and he is the king of squatting.
It depends on your goals. In general, if you’re squatting “heavy,” you’re probably interested in strength adaptations, so your best option would be to use whichever grip allows you to use the most weight. This will most likely be the wider grip. If you’re currently chasing hypertrophy (reps btw. 8-10), you might benefit from the narrower grip.