Ok, quick info. Been training less than a year, about 9 months to be exact. My 1RM is 315lbs. I use a traditional stance.
Lately, since I’m more into PL than bodybuilding, I’ve been considering doing wide stance. I hear how you can benefit from it and what not.
But I also have heard horror stories of just how taxing it can be on your hips. I read of one older powerlifter who had hip replacement after 20 years of doing strictly wide-stance.
So I guess this is geared more for people who have been into PL for at least a decade. Just how bad are wide stance squats? Also, what do you feel the benefits are of wide vs conventional?
It comes down to the person, its naive to think after 20 years of heavy lifting you wont have some damage to your body. Use the stance that gives you the most power, some bodies are better suited closer stance some wider ext. Experiment with the two and see which you like more.
Some would say that doing both sumo and conventional squats (via periodization) could help prevent injuries that one can get by doing only one exclusively.
i rotate olympic squats and wide stance PL type squats. although i can squat more with the widestance, i still do oly squats. wait for more input im sure theres a lot more to come.
I would confidently state that the VAST MAJORITY of people are stronger squatting with a just outside shoulder width stance while raw, when goign to below //.
The only guys I’ve seen do really well with the wider stances raw are SHW’s like Siders and Thompson who are juust crazy thick thru the mid section and hips.
I think a wider stance does help you move more weight, but it is taxing on the hips. In my opinion, if overall strength is your goal, most people should focus on the Olympic squat. If you are a powerlifter though, you should do whatever helps you lift the most.
[quote]Ryan P. McCarter wrote:
I think a wider stance does help you move more weight, but it is taxing on the hips. In my opinion, if overall strength is your goal, most people should focus on the Olympic squat. If you are a powerlifter though, you should do whatever helps you lift the most.[/quote]
This made no sense. You can move more weight wide, but for strength you should squat olympic? Unless I’m mistaken, using more weight will make you stronger.
Aren’t there powerlifters who squat using olympic style? (Unless I’m mistaken, but I’ve seen a few pics of big dudes going rock-bottom conventional style)
[quote]ab_power wrote:
Aren’t there powerlifters who squat using olympic style? (Unless I’m mistaken, but I’ve seen a few pics of big dudes going rock-bottom conventional style)[/quote]
Yes, it comes down to body type again. If your stronger narrow, use narrow. Most however are not built for narrow squatting, unless your really compact and have short legs. Hanley is pretty much spot on that a little wider then shoulder width is probably the most common and comfortable for most people.
[quote]ab_power wrote:
Aren’t there powerlifters who squat using olympic style? (Unless I’m mistaken, but I’ve seen a few pics of big dudes going rock-bottom conventional style)[/quote]
It largely depends on federation.
IPF/Single Ply = deep squats, stance not too far outside shoulders
Multi Ply = more gear, and more support. Sitting way back into the gear winds it up better and you get better carryover. To be able to do that you need an ultra wide stance.
Standing wader improves leverages. The focus here is putting stress on the entire body and using as efficient a lifting style as possible.
Standing sloser gets longer range of motion over the joints involved and more muscle activity = a strentgh builder.
Wade Hoope also squats real wide. But I must agree with Hanley. Very few squat very wide in the IPF. It is too hard to make depth and the gear is simply different in the IPF.
Musch like bench pressing will many be stronger if the work a bit closer than maximum width raw.
[quote]ptpoul wrote:
Standing wader improves leverages. The focus here is putting stress on the entire body and using as efficient a lifting style as possible.
Standing sloser gets longer range of motion over the joints involved and more muscle activity = a strentgh builder.
Wade Hoope also squats real wide. But I must agree with Hanley. Very few squat very wide in the IPF. It is too hard to make depth and the gear is simply different in the IPF.
Musch like bench pressing will many be stronger if the work a bit closer than maximum width raw.[/quote]
Using the monolift makes these ultra wide stance squats possible also. It would be a bitch to walk one out, set up, lift, walk it back in with an ultra wide stance
Hanley what do u consider wide for raw: each of my feet are about a foot wider than my shoulder is in the line, so its about a total of two feet more than shoulderwidth to give u an idea my feet are close to touching id not touching the edge on most power racks:) (raw btw)
[quote]masonator wrote:
Ryan P. McCarter wrote:
I think a wider stance does help you move more weight, but it is taxing on the hips. In my opinion, if overall strength is your goal, most people should focus on the Olympic squat. If you are a powerlifter though, you should do whatever helps you lift the most.
This made no sense. You can move more weight wide, but for strength you should squat olympic? Unless I’m mistaken, using more weight will make you stronger.[/quote]
Yes, you are mistaken. I’m surprised I have to point this out to you. Deficit deadlifts are harder than regular deadlifts, and require you to use less weight.
Will they make your regular deadlift stronger? Most people would say yes. Box squats are harder than regular squats. Will they make your regular squat stronger? Again, most would say yes.
I can move a ton of weight in a quarter squat. Will it make my full squat go up? No.
[quote]bignate wrote:
hanley what do u consider wide for raw: each of my feet are about a foot wider than my shoulder is in the line, so its about a total of two feet more than shoulderwidth to give u an idea my feet are close to touching id not touching the edge on most power racks:) (raw btw)[/quote]
Using power rack as a gage of how wide doesn’t work since height has a bigger factor in that. I’m tall so I can’t even fit in most power racks. Does it really matter though? If your going below parallel and you strong with your stance use it.
[quote]Ryan P. McCarter wrote:
masonator wrote:
Ryan P. McCarter wrote:
I think a wider stance does help you move more weight, but it is taxing on the hips. In my opinion, if overall strength is your goal, most people should focus on the Olympic squat. If you are a powerlifter though, you should do whatever helps you lift the most.
This made no sense. You can move more weight wide, but for strength you should squat olympic? Unless I’m mistaken, using more weight will make you stronger.
Yes, you are mistaken. I’m surprised I have to point this out to you. Deficit deadlifts are harder than regular deadlifts, and require you to use less weight. Will they make your regular deadlift stronger? Most people would say yes. Box squats are harder than regular squats. Will they make your regular squat stronger? Again, most would say yes.
I can move a ton of weight in a quarter squat. Will it make my full squat go up? No.
[/quote]
Narrow stance is not a deficit. Narrow stance emphasizes quads, while wide emphasizes more glute/hams(a MUCH larger muscle group). I am not saying oly style is not a good accessory movement, because they are.
However, I am saying wider squats (if you can lift more this style) are more efficient at building strength. Your box squat comment is contradictory: Box squatting (in my opinion, the most useful style for strength) is meant to be done WIDE. So how is Oly squatting better again?
Good point shizen, im 6 4’’ but luckily the powerrack i ordered happened to be wider than the ones at school so i was glad cuz i could actually fit in it
I’m 6’4" and I always preffered slightly wider than shoulder width deep squats. I have done cycles of box squats using a wider stance in the past and it hurts my hips and knees usually. I much prefer going way below parallel.
I can definetely feel hams activating this way and my arse is usually the part that noticeably grows after a smolov squat cycle or other squat specialisation program as well quads.
