Turning Feet Quite Far Out During the Squat?

When I do so my squat can stay upright and feel natural, recently people are harping on about keeping toes pointing forward. Is it ok to have to have toes pointing out, how much of this is just about individual biomechanics?

If it feels natural and you can squat deep enough, keep doing it. Wide stance squatting with feet pointed very far out is mostly utilized by multi-ply powerlifters since they usually get more out of their equipment that way. If you have the hip mobility and it feels more natural for you than other styles, then it’s a good style for you to squat.

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Who’s harping about toes pointing straight forward? I know very few lifters who don’t have some degree of outward foot rotation when squatting.

Kelly Starrett, everyone on reddit :slight_smile: . I just thought I would check I am ok.

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You gotta keep in mind; the majority of people who lift weights fail at it. Listening to the majority on how you should lift weights is a surefire way to join them in failing.

Look at people who have weight squatted big weights or trained other people to squat big weights and consider their opinion on the matter.

Worry about your knee in relation to your toes. There isn’t a right way to place your feet.

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On the money as usual.

I squat medium/wide and my toes are pointed quite far out. Works a treat for me.

It depends on your anthropometry, but generally toes out around thirty degrees, I think, eliminates stress on the knee ligaments - at least that’s what I read.

I asked Thibs this very same question a few days ago, and he said that although mobility experts all preach the toes forward thing, every big squatter in existence turns their toes out

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It’s almost as if you don’t NEED to be the most mobile human on the planet in order to get bigger and stronger.

But then, what will I do with all my foam rollers?

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I guess it comes down to whom do you want to squat like - Thibs or Kelly Starrett?

I save foam rolling for deload weeks. You do a quick light session then bash yourself up.

Then forget that crap at all other times and just warm up with some dynamic movements plus the main lift at lower weight.

I always joked that foam rollers were for single people. Married lifters just nag their spouses for a massage, haha.

I only ever do the main lift for a warm-up, but considering I’m pretty much held together with scar tissue and gorilla tape, I’m probably not the best role model.

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I hear that. If I broke down all the adhesions in my shoulder capsule my arm’d fall off