I’m the same... the reason Courtney squats in that position is because of the proportion of her femur to her leg bones, she has long femurs relative to her lower legs. If you squat similarly you might notice you have similar lower body proportions. In the squat this puts more torque on the knee to squat when using traditional form, with knees tracking directly over your feet. Instead to compensate it’s better to widen the feet and focus on keeping your knees out and it takes pressure off the knees. Everyone’s biomechanically different and surprisingly humans come in various configurations, so finding the lifting technique that works with your physiology is critical.
@@DPMixing just thought I'd add that the femur/tibia proportion you're talking about could explain the wide stance, but pointing the feet out is likely needed to allow the femur to clear the illium, as Dr. Quinn is saying in the video (more external rotation). Then of course there's always that one guy who is 90% legs but still squats with a narrow stance haha. We are wonderfully created!
It looks like now i know why i struggle to progress in squats. I do it like Colin but feel not right -weak position, wiggly abit....i already know that Courtesy s position ll suit me more- middle aged white European
Great video. I spent years banging my hips up thinking there was some optimal squat position I needed to aspire to, and only recently accepted that my anatomy requires me to squat with a relatively narrow, toes out position, that finally allows me to squat pain free. I wish I had this information years ago, rather than listening to these mobility "gurus" that are selling so-called optimal human movement. No amount of foam rolling or banded hip distraction will change your hip socket.
OMG! Me too! I thought I had to squat a certain way or I was not getting any benefit. Too much pain so I did other exercises and avoided squats. So nice to be reminded to listen to my body.
I'm a tall, novice lifter and I've been struggling for almost a full year trying to figure out how to squat in a way that felt good. This video is GOLD! I realized a stance like Cortney is what feels natural for my hips. This information needs to be spread!
Really needed this. Like Courtney I squat with a very wide stance naturally and I had a trainer who kept saying it's wrong and forced me to squat with straight toes and narrow feet. It totally put me off squats and even affected my self confidence a bit. I am getting back to squats now and even more encouraged after watching this. Thanks. 😊
in the first two minutes of this video I learned the most natural way for me to sqaut is a-OK. For months I tried by the book way but it never felt right. Thanks for this video
I've been given so much 'advice', " bring your feet closer", "don't open up your feet" etc etc but now I can finally get in a comfortable position armed with the right knowledge
I've been experiencing pain in my right hip for these past two weeks after my workouts and I started to get worried that I wouldn't be able to squat heavy anymore, even though I'm pretty religious with my warm-ups and mobility exercises. I tried experimenting after this video and I compared my current squat stance (feet just outside of shoulder width, pointed out) with a narrow stance where my legs were more or less straight with my feet underneath my hips and pointed out. Whereas my hip would fire up when I just got down to parallel with the wide stance, I didn't feel a thing with the stance I tried out. Almost unbelievable that something so simple could make a huge difference! I think you saved my hips! Thanks!
Ignorance to these videos or correct form. Ego grows over time as well. Could be they started fine but wanted to see more numbers too fast and sacrificed depth. That's my hypothesis.
So I started watching this video and then remembered that I did legs a month ago, so just going to go do chest and biceps. Good luck with squatting though brah
I have been working on my squat stance and groove a lot this year (still has a ways to go), but my God once you can hit the hole comfortably you'll love squatting!
Ever since I came upon your channel, I've gained so much knowledge as well as physical capabilities from your videos and benefitted me immensely over the past couple months. Thank you so much for all these informative videos! And the best part is that they're free of charge. Please continue to keep up the good work! Cheers, from Canada!
After years of training... hurting my psoas, buttwink, erc while squatting... thinking what was wrong, ankle mobility? Bracing? Looking up to those "perfect narrow squats". I'm just like that girl who has more external rotation than internal... can't wait to go to the gym and try the new stance
By far the most comprehensive breakdown of the intricacies of squatting. "Going ass to grass" should not be the only cue for new and seasoned lifters alike, and this video is testament. Great content, kudos!
Anonymous Brahette Doc was just messing/joking around with her. Things can get drab quick if you allow yourself to just stay clinical. Joking some helps keep things light, and people comfortable. Hell, it gave me a laugh.
I feel like crying. I heard for years about how my toes should be forward and how I need a narrow stance to do a squat properly, when at the end of the day I'm a big-boned, wide-hip, 5'0" woman and always felt better with a posture that essentially mimicked my own body structure. It was so demoralizing to feel as if I couldn't even do a basic exercise "properly" that I lost so much confidence and motivation. Now I'm over 30 lbs overweight and desperately want to get healthy again, so it's such a relief to finally hear from an actual PhD that yes, the squat I can do comfortably is the correct squat for me, and odds are I know my body better than anyone else when it comes to other exercises too. Thanks Dr. Quinn!
Wow that mobility exercise explains a lot. I have 90° external rotation and basically 0° internal rotation, it explains why I like sitting cross-legged. I also squat like Colin, I've tried wider because I see videos with people saying to point toes out and widen your stance but Colin's squat looks spot on, narrow and feet quite straight. Thanks Dr Henoch.
Juggernaut Training Systems I was wondering if you could how to do powerlifting movements with maximum safety and good technique while having hypermobile joints? I've found it's a rather rare problem in the powerlifting world and it's difficult to find concrete advice about how best to take care while doing powerlifting especially in squats and deadlifts.
This is the kind of next-level knowledge that makes me REALLY appreciate this channel. Just for fun, I tried out the test while lying down and the results are pretty interesting: Like Courtney, I can get a ton of external rotation (I get 90 degrees inward with ease) but barely any internal rotation. But like Colin, I can get my knee to almost touch my chest when I go straight up without opening up. So... If I'm getting this correctly, it does make a lot of sense that I prefer to squat with a relatively narrow stance with the toes angled out. My question is: What implication does the hip structure have regarding the sumo deadlift stance? What I've found out recently is that I get a lot of hip joint pain from doing a sumo with a moderately wide stance and toes angled out quite a bit. This kind of sucks for me as I think I could pull more with sumo than with conventional with enough practice, but well, if my hips are getting beat up with just one session of sumo, then there's no way I could train the movement regularly. I'm sure there are many other factors involved regarding this; however, my hunch is that it has a lot to do with my hip morphology. Any thoughts? Thanks Team JTS!
YungJuve - Is it easy to extend your back when you have your knees up in your chest with that narrow stance? I like to have mirror to double check that my back i actually straight when Im doing the drill. I can get my knees to my nose in any squat position if I round my back.
YungJuve that makes a lot of sense about the sumo squat, actually. It means that you're more built for the conventional deadlift. If you still want to sumo, just get more narrow with it
Me and you have the same exact hip anatomy (not exact but we are pretty much the same) and my natural strength is the conventional deadlift (makes sense because it's a narrow stance and I'm very comfortable with it) our hips (I'm speaking about me and u specifically) are VERY uncomfortable going wide, so I would say build up ur conventional. Plus, sumo deadlifts don't count ;)
I can’t wait to get in the gym on my next leg day and try this. My squat (were its most comfortable) is just like hers. But I’ve had trainers try and get me to squat like he does and it’s so awkward and painful that I just don’t squat. If and when I do, I use the landmine so that my back isn’t loaded up with weight and I can hold on to squat “normal” thank you for the info. I feel like my whole routine is about to change!!!
This video literally changed my squat life. The whole time I was having trouble getting low, thinking I had mobility issues. Come to find out, all I needed to do was go to a slightly wider stance with toes pointed out (as shown in this video), and now I can get ass to grass with my squats!! Thank you for posting and opening our minds to the reality of no one-size-fits all squat that we have been brainwashed to believe. Very few things in life are like that, why would squats be one of them?? Thank you again!!
I'm fairly new to squatting, about 2 months now and have been squatting like Cortney. Thought I'd squat properly and try to squat like Colin. Now my knees are sore. Glad I saw this video. Going to stick with my old style and will probably just spend a couple of workouts seeing what is optimal for myself. Thanks!
Woah!! You just blew my mind and changed my life!! I was always trying to fit in the cookie cutter mold of squats and they are so uncomfortable. I'm going to try a wide stance tomorrow. I'm so excited!!
I need to have this book marked so when our “gym bro” tries to “fix” my squat I can just hold up video instead of having to tell him that my hips don’t work the way he thinks they should.
Thank you so much for this video. It is a shame you guys only have 79k subs. I have not been able to find a more comprehensive source for lifting. Seriously, thank you.
Im so happy i found this video. Iv squated wide naturally for months someone came in the gym yesterday and corrected me and i started to do a but wink. I was lifting heavy for a while thinking the but wink was normal to find myself struggling to tie my shoe laces. Now i know that it was normal to begin with and i should not listern to people who have no idea!!
Dude thank you very much for this video, I have had multiple lower back injuries due to squat with legs close, I couldn’t even squat 35lbs plate without severe lower back pain. Everyone kept telling me I have weak legs and poor mobility so I worked on my mobility and leg strength for a year and still I couldn’t squat. I came across this video and I decided to make my stance wider, i felt so comfortable, in just a week I can now squat two 45lbs plates on each side 😭😭, thank you very much I just want you to know that I appreciate you.
Holy shit this is amazing information. When laying down my internal rotation is like almost absolute 0. Ive been forcing myself ontop of squatting incorrectly for a more narrow stance. I have alot of body-rebuilding to do, but thank you JTS this shit is golden
I really appreciate his explanation for wide or short stance/space for squat; absolutely is going to be different for everybody...I feel every trainer should first get this straight, difference between person to person, especially male and female hip anatomy. It cant be one squat position for everyone.......very true.
Great video, and it’s the idea there isn’t always a gold standard in many exercises. Many Trainers ‘teach, people without understanding anatomical differences and would correct people how to do exercises as their idea of the exercise or by their personal experience. Many people like to learn from the internet, but some just copy what they see, without understanding what they are doing. This presentation sheds lignt on this issue. Thanks
I wish I had know about this sooner, hated the squat because i tried to have that perfect narrow stance. Now wide stance feet out makes me love the squat again ! Thank you
I can squat ONLY as Courtney does, so using a little wider toes stence. Nevertheless, my PT always told me it was wrong, he insisted I should squat in a narrower way (using the stence we commonly see at gyms), but I'm really not able to do it.
Thank you so much for this video. I was afraid of doing barbell squats for a long time, despite being able to pull pretty heavy, because my ex would always try to correct my squat form. Squatting his way NEVER felt natural to me and I hated squats. I don't have especially long femurs, but I do have a wider pelvis and flat feet, and a sumo type squat with feet angled out 45 degrees honestly feels the best for me!
Extremely helpful and explains why I tend to get injured when I go even a bit wider than I usually do: the weight forces my hips past the safe zone, stretches them too much and they get hurt. I don't have enough depth in my natural hip movement when my legs are wider. BUT, I'm really pretty good with a narrow squat. At the same time, I like my feet pointed out, just as this analysis suggests. So, for me narrow stance with feet out is correct. Thank you!
This really helped me thank you! I did all the drills and then I did them all to my roommate lol! I feel so better knowing I can leave my feet turned out instead of always trying to think about and fight for them to stay forward!
Thank you so much for this! I have tried everything to do the “cookie cutter” squat and felt defeated every time. I’m fairly new to squatting and I’m ready to give it another try! 🙂
Thank you for this I've injured my "good" knee trying to do the ideal form and not what was comfortable I always thought there was something wrong with me
Great Video! I am like Courtney. I have been told that I squat wrong because my legs are wider. This is an an important video to explain how we are all different and how to figure out what is best for us.
Thanks for sharing this great video! I like how you incorporate real athletes to show differences in technique and anatomy. I recommend continued learning to all of my Live Good Fitness clients. Your videos absolutely meet that criteria. Thanks again!
I have a malformation in my left femoral head that happenned when I was a child(LCP syndrome). I cannot find any information about progressive overload training in those cases. At least this video was critical to understand my hip structure; that I'm completely functional squatting, and I see benefits to my hip health since squatting properly for me. Thank you JTS Team!
Thank you. I've always been trying to get closer when a wider stance is much more comfortable. Long legs much wider up top built for speed and jumping far/high. Can still deadlift my bench/squat combined weight but hopefully embracing my natural stance will change that soon.
This was pretty slow of me to realize...but now I am also taking in to account the pelvic structure when squatting. Men have a more narrow pelvis, and maybe that is why it is so easy for them to have a narrow foot stance. Where as women who have a wide pelvis need a wide stance. Now I don't feel bad for the way I squat
It's great that you're educating and spreading good information, Quinn. We don't know the current prevalence of hip morphology in the general population because it's variable. For example, prevalance ranges anywhere from 5-75% based on a review of the current evidence pertaining to cam lesions alone. Unfortunately, there is no easy method in identifying dysfunctional hip arthrokinematics and the "special tests" special tests tend to be impractical to perform in the gym setting. Therefore, it seems most appropriate to use the SFMA or the FMS to quickly determine what movements are safe for an athlete to perform. Also, it appears Courtney may have hip instability based on your assessment of IR/ER PROM and the AAOS normal values. That foot flat position is an indicator that she's generating insufficient rotational stability throughout the lower kinetic chain, which will likely lead to degenerative changes over time throughout that chain as well. Those of you reading this just remember that you cannot figure these things out based on squatting and PROM testing of the hip joint alone- although it would be nice if it were that simple. The body is a system of systems and regional interdependence must always be considered. If you're seeing a PT for hip problems be sure they are competent and have them read this first www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4004130/pdf/ijspt-04-256.pdf #functionalmovemntscreen #mobilityvsstability #physiofitrx
Thank you for this informative look at listening to your body to find your best squat position! I definitely know that form is everything when it comes to lifting, but sometimes we have to take into account our own particular anatomy. We are not all built exactly the same way, and sometimes I might need to make adjustments based on how my body naturally moves, and my joint structure. I have hurt myself in the past trying to do certain exercises the "correct"way! BTW, totally off-topic, but Courtney's hair is so cute! I love the color :)
How do you watch this and then hit the dislike button. What about this great info was so bad that you kit dislike. Some people are just assholes for real. Great video man.
Such a good content! I was feeling something wrong up into my pelvis from the past two weeks that I entered in the gym, now I could fiz the problem - I was opening too little. Pay attention to that and you may find yourself free of lots of pain!
This is by far the best explained video of why som epeople can squat narrow, and others can't. I can't squat narrow, preferring a wider, toes out stance.
I thought for the longest time my knees just weren't made for squatting, because I'd always feel some slight joint pain. Turns out, I just needed a wider stance and point my toes outwards a bit. Thanks for the great video!
This makes a whole lot of sense! I use the same squat position as Courtney's. Before seeing this video, I've actually been doing quadruped squatting for stretching, and it feels a lot better when my legs are wider and my feet are narrow. +1 sub
Sure there is an optimal 'strongest' stance for each lifter based on pelvic anatomy. But do you think intentionally working with an 'uncomfortable stance' - perhaps with a reduced load - would help fix some weaknesses, and carry over to making your strong stance, even stronger ? Just wondering. Super video BTW!
Courtney is me! I mean, sure, I’m a middle-aged black man, but you get the point.
I’m the same... the reason Courtney squats in that position is because of the proportion of her femur to her leg bones, she has long femurs relative to her lower legs. If you squat similarly you might notice you have similar lower body proportions. In the squat this puts more torque on the knee to squat when using traditional form, with knees tracking directly over your feet. Instead to compensate it’s better to widen the feet and focus on keeping your knees out and it takes pressure off the knees. Everyone’s biomechanically different and surprisingly humans come in various configurations, so finding the lifting technique that works with your physiology is critical.
@@DPMixing just thought I'd add that the femur/tibia proportion you're talking about could explain the wide stance, but pointing the feet out is likely needed to allow the femur to clear the illium, as Dr. Quinn is saying in the video (more external rotation). Then of course there's always that one guy who is 90% legs but still squats with a narrow stance haha. We are wonderfully created!
A 6' Courtney
It looks like now i know why i struggle to progress in squats. I do it like Colin but feel not right -weak position, wiggly abit....i already know that Courtesy s position ll suit me more- middle aged white European
🤣🤣🤣👍👍 I feel ya man! Been using the narrow stance for years and just started wide stance and it feels 150% better!
Great video. I spent years banging my hips up thinking there was some optimal squat position I needed to aspire to, and only recently accepted that my anatomy requires me to squat with a relatively narrow, toes out position, that finally allows me to squat pain free. I wish I had this information years ago, rather than listening to these mobility "gurus" that are selling so-called optimal human movement. No amount of foam rolling or banded hip distraction will change your hip socket.
same here, I fucked up my knees trying to perform a "perfect squat"
TomVan w.
☺
OMG! Me too! I thought I had to squat a certain way or I was not getting any benefit. Too much pain so I did other exercises and avoided squats. So nice to be reminded to listen to my body.
his form can be very good, depends on the lifter...
Haha almost tore a groin trying to listen to people like that!
I'm a tall, novice lifter and I've been struggling for almost a full year trying to figure out how to squat in a way that felt good. This video is GOLD! I realized a stance like Cortney is what feels natural for my hips. This information needs to be spread!
6 years on and this video will forever be useful
This video helped my squat more than anything else I've seen. I've been lifting for 15 years.
Kyle L. Smith glad to hear it
Kyle L. Smith same
@@스텔-c6o nice pfp. What does ur username say?
@@mihailmilev9909 lol thx username is a nickname for yeji + hermit crab cus the pfp looks like one lol yeji from itzy
My squat stance is like Cortney's (wide, toes out). So glad to learn it's not something I need to "correct"!
This video is MONEY! Every trainer should watch this, awesome way to dial everything in. Thanks for the quality work!
Robert Weeks totally agree
Nice pfp, where it from?
@@KrystenJanzen nice pfp too
@@mihailmilev9909 custom made by a friend
Really needed this. Like Courtney I squat with a very wide stance naturally and I had a trainer who kept saying it's wrong and forced me to squat with straight toes and narrow feet. It totally put me off squats and even affected my self confidence a bit. I am getting back to squats now and even more encouraged after watching this. Thanks. 😊
Comforting to see someone (Corntey) in this sport that squats the way I do. Nice video!
in the first two minutes of this video I learned the most natural way for me to sqaut is a-OK. For months I tried by the book way but it never felt right. Thanks for this video
Same here. I have hip structure similar to the girl it seems.
I'm a new lifter myself and trying to figure out the correct technique to squat so this was very useful! Thank you
I've been given so much 'advice', " bring your feet closer", "don't open up your feet" etc etc but now I can finally get in a comfortable position armed with the right knowledge
I've been experiencing pain in my right hip for these past two weeks after my workouts and I started to get worried that I wouldn't be able to squat heavy anymore, even though I'm pretty religious with my warm-ups and mobility exercises. I tried experimenting after this video and I compared my current squat stance (feet just outside of shoulder width, pointed out) with a narrow stance where my legs were more or less straight with my feet underneath my hips and pointed out. Whereas my hip would fire up when I just got down to parallel with the wide stance, I didn't feel a thing with the stance I tried out. Almost unbelievable that something so simple could make a huge difference! I think you saved my hips! Thanks!
I'll never understand how people will come in the gym & do quarter squats with information like this available on the web for free.
Ross Pierre-Louis exactly
believe me, there are still tons of PTs in the gym who trying to teach quarter sumo wide squats holding stall bars from the top. disgusting.
Ignorance to these videos or correct form. Ego grows over time as well. Could be they started fine but wanted to see more numbers too fast and sacrificed depth. That's my hypothesis.
At least they do smth as oppose as the 30%+ Americans who do nothing and are obese.
Because the not correct information is also free and way more saturated accross the webosphere.
I have struggled with terrible squat form forever, and videos like this are pure gold, thank you!
So I started watching this video and then remembered that I did legs a month ago, so just going to go do chest and biceps. Good luck with squatting though brah
I have been working on my squat stance and groove a lot this year (still has a ways to go), but my God once you can hit the hole comfortably you'll love squatting!
This is literally one of the most informative videos I've ever watched, great stuff Dr Henoch!!
Ever since I came upon your channel, I've gained so much knowledge as well as physical capabilities from your videos and benefitted me immensely over the past couple months. Thank you so much for all these informative videos! And the best part is that they're free of charge. Please continue to keep up the good work!
Cheers, from Canada!
Thanks
After years of training... hurting my psoas, buttwink, erc while squatting... thinking what was wrong, ankle mobility? Bracing? Looking up to those "perfect narrow squats". I'm just like that girl who has more external rotation than internal... can't wait to go to the gym and try the new stance
How did that work out for you?
His legs died.
By far the most comprehensive breakdown of the intricacies of squatting. "Going ass to grass" should not be the only cue for new and seasoned lifters alike, and this video is testament. Great content, kudos!
"Get out of here, Go play in traffic." I had to paused the video cause I was laughing so hard.
Eion Fitzgerald I don't get it lol
Yeah that had me in stitches!
Anonymous Brahette Doc was just messing/joking around with her. Things can get drab quick if you allow yourself to just stay clinical. Joking some helps keep things light, and people comfortable. Hell, it gave me a laugh.
5:43
Play in traffic
What does it mean
I feel like crying. I heard for years about how my toes should be forward and how I need a narrow stance to do a squat properly, when at the end of the day I'm a big-boned, wide-hip, 5'0" woman and always felt better with a posture that essentially mimicked my own body structure. It was so demoralizing to feel as if I couldn't even do a basic exercise "properly" that I lost so much confidence and motivation. Now I'm over 30 lbs overweight and desperately want to get healthy again, so it's such a relief to finally hear from an actual PhD that yes, the squat I can do comfortably is the correct squat for me, and odds are I know my body better than anyone else when it comes to other exercises too.
Thanks Dr. Quinn!
JTS videos are on another level. Thanks so much for your contributions.
Wow that mobility exercise explains a lot. I have 90° external rotation and basically 0° internal rotation, it explains why I like sitting cross-legged. I also squat like Colin, I've tried wider because I see videos with people saying to point toes out and widen your stance but Colin's squat looks spot on, narrow and feet quite straight. Thanks Dr Henoch.
this is genius. You guys should do a Front rack school
Its on the way
+Juggernaut Training Systems have you done one for bench press? I need some help on mechanics
Juggernaut Training Systems I was wondering if you could how to do powerlifting movements with maximum safety and good technique while having hypermobile joints? I've found it's a rather rare problem in the powerlifting world and it's difficult to find concrete advice about how best to take care while doing powerlifting especially in squats and deadlifts.
@@annedorward784 I have hypermobility and my sister actually had ehlers Dan los syndrome hypermobility type so I’d be interested too.
This is the kind of next-level knowledge that makes me REALLY appreciate this channel.
Just for fun, I tried out the test while lying down and the results are pretty interesting:
Like Courtney, I can get a ton of external rotation (I get 90 degrees inward with ease) but barely any internal rotation.
But like Colin, I can get my knee to almost touch my chest when I go straight up without opening up.
So... If I'm getting this correctly, it does make a lot of sense that I prefer to squat with a relatively narrow stance with the toes angled out.
My question is: What implication does the hip structure have regarding the sumo deadlift stance?
What I've found out recently is that I get a lot of hip joint pain from doing a sumo with a moderately wide stance and toes angled out quite a bit.
This kind of sucks for me as I think I could pull more with sumo than with conventional with enough practice, but well, if my hips are getting beat up with just one session of sumo, then there's no way I could train the movement regularly.
I'm sure there are many other factors involved regarding this; however, my hunch is that it has a lot to do with my hip morphology.
Any thoughts?
Thanks Team JTS!
YungJuve - Is it easy to extend your back when you have your knees up in your chest with that narrow stance? I like to have mirror to double check that my back i actually straight when Im doing the drill. I can get my knees to my nose in any squat position if I round my back.
I'm fairly positive that my back is in a neutral position when I do that. I'm one of those "extremely" mobile people in that regards.
YungJuve that makes a lot of sense about the sumo squat, actually. It means that you're more built for the conventional deadlift. If you still want to sumo, just get more narrow with it
Thanks. I'll stick with the conventional for the most part and play around with a narrow sumo after the next testing phase.
Me and you have the same exact hip anatomy (not exact but we are pretty much the same) and my natural strength is the conventional deadlift (makes sense because it's a narrow stance and I'm very comfortable with it) our hips (I'm speaking about me and u specifically) are VERY uncomfortable going wide, so I would say build up ur conventional. Plus, sumo deadlifts don't count ;)
I can’t wait to get in the gym on my next leg day and try this. My squat (were its most comfortable) is just like hers. But I’ve had trainers try and get me to squat like he does and it’s so awkward and painful that I just don’t squat. If and when I do, I use the landmine so that my back isn’t loaded up with weight and I can hold on to squat “normal” thank you for the info. I feel like my whole routine is about to change!!!
Best fitness related channel on youtube. I always look forward to the new JTS videos. They always contain great information.
This video literally changed my squat life. The whole time I was having trouble getting low, thinking I had mobility issues. Come to find out, all I needed to do was go to a slightly wider stance with toes pointed out (as shown in this video), and now I can get ass to grass with my squats!! Thank you for posting and opening our minds to the reality of no one-size-fits all squat that we have been brainwashed to believe. Very few things in life are like that, why would squats be one of them?? Thank you again!!
Steph Adams glad to hear it helped you
78 people squat on the Smith Machine .
I'm fairly new to squatting, about 2 months now and have been squatting like Cortney. Thought I'd squat properly and try to squat like Colin. Now my knees are sore. Glad I saw this video. Going to stick with my old style and will probably just spend a couple of workouts seeing what is optimal for myself. Thanks!
Such a great, informative video! Everyone who wants to get into lifting should watch this. Thanks JTS!
This is GOLD!
Saying that "I much appreciate this video" it says nothing!
Thank you!!! 🙏🏻❤ very very much
Thank god I found this video 🙏🏾
Finally someone who explains it well!! Thank you sir!!
Woah!! You just blew my mind and changed my life!! I was always trying to fit in the cookie cutter mold of squats and they are so uncomfortable. I'm going to try a wide stance tomorrow. I'm so excited!!
I tired it I loved it.. It's the only way I squat now
Can you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do a video on squatting and long femurs? :(
Videos like this blow my mind. I learn so much from you guys! JTS brings it again.
I need to have this book marked so when our “gym bro” tries to “fix” my squat I can just hold up video instead of having to tell him that my hips don’t work the way he thinks they should.
very valuable, well done video. I am lucky I came across this video. Thank you, Dr.
Thank you so much for this video. It is a shame you guys only have 79k subs. I have not been able to find a more comprehensive source for lifting. Seriously, thank you.
Im so happy i found this video. Iv squated wide naturally for months someone came in the gym yesterday and corrected me and i started to do a but wink. I was lifting heavy for a while thinking the but wink was normal to find myself struggling to tie my shoe laces. Now i know that it was normal to begin with and i should not listern to people who have no idea!!
Dude thank you very much for this video, I have had multiple lower back injuries due to squat with legs close, I couldn’t even squat 35lbs plate without severe lower back pain. Everyone kept telling me I have weak legs and poor mobility so I worked on my mobility and leg strength for a year and still I couldn’t squat. I came across this video and I decided to make my stance wider, i felt so comfortable, in just a week I can now squat two 45lbs plates on each side 😭😭, thank you very much I just want you to know that I appreciate you.
Holy shit this is amazing information. When laying down my internal rotation is like almost absolute 0. Ive been forcing myself ontop of squatting incorrectly for a more narrow stance. I have alot of body-rebuilding to do, but thank you JTS this shit is golden
This is cool. Great info.
NOW give us a Max Aita vs. Silent Mike!!
oh man the amount of relief that i felt (not just on my knees) after seeing courtney squat exactly like me made my day
You are a life saver. I am having problems with my squat for a long time (butwink, knee problems etc ...) This video helps a lot.
I really appreciate his explanation for wide or short stance/space for squat; absolutely is going to be different for everybody...I feel every trainer should first get this straight, difference between person to person, especially male and female hip anatomy. It cant be one squat position for everyone.......very true.
Great video, and it’s the idea there isn’t always a gold standard in many exercises. Many Trainers ‘teach, people without understanding anatomical differences and would correct people how to do exercises as their idea of the exercise or by their personal experience. Many people like to learn from the internet, but some just copy what they see, without understanding what they are doing. This presentation sheds lignt on this issue. Thanks
Always great stuff from Dr. Quinn and the JTS crew. Much appreciated.
Daym Colin is always impressive
I wish I had know about this sooner, hated the squat because i tried to have that perfect narrow stance. Now wide stance feet out makes me love the squat again !
Thank you
I can squat ONLY as Courtney does, so using a little wider toes stence. Nevertheless, my PT always told me it was wrong, he insisted I should squat in a narrower way (using the stence we commonly see at gyms), but I'm really not able to do it.
Me neither I cannot squat like that. I immediate feel huge pressure on my knees and feet when I squat narrow.
Thank you so much for this video. I was afraid of doing barbell squats for a long time, despite being able to pull pretty heavy, because my ex would always try to correct my squat form. Squatting his way NEVER felt natural to me and I hated squats. I don't have especially long femurs, but I do have a wider pelvis and flat feet, and a sumo type squat with feet angled out 45 degrees honestly feels the best for me!
Extremely helpful and explains why I tend to get injured when I go even a bit wider than I usually do: the weight forces my hips past the safe zone, stretches them too much and they get hurt. I don't have enough depth in my natural hip movement when my legs are wider. BUT, I'm really pretty good with a narrow squat. At the same time, I like my feet pointed out, just as this analysis suggests. So, for me narrow stance with feet out is correct. Thank you!
This also probably means less posterior chain activation, no? So, need to hit that more with other exercises.
Great video! I've been squatting for decades and still learning.
This really helped me thank you! I did all the drills and then I did them all to my roommate lol! I feel so better knowing I can leave my feet turned out instead of always trying to think about and fight for them to stay forward!
Best video out there, i found my stance based on this vid, a weight heavy before was suuuper easy
Greatly appreciate the many considerations you take into account here.
One of the most helpful videos I've watched in my life. Thanks a million !!!!!!
Eye opening video! Totally helped me understand my hips! Wish I lived in Cali so I could get help from the JTS team and Dr. Henoch.
Thank you so much for this! I have tried everything to do the “cookie cutter” squat and felt defeated every time. I’m fairly new to squatting and I’m ready to give it another try! 🙂
Thanks for great session!!!
Most informative and helpful mobility tips for squats I've seen yet. I can even take some of this and apply it to my deadlifts.
A great way of explaining.i am overwhelmed.
This video is pure gold.
Thank you for this I've injured my "good" knee trying to do the ideal form and not what was comfortable I always thought there was something wrong with me
Great Video! I am like Courtney. I have been told that I squat wrong because my legs are wider. This is an an important video to explain how we are all different and how to figure out what is best for us.
Thanks for sharing this great video! I like how you incorporate real athletes to show differences in technique and anatomy. I recommend continued learning to all of my Live Good Fitness clients. Your videos absolutely meet that criteria. Thanks again!
Oh my god. You just saved my life. I am about scheduling my appoint with physician to see why I cannot squat with narrow stand. Thank you
Absolutely loved this video. The way this guy explained, is incredible and very easily understandable.
this is the best video on this channel
I have a malformation in my left femoral head that happenned when I was a child(LCP syndrome). I cannot find any information about progressive overload training in those cases. At least this video was critical to understand my hip structure; that I'm completely functional squatting, and I see benefits to my hip health since squatting properly for me.
Thank you JTS Team!
Thank you. I've always been trying to get closer when a wider stance is much more comfortable. Long legs much wider up top built for speed and jumping far/high. Can still deadlift my bench/squat combined weight but hopefully embracing my natural stance will change that soon.
This is very very informative and widens the prespective and helps to understand why squatting is different forndifferent people
This was pretty slow of me to realize...but now I am also taking in to account the pelvic structure when squatting. Men have a more narrow pelvis, and maybe that is why it is so easy for them to have a narrow foot stance. Where as women who have a wide pelvis need a wide stance. Now I don't feel bad for the way I squat
THANK YOU ! I have a stance like Courtney and every trainer i've ever had has tried to "correct" it and it's super annoying!
It's great that you're educating and spreading good information, Quinn. We don't know the current prevalence of hip morphology in the general population because it's variable. For example, prevalance ranges anywhere from 5-75% based on a review of the current evidence pertaining to cam lesions alone. Unfortunately, there is no easy method in identifying dysfunctional hip arthrokinematics and the "special tests" special tests tend to be impractical to perform in the gym setting. Therefore, it seems most appropriate to use the SFMA or the FMS to quickly determine what movements are safe for an athlete to perform.
Also, it appears Courtney may have hip instability based on your assessment of IR/ER PROM and the AAOS normal values. That foot flat position is an indicator that she's generating insufficient rotational stability throughout the lower kinetic chain, which will likely lead to degenerative changes over time throughout that chain as well. Those of you reading this just remember that you cannot figure these things out based on squatting and PROM testing of the hip joint alone- although it would be nice if it were that simple. The body is a system of systems and regional interdependence must always be considered. If you're seeing a PT for hip problems be sure they are competent and have them read this first www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4004130/pdf/ijspt-04-256.pdf
#functionalmovemntscreen #mobilityvsstability #physiofitrx
Thank you for this informative look at listening to your body to find your best squat position! I definitely know that form is everything when it comes to lifting, but sometimes we have to take into account our own particular anatomy. We are not all built exactly the same way, and sometimes I might need to make adjustments based on how my body naturally moves, and my joint structure. I have hurt myself in the past trying to do certain exercises the "correct"way!
BTW, totally off-topic, but Courtney's hair is so cute! I love the color :)
This was amazing! Literally helped my squat instantaneously, thanks!
Excellent video! Always learn so much from Dr. Henoch!
Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for this excellent video and instruction.
How do you watch this and then hit the dislike button. What about this great info was so bad that you kit dislike. Some people are just assholes for real. Great video man.
Such a good content! I was feeling something wrong up into my pelvis from the past two weeks that I entered in the gym, now I could fiz the problem - I was opening too little. Pay attention to that and you may find yourself free of lots of pain!
This is by far the best explained video of why som epeople can squat narrow, and others can't. I can't squat narrow, preferring a wider, toes out stance.
This helped so much!!! I tried going more narrow and that resulted in some knee pain but I widened it and I felt no discomfort
You're brilliant, sir. Thank YOU!
Amazing.. Loved the explanation.
I thought for the longest time my knees just weren't made for squatting, because I'd always feel some slight joint pain. Turns out, I just needed a wider stance and point my toes outwards a bit. Thanks for the great video!
And in the gym, they never care about individuals and teach everyone the same form/structure...thanks a lot. Great job, very helpful.
Nice! A video like this for deadlift and bench would be cool too.
This makes a whole lot of sense! I use the same squat position as Courtney's. Before seeing this video, I've actually been doing quadruped squatting for stretching, and it feels a lot better when my legs are wider and my feet are narrow. +1 sub
Awesome! Thanks doc! And thanks to this channel for the info!
This should be required viewing for all trainers.
Great stuff. I've been straggling with my squat form, Thank you so much.
So good, great explanation!!
This is great. Please do one for upper body!
great info on squat positioning! Thank you for this excellent video!
Sure there is an optimal 'strongest' stance for each lifter based on pelvic anatomy. But do you think intentionally working with an 'uncomfortable stance' - perhaps with a reduced load - would help fix some weaknesses, and carry over to making your strong stance, even stronger ? Just wondering. Super video BTW!