Squat Dominance & Stance
Squats are a well-known member of the 5 basic movement patterns.
Practically everyone will be doing some type of squatting motion today (if they haven’t already) whether it’s done in the gym with a weight, at work or at home.
Squats are everywhere.
And depending on the person, a squat can look vastly different.
You may have seen photos or videos that show the difference between a hip dominant & knee dominant squat. If not, checkout the graphic below, adapted from Barbend.com to see a general idea of what that difference is.
In the hip-dominant squat the torso is angled more towards the ground & the shin stays more vertical.
In the knee-dominant squat the torso is more upright and the knees drive forward extending passed the toes (which is not a bad thing!).
Both the hip-dominant and knee-dominant squat are common. Neither version is “better” but one might feel more natural to you. This is largely based on anatomy.
While we (generally) can’t change our anatomy or completely isolate a specific muscle in the squat, we can tweak the movement to bias one group of muscles more.
[Biasing a muscle(s) generally means we change something about the lift in order to place more of the tension/load on a particular muscle or group of muscles.]
In a hip-dominant squat the glutes are biased & in the knee-dominant squat the quads are biased.
Someone looking to bias the quads may opt for a cyclist squat or front-loaded squat variation. On the flip side, someone looking to bias the hips may opt for a low-bar back squat or sumo box squat variation.
Besides lower-limb dominance, there are also a variety of foot placements/stances that can work in a squat. You may hear the general recommendation to have feet shoulder width apart & toes pointed forward… which is a fine suggestion!
But having a wider than or slightly narrower than shoulder width stance works, too.
As does a stance with toes slightly angled out to the sides.
I’d even argue that your squat stance is even more individual to you than your hip or knee dominance so test out different ways & see what feels best for you.
Even with the slight variations from person-to-person, there are some basics we want to hit in every squat:
Keep a neutral spine & core engaged - avoid arching or rounding your lower back
Bar path should hover over your mid-foot & move straight up and down
Weight should be evenly distributed between both feet (in bilateral lifts) & foot tripod(s) should be “engaged” (in bilateral or unilateral lifts) for balance & support
Aim for quads/thighs reaching parallel to the floor (but ultimately squat down as far as you are comfortably able to without compromising form)
When it comes to hip/knee dominance or squat stance, there is no “right” or “wrong”. Mostly it comes down to the individual who is squatting, their own unique anatomy & the goal of the particular lift.
There are tons of options to choose from… Which can be equal parts empowering & overwhelming! Have questions about which squat variation would work best for you? Comment below or send me an email & let’s chat!
Hey, I’m Kirsi!
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