As long as I've exercised, I've heard experts say that changing your foot position during squats will activate different muscles. For years, I've believed that simply because that's what I've always heard and, of course, exercises do feel different when you change your stance, right? In an interesting article posted in the January 2009 IDEA Fitness Journal, author Jason R. Karp, PhD, tackled this issue with a variety of exercises including leg extensions, squats, lat pulldowns, seated rows, bench presses, pushups and crunches. For some exercises, changing your position did change the muscles activated. For example, a narrow hand position during pushups does involve more triceps than a wider hand position.
So, what about squats? Does taking your feet wider activate more glutes or outer thigh, as we're sometimes told? I talk about this in my latest FAQ about foot position during squats, discussing what researchers have found when studying different squat positions.
The key to keeping squats safe isn't necessarily where you put your feet, but in keeping your knees aligned with your toes and, of course, making sure the knees stay behind the toes as you squat. Finding a comfortable position that feels natural and doesn't strain your knees is the best way to make your squats both safe and effective.
I'd like to hear about your experience. Do you change your foot position when you squat and how does that change the exercise for you? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts on squats.
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