Squat Technique - What Is Better Toes In Or Toes Out?

Squat technique purists will tell you that you MUST squat with parallel feet and toes pointing out means you have dysfunction. To some degree they are right but there is much more to this than forcing yourself to keep toes in and applying a million mobility drills for the ankle and hips. In this video I discuss how I like to use the parallel foot stance to identify hidden stiffness or weakness but will prefer toes out during training. Especially with loads. We also take a quick look at the foot position of a single leg squat and discuss why toes out with this is a complete disaster! Many of these things are very confusing to the beginner and you can see how people could very easily adopt a poor movement strategy from getting advice based on a one size fits all approach. The squat is an amazing movement. It is something we used as a toddler to stand for the first time and is something we use in daily all the time. It is so much more than just an exercise for that very reason which is why it is a good idea to become as good at this as you can. You can read more about squats in the articles below Top 7 Squats For Bulletproof Knees https://www.noregretspt.com.au/index.php/resources/blog/43-2014/264-5-best-squats-to-build-strong-legs-bulletproof-knees Functional Movement Patterns Explained https://www.noregretspt.com.au/index.php/resources/blog/43-2014/255-best-ways-to-restore-enhance-functional-movement-for-life-or-sports The squat, along with the deadlift, is one of the most common leg exercises to the strength and conditioning world, and regarded as one of the "king" movements in the gym. It is also very popular in the rehabilitation field, for the amazing benefits it can provide to not only your legs, but your entire body with regards to posture, core stability and better movement control. When you develop a great movement pattern with the squat you improve any movement sharing the same timing, such as jumping which is why it is a favorite of sports coaches around the world. But it also improves the strength of muscles around the knee and the timing of standing up out of a chair, or climbing up stairs and many everyday tasks which are usually very difficult for people with knee pain, explaining why the health and rehabilitation field love it so much. In this video I also show how forcing ass to grass squats can ruin your back. Your body will be forced to "give up" the lumbar spine stability if you do not possess the adequate ankle and hip mobility to squat that low. A common cause of many back complaints within the gym and also where we see many bulging disc injuries created from bad form. Good article on this is below https://www.noregretspt.com.au/index.php/resources/blog/43-2014/275-bulging-disc-treatment-it-all-starts-with-how-you-move https://www.noregretspt.com.au/index.php/resources/blog/43-2014/222-bulging-disc-exercises-effective-long-term-treatment-strategies And if you have back pain I highly suggest getting a copy of our Back Pain Secrets program here https://shop.noregretspt.com.au/au/Back-Pain-Secrets-Rehab-_-Injury-Prevention-Exercises/p/58894 We also take a quick look at the single leg squat and discuss why this movement needs to have the feet straight ahead. For it is not just the back that takes a beating your knees will also suffer from poor mechanics and this is never so apparent than with single leg squats. We see this regularly with ACL injuries in sports where the foot plant on a cutting move exposes the knee to tremendous twisting forces as the toes are pointed out instead of straight ahead. You can read more about this here https://www.noregretspt.com.au/index.php/resources/blog/43-2014/297-critical-things-you-need-before-returning-to-sport-after-acl-surgery https://www.noregretspt.com.au/index.php/resources/blog/43-2014/231-why-the-single-leg-squat-is-the-best-exercise-for-rehab-injury-prevention And if you live in Melbourne and would like to know more about any of our Personal Training or rehabilitation programs go to our website to request a free consultation by going to the link below https://www.noregretspt.com.au/index.php/specialised-programs/personal-training You can also get our latest special report all about ACL injury prevention and rehab here https://shop.noregretspt.com.au/au/ACL-Injury-Special-Report-Injury-Prevention-_-Rehabilitation-Programs/p/119796