🚨 How wide should you squat, and get greater glute activation

✅ There is a notion that changing squat width from shoulder width to narrow increase quad activation. However that’s not really true, but there is a difference in muscle activation when changing foot width.

✅ Squat width usually varies by our anatomical structure which will dictate what’s comfortable for us, but we can manipulate certain aspects of it to get a desired effect. When looking the research on squat width we see how it really affects us. A narrow stance squat had no significant difference from a shoulder width stance when compared at submax loads and max. The only change of activation was due to the change in weight.

✅ When the stance width was changed from shoulder width to about 1.4 times that (externally rotated 30-40 degrees) we see a change in muscle activation. The data showed that the glute max has a much greater activation at wider stance than at a normal stance. Some research suggests that adductors may increase their activation as well but there is conflicting evidence.

✅ If your goal is to get bigger quads, don’t waste your time doing narrow squats, however if your goal is to work on your glutes more, a wide stance squat may be more desirable for you. As always our different structures will dictate how we respond and to what degree we can expand our squat width so be mindful of what is comfortable for you.