Squat skills: Do the soles of your feet forward or outward?

There is a big debate about squat movements: "Whether the toes are facing forward? Or turn outward?"

　　This is a difficult question to answer, and the answer is that both are. Let me explain.

　　This argument is very simple. I think we should have the ability to squat with the toes facing forward. We use the toes facing forward squat movement to detect weak links in the (Screen) movement so that we can strengthen and improve it.

　　If you can't face the toes forward For squats with bare hands, it is very likely that you need to improve some things (ankle mobility, hip mobility, thoracic vertebrae mobility, pelvic control, core control, etc.).

　　Which, there are always people who cannot enter the squat position due to abnormal body structure. Some people are genetically related. However, most athletes should be able to squat fully (the back of the thigh is attached to the calf).

　　Bare hand squats are the basis of other sports movements, such as jumping, falling The ground, many knee injuries occur because the toes are facing outward and knee-pinched (rotating), for example: ACL tear. My goal is to give athletes a good mechanical structure when landing and jumping, so as to reduce the occurrence of sports injuries.

　　In training, when you are performing barbell squats, in order to achieve the best performance, I recommend that you rotate your toes externally. These slight changes make the squat movement closer to the specificity of the movement. This not only provides our slightly wider base, but also allows us to bones. Pelvic control and mobility are more perfect.

　　This is why some athletes can squat deeper when their toes turn out. External rotation of the hip joint usually reaches a deeper range of motion.

　　When the hip joint rotates externally, the hip adductor on the inner side of the leg will be lengthened, allowing the hip muscles to be in a better position to exert force. This means that when your toes turn out to squat, the hip adductor will be more tempted, especially the hip adductor magnus) has been proven to help the hip stretching movements.

　　The more help comes from the hip adductor, it means that the body can perform barbell squats with stronger and more efficient.

　　The toes face outward, only changing the activation degree of hip adductors, and the gluteus and quadriceps femoris do not have a greater degree of activation. Studies have confirmed that turning toes beyond 30 degrees is less efficient.

　　For this reason, when performing barbell squats, the angle of the toes outside is between 10 and 30 degrees, and find a position that makes the body feel most comfortable. Remember, everyone's squat posture will not be exactly the same.

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