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What squat? Choosing a stance
Which ever squat you choose, you need to understand the form. Always start with a light weight till you nailed the form, as your lower back and your knees do not need to take a battering if you know what you’re doing! Either type of squat involves bending at the knees, and lowering yourself to where the top of your thighs are at least parallel or below.
Wide stance squating
With the wide stance squat, your toes point angled outwards to what you feel comfortable, and on your descent your knees follow the direction of your toes. You will come down to where you must be at least parallel, no need to go real deep. Your knees should be behind your toes in this type of squat. Always start the movement by initiating the hips first. Pick a spot on the wall or mirror in front of you and as you go down stay focus on that spot. By doing this you should be keeping your back in a nice straight position. When you get to the bottom of the lift, pause and push through you’re the heals of your feet. This type of squat you can normally lift a lot more weight then a closer, deeper squat. The muscles in this lift are primary the hamstrings over the quads.
Close stance olympic squating
The closer your feet in the squat, the more the front of the legs comes into play. With an Olympic style squat, your feet are closer together and your toes will always come over your toes when you are at the bottom off the lift. You can do deeper than parallel safely with this type of squat, where the back of your legs are touching your calves. Do not expect to lift the same weight as a wider stance squat though! Again, with any squat you need to keep your back straight. The Lumbar arch is a natural position where the core muscle stabilizes the spine from between your chest down to your hips. By keeping this position locked will protect your lower back throughout the lift. Keep your shoulders back and start the lift from your hips.
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