squat problem

[Buddy_Christ]

my knees are going in front of my toes when i squat i go parallel. i was told if my knees go in front of my toes, that's a bad thing, yet i feel totally comfortable. i usually take a narrow stance for squatting (sholder width, slightly wider than maybe), i go with a wider stance for box squats.

is this really a bad thing that my knees are going in front of my toes? i feel like if i tried to sit back further i'd fall. what to do?

 

[jcp2]

if your tall, and you keep a narrow stance, thier is no way in hell your knees will not go a little in front of your tows, that is just how it is. I just read an article about this, wish i knew where. Now if you go wide, that is a different story.

 

[Bulldog_10]

Your knees should go a little beyond your toes while squatting...it's perfectly ok. If your knees move so far forward that your heels come off the ground, this could cause some problems.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

i'm short, 5'6". i figured there was not a chance in hell they wouldn't go a little bit foreward, and it doesn't seem excessive, but this is the first i've noticed it. i was getting good calf to hamstring action today too while watching my knees.

i'd go with a wider stance, but i don't like it.

 

[Bulldog_10]

Don't worry about it bro. Too many people are concerned with their knees going forward that they forget that they also have to worry about their hips. This usually leads to them keeping their knees back, preventing large amounts of torque being placed on the knee...good thing, right? Not really.

Keeping the knees back, so they don't go past the toes reduces the amount of torque placed on the knee...but it greatly increases the torque around the hip, which could lead to problems. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but I have them at home and will post them when i get off of work (10pm or so).

So when doing squats, the knees should come just a bit past the toes.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

cool man. i'll get some video from the side soon. i'm sure my perspective from over top things look different. i have video up from behind, but you can't see the knees in relation to the feet.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

are you squating on the SMith? Ive only had that problem using that, not on free weight squats...try them

 

[strongsmartsexy]

I find that if I break at the knees first, my knees tend to go too far forward and I can tell because the weight feels like it's on my toes as I push. If I'm doing it right and breaking at the hips first, my knees go a little bit past the toes, but I can feel the weight centered and I drive with the heels.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

Ms. B - never used the Smith. i could see how that'd become an issue with the smith machine because the bar is in a fixed position.

SSS - i'll have to re-examine my movement and see what i'm moving first...knees or hips. probably my knees. good input!

 

[audiophyle]

I say use a wider stance... Optimally your shins shouldnt move at all. This isnt a totally achievable goal but it's what you should be aiming for. The problem most people have is that when they keep their shins straight, they have to compensate their balance by leaning forward more at the hips which makes the lower back work harder and even round over if you're not careful. A wider stance will allow you to keep your shins straighter and still not have to lean so far forward at the hips.