Are Wide-Stance Squats Best for Glutes?
April 14, 2009 | 1 Comment
Personal trainers teach that you should fluctuate your squatting stance in order to aim at certain muscles in your the lower body. This advice is generally based mostly on popular wisdom than scientific information. Italian researchers conclude that wide-stance squatting activates the gluteus maximus muscle better than narrow stances (feet positioned at hip width), during electromyography.
Research Study Proves Wide Stance Squats Are Superior
In addition, researchers measured muscle activation in 8 hip and thigh muscles during a narrow stance slightly wide stance (150% hip width), and wide stance (200% hip width). With the exclusion of better gluteus maximus activation during a wide stance, stance width did not have any effect on muscle activation levels in a person’s hips or thighs.
The gluteus maximus muscle is one of the strongest and most powerful muscle movements in the body that is needed during sprinting or jumping is the maximus mucle. This experiment has proven that wide stance squats are far more superior for activating every muscle in the hips and thighs.
(Source: Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 23: 246-250, 2009)
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Hi,
I was wondering if you can reply to my e-mail address so that I can ask you a few questions on some of the exercises.
Thank you.
ron