Close stance squats allow a deeper squat depth and increase quad activation.
Squats play a crucial role in enhancing physical strength and fat burning because they trigger the release of testosterone and growth hormones (1). Among the variations, the close-stance squat stands out. It diverges from the traditional squat by allowing a narrower stance, enabling a deeper squat. This increases the range of motion and extends the time under tension, a key driver of muscle hypertrophy.
This article delves into the specifics of close stance squats, outlining their significant benefits and the muscles they target. It provides a step-by-step guide to executing this squat variation with the correct form. Beyond that, it enriches your workout routine by introducing alternative exercises targeting similar muscle groups, ensuring maximum benefit from your fitness regimen. Let’s dive deeper into this topic.
Techniques & Muscles Worked
Close-stance squats work your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. This exercise also works core muscles like the obliques and abs, which help stabilize. Close-stance squats engage the knees and hip joints, improving mobility.
The close-stance squat is a bodyweight exercise. However, you can use barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells for more strength and muscle gains. You can also use resistance bands to help keep the target muscles under tension throughout this exercise. Here’s a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to do the close-stance squat with a barbell.
- Place the barbell carefully on top of the muscles in your upper back, and stand with your feet slightly less than hip-width apart (you could also try different close stances to find which will be convenient for you).
- Use a wide grip to hold the barbell for extra support. Then, keep your head straight, shoulders pulled back, brace your core, and keep your back straight. This is your starting position.
- Next, hinge your hips and slowly bend your knees into a deep squat without rounding your back.
- Pause in this position for about one to two seconds and slowly raise your torso back to the starting position by driving through your heels until you fully extend your knees and hips.
Benefits
Close-stance squats are compound movements that work your lower body, building toned legs, burning calories, and improving mobility. A study shows squats can develop lower body muscular strength and improve body composition (2). Below are more benefits of this exercise.
Builds the Quadriceps
Close-stance squats primarily work your lower body muscles. In addition, research shows that employing a narrow stance greatly activates and grows the quad muscles (3). So, if you’re looking for an exercise that properly isolates the quads, you should try narrow-stance squats.
Activates the Core
When doing squats with a narrow stance, you need a lot of stability and balance. As a result, close-stance squats activate your core muscles and keep tension on them, inducing more muscle growth. A strong core also helps with equal load distribution, correct posture, and injury prevention, especially during exercises.
Strengthens the Joints
Close-stance squats also work the hip and knee joints, emphasizing the knees. The constant flexion and extension of these joints strengthen them, improving mobility, explosive power, and coordination.
Better Range of Motion
Compared to regular squats, close stance squats limit the involvement of your inner thighs and allow you to squat deeper. This helps increase your range of motion, which makes your muscles spend more time under tension, which is good for muscle hypertrophy. Over time, the range of motion in your joints also improves.
Improves your Form for Other Exercises
Are you trying to tweak your squat stances to activate more muscles? Close-stance squats are an excellent routine to try. Since this exercise focuses on the quads, it can improve an athlete’s form for other, more technical movements, such as the snatch and clean, leg presses, deadlifts, lunges, and leg extensions.
Close Stance Squats Alternatives
Close stance squats work your lower body muscles, focusing on your quad muscles and improving your squatting depth. However, integrating other exercises that build similar muscles is a great way to avoid a training plateau. Below is a list of alternative exercises athletes could use to improve their lower body training sessions.
Leg Extensions
The leg extension targets muscles similar to the close stance squat. This exercise equally employs a full range of motion, which hits target muscles differently. Its range of motion also causes a full knee flexion and extension that strengthens the joints.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are weight training exercises that work your posterior chain and help build muscle mass in your back. This exercise also works the quads as you lift the barbell from the floor, fully engaging this muscle. Deadlifts can increase your explosive power and strength while helping to improve athletic performance.
Leg Presses
Leg presses are weight-lifting exercises that work your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glute muscles. This routine is excellent for building lower body muscles and strengthening joints. You can also adjust your foot placement when performing the leg press. The closer your feet are to the platform, the more quad muscle activation, just as with close-stance squats.
FAQs
Are narrow stance squats better?
This depends on your training goals. If you want to build your lower body muscles, you can go for the traditional squat. However, those looking for a quad-focused, deeper range of motion should use close-stance squats when training.
What muscles does a close stance squat work?
The close stance squat is a compound exercise that works your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. It also hits the core muscles and joints like the hips and knees.
What is the purpose of a narrow stance squat?
The close- or narrow-stance squats aim to develop lower body muscles, particularly emphasizing quads. The narrow stance helps increase your range of motion when performing a squat, which hits target muscles and joints differently.
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References
- Kraemer, W. J., Häkkinen, K., Newton, R. U., McCormick, M., Nindl, B. C., Volek, J. S., Gotshalk, L. A., Fleck, S. J., Campbell, W. W., Gordon, S. E., Farrell, P. A., & Evans, W. J. (1998). Acute hormonal responses to heavy resistance exercise in younger and older men. European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 77(3), 206–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050323
- Takai, Y., Fukunaga, Y., Fujita, E., Mori, H., Yoshimoto, T., Yamamoto, M., & Kanehisa, H. (2013). Effects of body mass-based squat training in adolescent boys. Journal of sports science & medicine, 12(1), 60–65.
- Sinclair, J., Taylor, P. J., Jones, B., Butters, B., Bentley, I., & Edmundson, C. J. (2022). A Multi-Experiment Investigation of the Effects Stance Width on the Biomechanics of the Barbell Squat. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 10(9), 136. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports10090136