I’ve been working on the wider stance, deeper squats and it is DEFINITELY helping. I dropped the weight down to start out with the wide stance and am slowly working back up. They feel much better, much more stable. And I’m no longer worried about the lower back.

On the wide stance note, how wide is too wide? I notice if I really get my feet spread out, it starts to feel a little funky on the hips and knees.

I see a lot of people who clearly have years of powerlifting and/or olympic lifting under their belts that are really spread out, lift really quick and smooth, and pretty much have their bottom on the ground at some point during the squat.

But what’s a safe starting point for a newbie? What constitutes “full depth?” Does it depend on your own body’s limits?

Also, CES, Your post today has convinced me to add Overhead Squats to the lineup regularly. I’m terrible at them and I know that I’d benefit from opening up shoulders and hips more. I guarantee that I’m worse than your marathoner buddy.

And I fully agree: As a cyclist, I see a lot of people who won’t go near a weightroom. They can put down the hammer on a bike, but a lot of times they can’t even touch their toes or grunt out 20 pushups. Maybe it doesn’t matter on the bike, but it’s not good for your overall fitness to have such a sport specific strength set.

Weight training is good to have in the mix for anyone.

1)Squat more. Box squats, full depth are now your favorite exercise. Work your feet out and your but down as you progress.

2)Stretch hip flexors, and do ankle mobility drills 2-3x per day. Good article out today with videos of good mobility drills.

3)Squat more. When you warm-up. When you wake up, before you go to bed. Bodyweight is fine, but control, full depth. 10-20.

4)Posture. Sit UP. hips behind you. Don’t slouch.

4)Flat soled shoes.
Being up on your toes all the time puts more stress on the quads and leg extensors, which shuts down the hip extensors. This leads to tightness and imbalance. Also, decreased dorsiflexion of your ankles leads to shortening of your hammies, which tightens your hips. You don’t have to run in flats, but don’t walk around in your runners. (hence the “heels come up” effect when squatting)

5)Did I mention squats?

6)Foam roller. Work over your calves, IT band, and hip flexors.

7) Glutes. Get them firing before your workouts/runs. Do some bridges, or one legged toe touches. (stand on one leg, touch opposite hand to the outside of the foot on the floor 10x each side) or get some bands and do some x-band walks, or sitting knee adduction (knee-outies), Hip corrections are also good, but hard to explain.

8)Sit less.

9)squat more.

10)Patients. Improving flexibility and mobility take time. Small improvements over time.

Any tips you’d like to drop here I’m sure would be much appreciated.