Squat Stance Lab: Width and Foot Angle

Each student tries three stance widths and three toe angles to find the squat stance that lets them go deepest with a neutral back. Depth is recorded with a side photo, and the class concludes there is no single right stance for everyone.

How to play

1. Explain that hip anatomy varies from person to person and present the card with three widths (hip, shoulder, wider) and three foot angles (straight, 15 and 30 degrees) (3 min).
2. In groups of three, one squats with a stick across the back, one takes a side photo from a cone 10 feet away and the third records on the card (2 min).
3. The lifter tries all three widths for 5 slow reps, and the group checks in the photo whether the hips drop below the knees without the back rounding (6 min).
4. With the best width, the lifter tries the three foot angles and picks a personal combination (6 min).
5. Rotate roles until all three have chosen their stance (5 min).
6. Group share: compare stances and explain why they differ (3 min).

Rules

• Go only as low as you can keep a neutral back and heels down.
• Photos are taken from the side only and deleted after class if the classmate asks.
• The stick rests on the upper back, never on the neck.
• Knees always track in the same direction as the toes.

Variations

Adaptations

• Knee injury: box squat to a fixed, pain-free depth.
• Higher body weight: may hold the wall bars with one hand for confidence.
• Autism: gets a numbered sequence of tests and always starts in the same role.

Learning goals

• Understand that squat technique adapts to each person's anatomy.
• Find the foot position that allows the most depth with a neutral back.
• Use photos as an objective tool for technique analysis.

Equipment for a class of 25

• sticks: 10
• tablets or phones: 10
• cards: 30
• cones: 10

Teacher tip

Stress that the best stance is the one that allows a controlled, pain-free descent, not the one that looks nicest. If space is tight, use floor lines as width markers.

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