Correcting splayed knees and feet

[Maj. Bloodnok]

When I do a full squat, my knees and feet have a tendency to splay really wide. I have a similar problem doing deep lunges in yoga or Spiderman steps; my bent knee goes outside the line of my supporting arm, rather than up under my chest. I used to attribute this to my belly getting in the way, but my belly isn't nearly the problem it used to be. :victory:

My guess is weak thigh adductors and stiff glutes; any ideas on how to correct this? Sumo squats? Grand plies at the ballet barre? Unusual yoga positions? Weird stretching devices from the backs of dodgy magazines?

Thanks in advance!

[Barbarossa]

Lots of corrective stretching, over a period of time. I have the same problem and I stretch twice a day and try to keep a little bit of tension on the inside of my legs all day.

[Morrigainz]

Your knees and feet are supposed to go wide on a squat; check out some videos of Mark Rippetoe coaching them.

[msuroo]

Your knees and feet are supposed to go wide on a squat; check out some videos of Mark Rippetoe coaching them.

Or more technically, your hips are supposed to externally rotate on a squat. Thanks KStar!

[Pat G]

If it really is your adductors letting your knees go wider than your feet.

try doing some specific exercises to tackle them like from this Livestrong article http://www.livestrong.com/article/90528-hip-adductor-exercises/

[Maj. Bloodnok]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'm not doing barbell squats, since my gym doesn't have a cage and I work out alone, though goblet squats give me much the same effect. More lunges, lots more corrective stretching (mobilitywod.com has a whole bunch of good vids), and of course, squats. :-)