Can Long Femurs Lead to Knee Problems?
Long femurs are the bane of anyone who’s working on their back squat form. […]
Why Your Client Struggles with the Back Squat
If you’re a personal trainer who can’t figure out why a client can’t do a parallel bar squat, consider femur length — relative to torso length and also shin length — regardless of client’s overall [...]
Can a Very Positive Ape Index Make Everyday Lifting Hard?
We know that a very positive ape index is an advantage in the deadlift, boxing/MMA fighting, swimming and rock climbing. But in everyday lifting? […]
Back Squat Alternative for Long Femurs: Zercher Version
Femurs that are longer than one’s torso are a disadvantage to performing the back squat. If your lower legs are disproportionately short for your upper legs, and especially if your femur length exceeds that of [...]
Long Femur and Short Shins in the Leg Press: Disadvantage?
Can people whose femurs are shorter than their shins, regardless of torso length, have a mechanical advantage with the leg press? Nearly all the attention regarding the long femur problem is directed at the back [...]
How to Deadlift with Long Femurs to Shin Ratio
A person of any height can have disproportionately long femurs. These will interfere with deadlift mechanics, but there are ways to make the most of this genetic disadvantage. The long femur problem is not a [...]
Do Long Femurs Interfere with Tire Flipping Workouts ?
Long femurs are just as lousy for tire flipping as they are for back squatting. […]
Do Body Proportions Affect a Women’s Squat with a Barbell?
Why is it that some women find back squats easy while others struggle? Some women take to this exercise fairly quickly and are just a natural at it. Then there are those—perhaps you yourself—who just [...]
“Bad Levers” Really CAN Make Squats Difficult; This Is No Myth
"Bad levers" are a freakin' curse for the back squat and deadlift, whether you want to believe this or not. I used to be a personal trainer for a health club. But even long before that, [...]
Image Lets You Change Femur Length to See How It Affects Squat
For critics who think long femurs don’t matter in the back squat, play around with this virtual squat application and find out the truth! Whether you want to believe it or not, femur length relative [...]
Long Femurs vs. Short Shins when Trouble Squatting
Maybe it’s not your long femurs, but your short shins that make squatting troublesome. There’s a lot of stuff out there about femur to torso ratio when discussing the back squat. The “bad levers” of [...]
Long Femur, Short Torso Squat Myths About Body Proportions
There’s some false beliefs out there about long femurs, short torsos and difficulty with squats that need to be cleared up fast. It’s bigger than I thought, all this talk about long femurs and short [...]
Weightlifting Shoes vs. Plates to Elevate Heels for the Squat
Find out how weight plates compare to weightlifting shoes when you want to elevate your heels to do squats. Which is better for the back squat: weightlifting shoes or plates? Or, to put it another [...]
Women with Long Femurs: Back Squat vs. Kicking
If you’re a woman who’s mad that your long femurs make squatting difficult, here’s a reason to embrace those generous thigh bones! Are you a woman who’s been struggling to pull off a decent squat at the [...]
Women, Short Torso, Long Femur, Sucky Squats?
A smart woman with long femurs relative to torso and/or shin bone length will know this is why the parallel back squat is difficult without a lot forward lean. The back squat is not the be-all [...]
Why the Femur to Torso Ratio in Squatting Is NOT Nonsense
There is solid truth to the claim that a bad femur to torso ratio will make back squats very difficult; learn why this is not a lame excuse! Are you one of those “bro science” [...]
Why You Can’t Go Parallel with Barbell Squats or Even Bodyweight
If you can’t get parallel with squats and fall backwards instead or must hold something in front of you, you won’t like the reason. Many things have been blamed for not being able to go [...]
Why Young Children Squat Easier than Adults
Adults who can’t get parallel with a squat, let alone deep, must realize that one reason children squat so easily is body proportions. Google “children squatting” and hit “images” and you’ll see toddlers in a [...]
Are Long Femurs a Good Excuse for Lousy Back Squat Technique?
Yes, long femurs DO really SCREW up the back squat! It’s interesting that the men in fitness forums who slam those who insist their long femurs screw up their back squats don’t suffer from long femurs themselves -- [...]
Why the Squat Butt Wink Is Bad & Why It Needs to Go
The so-called butt wink in a back squat is bad news and if you have this problem, it needs to be corrected. Many people butt wink when they perform a squat. Many don’t realize they do [...]
Long Femurs: Why Wide Stance Makes Parallel Squats Easier
This article explains in plain English the fascinating reason why a wide stance makes squatting parallel so much easier for long femurs. If you know that long femurs have been hampering your ability to go [...]
Why You Shouldn’t Compare Adult’s Squat with Child’s Squat
There is no comparison between an adult's full squat and a young child's full squat, yet people continue comparing the two when discussing the back squat exercise. As a former personal trainer, it continues to [...]
Short vs. Long Femurs for Hiking
Does femur length really matter when it comes to hiking efficiency? “Long femurs” refers to relative length of these bones to one’s overall height or leg length, and in the world of weightlifting, the issue [...]
3 Exercises that’ll Improve the Back Squat for Long Femurs
Here are three simple and fun exercises to improve back squats if you have the unfortunate levers of relatively long femurs. Bad levers do not mean that you can’t override long femurs by “strengthening your ancillaries.” [...]
Long Femur, Short Shin: Advantage in Leg Extension, Ham Curl
Though a long femur relative to shin is a disadvantage in squats, it’s a biomechanical plus in the leg extension and hamstring curl. The long femur to short shin proportion has been vilified as bad [...]
Being Tall Is No Excuse for Parallel Squat Problems!
Even a super tall NBA star could do an ass to grass squat if he has the right proportions! Do not blame squat problems on being tall. Being tall, in and of itself, is not a disadvantage [...]
Can Femur to Shin Length Ratio Affect the Back Squat?
It isn’t just femur to torso ratio that can create problems with the back squat; shin length relative to upper leg can also mess things up. You’re aware that if the femurs are longer than [...]
Why Elevated Heels Make Squatting to Parallel Easier
Anyone who’s struggled to get parallel in the squat (femur torso ratio) knows that elevating the heels makes this possible, and here’s why. For those with long femurs and short torso who can’t achieve a [...]
Does Sitting, Rising from Chair Mean You Can Parallel Squat?
I could not believe it when a strength training enthusiast chastised another about the parallel squat, in that the one trainee insisted he was not able to squat due to a short torso (and long [...]
Yes, TALL People CAN Have Short Femurs
Super tall men with relatively short femurs have a squat advantage over shorties with relatively long femurs ANY DAY. Many believe that being tall interferes with doing a parallel squat because, allegedly, it's troublesome to [...]
Do Long Femurs and a Bad Squat Mean You’re Weak?
If you’re biomechanically disadvantaged due to femurs that are longer than your torso, find out if this means you’re weak. When a person with long femurs (meaning, femurs longer than their torso, regardless of overall [...]
Causes of the Butt Wink in Back Squatting
It’s a myth that the squat butt wink is caused ONLY by tight hamstrings or tight hips! Want to know what really is behind the cause of the butt wink motion that so many people [...]
Can Short People Have Relatively Long Femurs ?
Short people CAN have a relatively long femur, meaning, their thigh bone is longer than their torso -- even if their overall height is way shorter than average. As a former personal trainer, I am fascinated [...]
Can Long Femurs Be a Disadvantage in Daily Life?
You know that long femurs are a curse for squatting exercises, but does this problem carry over to day-to-day activities? As a former personal trainer and always-fitness enthusiast, this topic intrigues me. If you clicked [...]
Best Way to Tell if Femurs Are Too Long for Back Squat
There’s a fool proof way to tell if your femurs are too long for decent parallel back squats. If you can’t parallel squat, does this automatically mean your femurs are too long relative to the [...]
Best Leg Muscle Building Exercises for Long Femurs
If you’ve given up on the squat due to long femurs, here are the best exercises to build muscle in your legs. Time and time again, the muscle building literature says that people with long [...]
Can Low Back Flexibility Offset Long Femurs in the Squat?
Learn about what increasing low back flexibility can do for your squat if you're stiffed with the curse of long femurs and a short torso! If you’ve been working hard on getting your squat to [...]
When Smith Machine Squats Are Better than a Free Barbell
There are circumstances under which the Smith machine for squats is better than a free barbell. The Smith machine is actually better for squats than the free barbell -- if you meet certain criteria. There [...]
How NOT to Let Long Femurs Prevent a Perfect Back Squat
Don't Let Long Femurs Stop You from a Perfect Back Squat There's a HUGE issue in the strength training world with femur length. I'm a former personal trainer who has long femurs -- great for [...]
Will Surgical Tibia Lengthening Improve Back Squat Leverage?
More and more people are having their tibias or shins surgically lengthened strictly for cosmetic purposes: that of being taller. Surgical techniques for tibia lengthening have improved over the years, and people who desperately want [...]
