Why no two people ever squat the same way

Femur length, hip mobility, posture: your body type changes how you should train. Here's why the same exercise is never performed the same way by everyone.

In a gym, you often hear the same instruction: "Feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, lower yourself until you are parallel." It comes from a good place. However, when applied to everyone in the same way, it ignores a simple reality: we are not all built the same.

This is where morpho-anatomy comes in, that is, the study of the shape and proportions of the body, and their influence on movement.

Your proportions change everything

Let's take the squat. Two people of the same height can have femurs (thigh bones) of very different lengths, and a torso that is more or less long.

A person with long femurs and a short torso will need to lean their torso further forward to maintain their balance. This isn't a technical error; it's simply a matter of mechanics. Asking them to "stay perfectly straight" can actually make things difficult for them.

Conversely, a person with short femurs and a long torso will find it easier to squat with an upright posture. The two squats will look different, yet both can be perfectly correct.

The mobility of your joints

The shape of your hips and ankles also plays a role. Some people naturally sit very low, with their feet parallel. Others need to spread their feet further apart or turn their toes out to find a comfortable position.

Forcing a range of motion that your joints don't allow will lead to compensations: a rounded back, inward-pointing knees, and heels lifting. In the long run, these compensations create discomfort, or even pain.

Your starting position

Our posture in everyday life, often marked by hours spent sitting, also influences our movements. A tilted pelvis, rounded shoulders, or a stiff ankle alter the way an exercise is performed. Identifying these issues allows us to adjust our positioning and gradually work on these weaknesses.

What this changes in your training

Adapting your training to your body type means:

• Choose the exercises that suit your structure (for example, a squat with the bar in front rather than behind, or a variation with elevated heels);

• Adjust the spacing of your feet, hands and the range of motion to suit your body;

• Place the weights where your muscles work best.

The result: a more effective workout, because the right muscles are working, and a safer one, because your joints are not stressed.

There's no one right technique, there's yours.

The squat is just one example. The bench press, deadlift, or pull-ups follow the same logic: the length of your arms, torso, or legs changes the optimal way to perform them.

That's why, in my coaching, each program begins with an analysis of your proportions, mobility, and posture. Your body is unique, and your training should be too.

Want to know how to adapt your exercises to your body type? Book your free 30-minute discovery call.