When it comes to program design, I’m not sure we put enough thought into the stance we choose.
Sure, there’s a time and place for “mixing things up,” but let’s be honest…
How much time and effort do we put into whether we choose split-stance? Half-kneeling? Parallel stance? Or even staggered stance?
Even for me when I was getting started, I gave this a lot less thought that I probably should’ve.
But like all things in program design, the details matter.
So if you’re interested in breaking down the various stances and how you can use them to get the most out of your clients and athletes, this is the article for you!
A Brief Overview on Stances
When we’re trying to break down which stance is optimal, I think the best point to start is to delineate what makes each stance different or unique.
So let’s start with the obvious – what are the subtle differences between each stance?
Parallel Stance
In a parallel stance the feet are set shoulder to hip-width apart, and the feet are in-line with each other.
This biases both the feet and the torso into a mid-propulsive (force producing) position.
Staggered Stance
In a parallel stance, the feet are still set shoulder-to-hip width apart, but the feet are now off-set slightly front-to-back.
For instance, when I’m having people set-up, I generally start with a small stagger – the toes of the back foot are in-line with the middle of the front foot.
While the torso is still relatively “stacked” over the feet, that small offset starts to create a small turn towards the rear leg side.
Split-Stance
When we move from a staggered to a split-stance, we’re creating a more extreme representation of the end-phases of gait.
While both feet are in an externally rotated (ER’d) presentation, it is different between the two sides:
- The front foot/lower extremity is in an early-propulsion biased position. The foot/ankle are plantarflexed, but the torso is BEHIND the foot.I tend to think of this front foot as being in a position to absorb, distribute or slow down momentum as it hits the ground.
- The rear foot/lower extremity is in a late-propulsion biased position. While the foot is still in a plantarflexed position, the torso is actually in front of this foot.
I tend to think of the rear foot as being in a position to PUSH or produce force forward.
One more important point to make here: There is no one “right” split-stance set-up. You can go with a very small split or a very large split depending on what your intent and focus are.
Half-Kneeling
The final stance we can choose is half-kneeling. This may look very similar to the bottom of a split-stance, but due to the fact that we’re now in the bottom position, we’ve moved from a more externally rotated bias to a more internal rotation bias.
If this gets confusing, think about it like this…
External rotation is an expansion bias – it gives us space to move into. If you’re at the top of a split-squat, you need that ER representation or you wouldn’t have anywhere to go.
In contrast, when you get down into the midpoint of a movement, you have to shift to an IR/compressive bias.
Why, you might ask?
Because if you don’t you’d just keep going into the ether – or make a puddle on the ground.
Either way, no bueno.
So as you lower into that split-squat (or in this case, half-kneeling position) you need to compress and squeeze to push yourself back up.
Make sense? I hope so. (And if you’re interested, here’s a quick video on coaching/cuing half-kneeling…)
So now that we have a breakdown of the differences between each position, let’s look at times or situations where I might choose one over the other.
When to Choose a Parallel Stance
Here’s the thing about parallel stance activities:
They are absolutely phenomenal when it comes to driving force production.
And while I realize there’s nothing new or unique to this, I think over time we all develop a deeper understanding of WHY certain things work.
When you set-up in a parallel stance for a squat, deadlift, etc., it’s reduces your body’s ability to turn.
This reduction in turning capacity (or rotation, if you want to think of it like that) reduces degrees of freedom and increases the potential to put force into the ground.
So who am I choosing a parallel stance for?
If someone is a low force producer, we’re going to put them in a parallel stance and get them strong.
Looking back at my success early on in strength and conditioning, I realize I was lucky way more often than I was good.
Whether it was men’s/women’s volleyball, young high school kids, whatever – the simple fact that I gave them big lifts, in a parallel stance, and emphasized force production worked wonders.
So I’m not going to belabor this point to much…If someone is “weak” or struggles to produce force, use basic foundational lifts in a parallel stance to get them stronger.
Moving on…
When to Choose a Staggered Stance
As I mentioned in the above video, staggered stance is quickly becoming one of my go-to positions – for numerous reasons.
Here are just a few:
#1 – IR Bias WITHOUT Symmetry
When the feet are more directly underneath the torso, it’s safe to say we’re moving towards an IR/force producing position.
However, the difference between staggered stance and parallel stance is that slight offset of the feet.
When someone is in a parallel stance, it gets really easy to default to a sagittal plane/extension-based stabilization strategy.
In contrast, the slight offset the feet starts to reduce or diminish that likelihood.
#2 – Decreased Hip Range of Motion
Let’s be honest: Most of us DO NOT possess ideal hip range of motion.
So why would it make sense to put someone into a position they can’t assume or control?
That’s why staggered stance can be such a powerful tool – you put people in a position they CAN effectively control, and then progress them accordingly.
Imagine putting something with a massive anterior pelvic tilt/orientation into a split-stance or half-kneeling….
The second you put them in that extreme representation or deep range of motion, they’re in compensation city trying to achieve an “ideal” position they don’t have access to.
Instead, I’ll put them in a staggered stance – all you have to do is shift them back, soften the knees, and VOIlA!
They can not control their pelvis and get their pelvic floor underneath them.
Now I still think there’s a time and place to put someone in half-kneeling or split-stance even if their joint position/range of motion is less than ideal, but that’s a different article for another time.
Suffice it to say if someone struggles in deep ranges/position without compensatory movement, staggered stance is pretty clutch.
#3 – Decreased Stability Demands
Another issue with split-stance in particular is that many clients and athletes struggle to maintain their balance and control.
Moving to staggered stance starts to build that turn and creates some rotation to get them out of the sagittal plane, without putting them in an extreme representation where they can’t be successful.
#4 – Improve/Maintain Rotation and Turning
Last but not least, while staggered stance doesn’t have as much turning potential as split-stance, the fact of the matter is when we’re offset even slightly, we’re starting to build a turn.
I especially like this for your typical wide ISA: This client/athlete struggles to rotate effectively, and will default to an extension-based stabilization strategy whenever possible.
Putting them in a parallel stance isn’t ideal for rotation, and if I go to a split-stance, it’s often too much and they don’t have the range of motion necessary to get into position there, either.
Enter staggered stance.
Here we have a slight offset, the beginnings of a turn, all in a hip range of motion they have access to and control.
As the saying goes, “Boom goes the dynamite!”
So as you can probably tell, I’m a pretty big fan of staggered stance – but I’m also conscious that there’s a time and place for damn near everything.
So let’s move on…
When to Choose Split-Stance
As I mentioned above, while staggered stance is more of an IR/compressive representation, split-stance is more of an ER/expansive representation.
However, this is really important to note:
There is not one, perfect – or ideal – split stance set-up.
But honestly, that’s part of the utility here – you can tweak and customize your split-stance to fit the exact needs of the client/athlete standing in front of you.
So here are just a few reasons I might choose a split-stance activity.
#1 – Turning Progression from Staggered Stance
If one of my goals is to create a turn, or to improve expansive abilities over time, I would try to progress someone from a staggered stance to a split-stance.
The key here is their ability to control and position themselves appropriately. If someone can do it appropriately and hold all the right position, great!
But if someone is orienting versus turning, you’ve gone too far.
#2 – ER Representation
A lot of the clients/athletes I’ve worked with over the years have an IR/compressive bias.
Whether it’s high-performing athletes in basketball, soccer or football, or my time training and competing in powerlifting, these people are incredibly adept at producing force.
I think one of the best things I did over the years to help keep these people healthy and moving well was incorporating more split-stance activities into their workouts.
Essentially, I helped them create enough “expansion” so they’d have a buffer zone to help reduce the likelihood of injury.
As they saying goes, “sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good!”
#3 – Massive Potential with Regards to Positions/Options
The last benefit with split-stance is that there’s no one-size-fits-all with regards to set-up and performance.
If you’re trying to move someone from staggered to split-stance, you could literally inch the feet away from each other to create a position they can control.
Then once they’re good there, you inch them a little bit further apart again until they can control THAT position.
There’s a lot of utility in an activity that’s this malleable, so don’t sleep on the potential benefits here.
When to Choose Half-Kneeling
It’s no secret that half-kneeling is one of my true loves when it comes to programming and coaching.
I just feel like there are so many benefits to getting someone in half-kneeling.
But I guess with time you also start to see both the pros and cons of any activity – regardless of how much success you’ve had with it.
Here are a few reasons I would use a half-kneeling activity in a training session:
#1 – IR Bias with Increased Depth/Range of Motion
One of the most common issues we see both in training/movement – or on the table if you’re a PT – is a lack of hip internal rotation.
So arguably the biggest reason I prescribed half-kneeling early-on is due to the fact it improves a client/athletes hip internal rotation
If someone can get into a nice, clean 90-90 position and hold that, a lot of good stuff happens.
But now comes the big question… do they have access to it?
Whether it’s dumping the pelvis forward, hyperextending the hip, hiking the hip or some combination of the above, a lot of people don’t have access (at least early on) to achieve a good half-kneeling set-up.
Now one simple thing you can do to work around this is build them up to it.
Back in the day, I used to give everyone one Airex pad to set-up, and now I’m much more likely to give 2 or 3 if it helps me get them into a more ideal position.
(And if the people at Airex pad want to throw their boy some sponsorship money for saying that, I wouldn’t be mad about it!)
Think of it like this: Just like you can adjust split-stance front-to-back to find that Goldilocks position, you can do the exact same thing with the depth of you half-kneeling.
Simply use more (or less) pads to get into the best possible position and then let the magic happen.
#2 – Control/Position/Power out of the Bottom
One thing I’m always chasing with my people is cleaner and more efficient lines of movement.
For example if you’re dumping your pelvis forward, that tells me you’re going to rely mostly on quads and back extensors as a way of producing force.
Again no bueno – especially if you want to lift heavy things, run fast and jump high for as long as possible!
Instead, I want all of the muscles surrounding my hip to be doing that work, and then transferring that force through a more rigid torso.
Not only does this “spare the spine” as McGill would say, but it better distributes force production between the glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
Camping out in half-kneeling gives my clients/athletes the time necessary to feel the right position – getting tall through the torso, lengthening a hip flexor, feeling upper hamstrings/glutes engage.
All these things are of critical importance and make a big impact on both their performance and long-term health.
#3 – Increased External Stability with Back Knee Down
Last but not least, one of the biggest benefits of half-kneeling is the fact that it’s more passive than the positions I’ve described above.
Whether it’s parallel-, staggered- or split-stance, you have to do some (or potentially A LOT) of work to control your body position.
In half-kneeling you’ve got an extra point of stability due to your knee being supported by the Airex pads, which affords you time to sense and feel all of the things I described above.
Last but not least, even though you may be doing something active with the upper extremity (i.e. pushing a landmine, pulling a cable, etc.) the isometric action down below allows you to lock-in the lower half to much higher degree than if you were in a different stance or position.
Summary
So there you have it – a pretty thorough overview of the various stances you can use with your clients/athletes, and why you would choose one over the other.
My original intent when writing this article was to take a bunch of stuff that was bouncing around my head and get it onto paper.
And while no one is going to give me a Pulitzer Prize for today’s piece, I feel like I’m clearer now on why I choose certain stances/positions, and I hope you are as well.
So if you enjoyed today’s article, please do me a solid and send it to one person, or share it via your social media platform.
I would greatly appreciate it!
All the best,
MR
P.S. – And if you REALLY like this article, you’d probably enjoy my Complete Coach Seminar which is coming up March 11th-13th in Huntsville, Alabama. Check it out ASAP as we are only allowing a small number of attendees!