Is squatting easier with shorter legs?

Author: Samara Goodwin Sr.  |  Last update: Wednesday, October 1, 2025

While athletes with short legs (and relatively long torsos) may find squatting easier, the reverse tends to be true for the deadlift. As athletes with long torsos hinge forward during a deadlift, the horizontal distance between their hip joints and shoulders increases.

Do shorter legs make squats easier?

Shorter lifters have a lower center of gravity and shorter femurs, both of which can contribute to increased stability in squats. They also have a shorter range of motion, which means squats may be slightly easier since the bar doesn't have to travel as far.

Do shorter people squat easier?

In an undated article by Ross, the author concluded “For the same weight lifted, taller lifters must generate approximately 25% more torque, which explains why taller lifters tend to be relatively poorer squatters.”

Does leg length affect squat?

In terms of leg length ratio, a femur to tibia length ratio (FTR) needs to be treated especially important during the squat because the major movement of the squat involves flexion/extension of the hip and knee controlled by the movement of the femur and tibia.

Are squats harder if you have long legs?

Yes. Squats can be tough for anyone, but especially those of us with longer limbs. It can be hard to keep your balance when you have a longer torso and legs, which makes squats all the more challenging. Plus, it's harder to get into the correct form when your body is spread out over a larger area.

Tips for Tall Squatters Vs Short Squatters

Why is squatting harder for tall people?

"And the longer your femurs are, the harder it is to perform the back squat with high quality," he adds. Tall guys struggle to maintain balance between pushing their hips back to settle into the squat and keeping their center of mass over the midfoot.

Does height affect squats?

The Squat. The squat is a basic leg strengthening exercise that involves bending down with a barbell held securely on your upper back. Shorter lifters will generally have an advantage when performing the squat as they do not have as far to go to break parallel and stand back up.

Is it harder to squat with longer femurs?

Longer femurs cause most to lean forward more during their squat whereas shorter femurs tend to make it easier to stay more upright.

Does leg length matter?

Legs of two different lengths require children to change their normal posture and walking patterns. Depending on the degree of difference, leg-length disparities can lead to a variety of problems, such as functional scoliosis, and hip, knee, and ankle problems.

How far should your legs be when squatting?

Here's how to Squat with proper form: Stand with the bar on your back, and your heels shoulder-width apart. Bend your legs until your hips are lower than the top of your knees. Keep the bar balanced over your midfoot the whole time.

What is the best height for squats?

Figure 1 Rack height for squat – mid sternum, in between your collar bone and the nipple line. For a low bar squat, the bar should be somewhere in the middle of your sternum (chest bone). It will be between the collar bone and the nipple line.

Why are short stocky guys so strong?

Short men are usually stronger right off the bat in the gym, their limbs are less long so their muscles look more full on their shorter build. They have better leverages because their limbs are shorter as well.

Why are narrow squats easier?

Vertical Torso Position: Narrow squats often encourage a slightly more upright torso position (due to the greater forward knee travel). This can reduce shear stress on the spine, making them a more comfortable option for people with a history of lower back pain.

What are the disadvantages of short legs?

With a short leg, your weight is not at all evenly distributed and you can, and will, wear down one side of your body (specifically joints and muscles of the lower extremity, pelvis, and low back) much quicker.

Why is my squat so poor?

You're Working Out With Poor Squat Techniques

Often, the issue is related to improper techniques, such as incorrect depth, alignment, or grip strength, causing inefficient force transfer. Muscle imbalance, where one muscle group overpowers the other, also leads to a feeling of weakness.

Are short legs more attractive?

We found that male and female silhouettes with short and excessively long legs were perceived as less attractive across all nations.

What leg length is attractive?

Women prefer a man with legs that are about half his height, according to previous research; scientists believe that is an evolutionary result of women wanting to choose only healthy men.

What is the short leg syndrome?

Short leg syndrome (SLS) is better known in the medical community as Leg Length Discrepancy. In the simplest terms, one who suffers from SLS will have one leg that is shorter than the other. The length difference does not have to be large to make a difference in your body.

Do longer legs mean faster?

Once this distance is maximized, the only way to increase running velocity is to shorten the time spent on the ground, increasing the demand for force application to the ground. With everything else kept equal, individuals with longer legs should be able to achieve faster running velocities.

How does leg length affect squats?

Femur Length

The length of the femur also plays an important role in the positioning of the squat. Those with short femurs and long torsos will have a more upright squat position. Those with long femurs and a shorter torso will have to compensate at the hip, causing them to lean forward to counterbalance the movement.

Should I squat high or low bar?

Try Mixing it Up

The high bar position is very good at building quadriceps strength and can help manage fatigue on a low bar squatter. A low bar may help increase posterior chain development (glutes, hamstrings, and back) and express top-end strength.

Why do powerlifters have thick waists?

If you look at powerlifters, you can see they all have big thick waists and it's all from doing heavy squatting and deadlifting.

Is it harder to squat with longer legs?

Long legs plus poor ankle mobility makes squatting deep very challenging. To overcome this limitation, focus on improving ankle dorsiflexion – the ability to flex your foot upward towards your shin.

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