Will squatting make you tight? I can’t believe we still have to debate this in 2025. While it’s not as widespread as it used to be, some people still think lifting heavy and squatting will make muscles big, bulky, and stiff. Just looking at a barbell can make you feel tighter. I won’t drag this out into a long argument—this is a blog post, not a dissertation, and I’m hungry. I get that people are influenced by their surroundings and echo chambers.
You might have watched one too many Tom Brady documentaries, and the idea of touching a barbell makes you sick to your stomach. Still, the stance is a bit silly. As Chris Duffin says, “Squatting doesn’t make you tight. Squatting poorly does.” There are many nuances to squat technique, and the best variation, setup, and execution depend on injury history, goals, ability, genetics, and body proportions. There isn’t a single best way to squat, and I’m skeptical of coaches who act like their method is the only right one.
When coaching the squat, you need to consider injury and health history, goals, ability, genetics, and anthropometry. The internet argues about bar position, hand placement, depth, stance, and even what day of the week it is, but what matters is getting the feet, ankles, knees, and hips properly aligned and loaded, maintaining a neutral spine, and avoiding back problems.
To pull off a solid squat, you need active ankle dorsiflexion, knee and hip flexion, active hip opening, and a neutral spine. These elements can actually counteract a sedentary desk lifestyle, since a loaded squat tends to encourage some thoracic extension, which isn’t usually a bad thing for people who sit a lot. In short, squatting correctly can be the opposite of making you tight.
For more on my approach to squat technique, check out my other posts. And if your favorite He-Man character isn’t He-Man, you might want to check yourself before you wreck yourself.
Dr. Quinn Henoch of Juggernaut Training defines neutral spine as: “In normal resting posture, the spinal curves present with a natural lordosis in the lumbar spine, kyphosis of the thoracic spine, and lordosis of the cervical spine. These natural curves help to distribute compressive loads.”
If Moss Man we can’t be friends.
