Shifting the Emphasis to Hips When You Have Short Femurs
Having shorter femurs generally makes it easier to maintain an upright torso in the squat, naturally placing more emphasis on the quads. However, if your goal is to involve your hips, glutes, and hamstrings more (making the squat more “hip-focused”), there are several technique tweaks and exercise variations you can try. Here are some tips to help you shift that emphasis:
Experiment with a Low-Bar Back Squat
High-Bar vs. Low-Bar
High-Bar Squat (bar higher on the traps) typically encourages a more upright torso, placing greater stress on the quads.
Low-Bar Squat (bar lower on the rear delts) naturally causes a slight forward lean, allowing you to engage the glutes and hamstrings more effectively.
How to Set Up a Low-Bar Squat
Position the bar so it sits just below the ridge of your traps, on the rear delts.
Grip the bar slightly wider than you would in a high-bar setup.
Keep your chest up but allow for a slight forward lean as you descend to ensure the bar stays balanced over your midfoot.
Because the bar is lower on your back, your hips will shift backward more, increasing tension on the posterior chain—glutes and hamstrings.
Increase Your Forward Lean
If you normally squat with a very upright torso (thanks to your short femurs), intentionally allowing more forward lean can help target the hips. However, be mindful of lower back positioning—maintain a neutral spine to avoid rounding. A moderate forward lean is fine as long as your back is braced and you’re not losing tension. This method forces the hips to do more work in driving the weight up from the bottom of the squat.
Adopt a Slightly Wider Stance
For short-femur lifters, a closer stance often feels natural because you can reach depth without much hip flexion. However, if you want to engage the hips more:
Try widening your stance a bit, so your feet are slightly beyond shoulder width.
Point your toes outwards just enough to keep your knees tracking over your toes.
A wider stance tends to increase the role of the adductors and glutes, shifting some load away from the quads. You may not need to go ultra-wide—just a bit more than your normal stance can have a noticeable effect.
Strengthen Your Posterior Chain
Adding accessory work can also help you shift focus to your hips over time, as stronger hamstrings and glutes will naturally take on a bigger role during squats. Some great options include:
Good Mornings: Fantastic for developing hamstring strength and teaching a strong hip hinge.
Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): Targets the hamstrings and glutes with a controlled, hip-dominant movement.
Glute Bridges / Hip Thrusts: Isolate the glutes and build the power you need for a hip-dominant squat.
Dial in Your Bracing and Core Stability
When you shift your squat mechanics towards a hip-dominant style, proper core bracing becomes even more crucial. A stable midsection allows you to hinge effectively at the hips without rounding your lower back. Focus on:
Taking a deep breath into your belly and bracing (as if preparing for a punch) before each rep.
Keeping your spine neutral from start to finish.
Ankle and Hip Mobility
Even though short-femur lifters typically need less mobility than their long-femured counterparts, tight ankles and hips can still limit how well you can shift into a hip-dominant position. Keep up with basic mobility drills to ensure no joint is restricting your movement:
Hip Flexor and Adductor Stretches: Kneeling hip flexor stretches, seated butterfly stretches, and Cossack squats.
Ankle Dorsiflexion Drills: Knee-to-wall stretches or using a slant board to improve ankle mobility. This can help you feel more stable when you shift backwards in a low-bar squat.
Thoughts on Box Squats
Box squats encourage you to sit back into your hips rather than dropping straight down with a knee-dominant style.
Place a box or bench at a height that challenges you but still allows good form.
Descend by pushing your hips back and lightly sitting on the box, maintaining tension.
Drive up through your heels and glutes to return to standing.
Box squats help you focus on that “hip hinge” pattern, so you’ll really feel the glutes and hamstrings working.
Box squats can help emphasise a hip-dominant movement pattern but I would not do them loaded. The forces through the spine are greatest in a seated position and spinal compression when you settle or relax onto the box is a major risk. Mark Rippetoe in his book "Starting Strength" strongly advises against barbell back squats to a box although some powerlifters still use this variation to strengthen the posterior chain by gently touching the box without losing tension, then driving up through the glutes and hamstrings. If you choose to try box squats, be sure to maintain a braced torso, stay in control during the descent, and never fully unload your spine onto the box. A Goblet squat to box with a kettlebell or dumbell is preferable if you are going to do this exercise loaded. A barbell used as a front squat would defeat the object of obtaining a forward lean - this would not be possible to control with the barbell racked on the clavicles.
Even if you have short femurs, you can still customise your squat to place more emphasis on your hips. Switching to a low-bar setup, widening your stance and focusing on posterior chain strength are all great ways to encourage a more hip-dominant movement pattern. Remember to keep your core braced, maintain a neutral spine, and progress gradually—your technique and comfort should guide you above all else.
Short femurs and hip-focused squats can coexist. It’s all about learning how to lean, where to place the bar, and how to drive through the hips with a mind-muscle connection on your squat style—happy training! ⚖️✨
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