“Oh, I can’t squat that deep, ” is what I sometimes get told by my clients when I train them for exercises. What do I think about it? I think they are right, maybe they can’t, and that’s ok. And why can’t they? Well, we are all different, and not one squat is equal to the other one. And possibly the answer is behind the fact that they may have a femoral anteversion. Indeed, femoral anteversion can affect how your hips rotate, how your feet naturally position themselves during a squat, and even how comfortable certain exercises feel.

We Are Not Built the Same. And That’s Fine!

Most recently, I was working with a client who presented with Lipoedema and, consequently, hypermobility, and when we got to work on her squat we notice that deep squat for her was not a thing (even thought she is hypermobile). Her PT, on the other hand, was asking her to just keep trying, gave her an app-video to train with, and told her that the squat had one way to be.

Obviously this is not the case. We all squat differently, and there is nothign wrong with it.

Than, after a short investigation, we realise that she can go deeper in the squat, if she use few tricks and tips. This is because her hips are antroverted.

Moving forward from this single case scenario, we also have to remember that our movement is influenced by:

• Muscle strength
• Mobility
• Motor control
• Previous injuries – (actually, she also had severely injured her L ankle when she was a teen, and her dorsiflexion is compromised on that side)
• Joint structure
• Bone morphology

The last point is often overlooked.

In fact, the shape and orientation of the femur can significantly influence how the hip moves. This is where femoral anteversion and its counterpart, femoral retroversion, become important.

Therefore, understanding these anatomical differences can help explain why you squat comfortably with feet narrow, standing and facing forward, while another naturally prefers a wider stance with their toes turned outward.

What Is Femoral Anteversion?

Femoral anteversion refers to the forward orientation of the femoral neck relative to the shaft of the femur.

More simply, this means that the head and neck of the thigh bone are rotated more anteriorly than the norm.

In fact, everyone is born with some degree of femoral anteversion. What can happen is that during growth and development, the amount gradually decreases, but the final angle varies considerably between individuals.

Research by Scorletti M et al. (2020) has shown that femoral versions are present on a spectrum, where there is significant variation even among healthy adults. That’s where the word “normal” has no application. There is no “normal hip”. What indeed is normal is the variability of human anatomy.

Regarding the characteristics of people with greater femoral anteversion, typically, we find:

• Increased hip internal rotation
• Reduced hip external rotation
• A tendency toward a more forward-facing foot position
• Greater comfort in certain squat positions
• Different movement strategies compared to those with retroverted hips

And therefore, let’s underline the fact that femoral anteversion is not a pathology, but it is simply an anatomical variation.

What Is Femoral Retroversion?

Now that we have looked at femoral anteversion, it is time to look at the opposite presentation.

In this case, the Femoral retroversion occurs when the femoral neck is oriented more posteriorly relative to the femoral shaft.

These individuals often display:

• Increased hip external rotation
• Reduced hip internal rotation
• A natural toe-out posture
• Preference for wider squat stances
• Reduced comfort with feet pointing straight ahead

None of those presentations is better than the other one, or more “normal”. They are simply different anatomical variations of the hip biomechanics.

The results of one or the other one are that based on the presentation you show up with, there are going to be certain movements that for you are easier or less easy.

The real issue stands when people attempt to force a movement pattern that doesn’t match their anatomy, especially if they told: “this is how you squat/move”.

How Femoral Anteversion Influences Your Squat

Now that we have a better idea of what is what, in terms of hip anatomy variation, we can look at how femoral anteversion affects your squatting.

As the hips flex during a squat, the femoral neck moves within the acetabulum (hip socket). The available space for movement depends partly on the shape and orientation of the bones involved. Remember, the femoral hip joint is a socket/ball joint, so a sphere shape (femoral head) rolling inside a concave socket.

So, if you are one of the individuals who present with greater femoral anteversion, you will find it more comfortable doing movements where:

• Feet are relatively straight
• Your stance is narrow to moderate
• Knees track naturally over the feet
• Don’t need an excessive toe-out stand

Indeed, by contrast, individuals with femoral retroversion often prefer:

• A wider stance
• Greater foot turnout
• More externally rotated hip positions

And again, this is why two healthy people can perform completely different-looking squats and both be moving optimally for their anatomy.

Trying to force everybody into the same squat position ignores the reality of individual biomechanics and would put one or another individual in a place of lack of confidence or body negativity.

Why Foot Position Matters

So, now that we see both anteversion and retroversion hip presentation, it’s time to understand why the feet position can make a difference when doing a squat, and where it is needed for a deeper squat and where it is optional.

Indeed, as mentioned above, for someone with a retroverted hip, having feet straight and worst, even if too close to each other, and delivering a squat, is not a thing.

This is dictated by the fact that the foot direction, such as straight or laterally directed, is given by the rotation that we apply at the hip joint.

A person with significant femoral anteversion may naturally feel strongest with minimal toe-out, whereas someone with retroversion may feel restricted or blocked in that same position. That’s where, when guiding someone to deliver a squat in a fitness class, I always assess their capacity and mobility needs first, then cue them on how to deliver a squat.

As a trainer, my goal is to make everybody squat comfortably, and up to their capacity.

How Can We Recognise Potential Femoral Anteversion?

So, how can we be certain about either one or the other presentation?

Well, the gold standard for measuring femoral version is imaging, such as CT scans or MRI. But obviously, in most cases, there is no need to go for such an expensive scan.

Indeed, in clinical practice, we can often identify patterns that suggest the presence of greater femoral anteversion. And of course, these assessments are not diagnostic; they can provide useful information about how an individual is likely structured, and therefore help to dictate what movement is best for them when using their hip for banding or squatting.

1. Seated Hip Rotation Testing

One of the most common assessments involves measuring hip internal and external rotation with the hips and knees positioned at 90 degrees.

Individuals with greater femoral anteversion often demonstrate:

• Increased internal rotation
• Reduced external rotation

Individuals with retroversion typically display the opposite pattern.

2. Squat Assessment

Watching somebody squat can reveal a lot about how their hips prefer to move.

Potential signs associated with femoral anteversion include:

• Comfortable squatting with feet relatively straight
• Preference for a narrower stance
• Limited tolerance for excessive toe-out
• Good depth despite reduced external rotation

Again, these findings are not diagnostic, but they often help guide movement recommendations.

3. Prone Hip Rotation Assessment

With the individual lying face down and the knees bent to 90 degrees, hip rotational range can be assessed more clearly.

A large discrepancy between internal and external rotation often suggests a structural influence rather than a simple mobility restriction.

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Squat Adaptations for Femoral Anteversion

As already briefly explained earlier, the most important concept for people with femoral anteversion is understanding that not all squat advice applies equally to everybody. In fact, forcing positions that create discomfort can be highly counterproductive; it is often beneficial to work with your anatomy.

Keep Foot Turnout Moderate

Generally, it is good to do a squat with a torn out foot, so toes pointing outwards. That said, for someone with femoral anteversion, the angle of the toes can be slightly narrower than normal, which would give better stability at the hip.

Allow Natural Knee Tracking

Let your knee track your feet. And here is where women may have some other difference, and that’s fine. Your knees may collapse inwards during the ascending.

That’s your adductor helping the squat pattern. That’s fine.

Experiment With Stance Width

As it may be clear now, there is no universally correct stance width. We all come with different biomechanics and capacity, so find your stand.

And for doing so, try with a lightweight initially, so that the risk of injury is as minimal as.

Stop Chasing Mobility That May Not Exist

If external rotation is limited due to bone structure, stretching alone is unlikely to produce dramatic changes.

What you can do about it is improve function rather than chase arbitrary mobility targets. Having the heel raised is an example.

What Does the Research Say About Femoral Anteversion?

One of the most interesting findings in the literature is the sheer amount of normal variation that exists.

A review published in the Journal of Anatomy by Yoshioka Y. and Cooke T (1987), reported that femoral version can vary by up to 30 degrees among healthy adults, highlighting that anatomical diversity is normal rather than exceptional.

A classic anatomical study found:

• Average femoral anteversion of approximately 7.4°
• Values ranging from -10.8° (retroversion) to 22.1° (anteversion)
• Retroversion present in approximately 12.5% of examined femurs

These findings reinforce an important message:

There is no single perfect hip structure. I know, it may have got repetitive by now, but there is too much misinformation out there, and we need to rebalance it.

Do Men and Women Present Differently?

Of course, it would be the quickest answer. This is because the pelvic region, per se, is different between women and men, as women’s bodies are predisposed to give birth.

And that’s where research from Klasan et al. (2019) found out that females tend to demonstrate greater femoral version than males.

This CT-based study reported average anteversion values of:

• 19.3° in women
• 16.5° in men

Now, those numbers have always had to be taken with a pinch of salt, as these are observational studies, done on a cohort of people and not on a global scale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Femoral Anteversion