The Complete Guide to Squats

Squat exercises target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. They are essential for building lower body strength and functional fitness.

Equipment Needed

• None or a resistance band for added resistance.

Video Demonstration

General Form Cues

• Starting Position:

  • Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly pointed out.
  • Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and engage your core.
  • Avoid: Letting your knees cave inward.

• Descent Phase:

  • Push your hips back and bend your knees, lowering your body as if sitting in a chair.
  • Keep your weight on your heels and go as low as your flexibility allows.
  • Avoid: Leaning too far forward or rounding your back.

• Ascent Phase:

  • Drive through your heels to return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes at the top.
  • Avoid: Losing balance or shifting weight to your toes.

Squat Exercises Beginner Progressions:

• Bodyweight Squats: Focus on proper form, ensuring that the knees don’t go beyond the toes. This is an excellent starting point for beginners to build foundational strength and technique.

• Assisted Squats: Using a wall or a sturdy object for support, assist yourself as you lower into the squat. This helps build confidence and ensures safety while developing strength.

Squat Exercises Advanced Progressions:

• Jump Squats: Add a plyometric element by jumping explosively from the squat position, enhancing power and explosiveness.

• Bulgarian Split Squats: Performed with one foot elevated behind you, this single-leg squat targets the quads, hamstrings, and glutes while improving balance and stability.

• Sissy Squats: A unique squat variation that emphasizes the quads. Lean back while bending your knees, keeping your heels off the ground to isolate the quadriceps.

• Shrimp Squats: Another single-leg squat variation where one leg is extended back while the other leg squats down. This requires balance, flexibility, and strength.

• Pistol Squats: A single-leg squat that requires strength and balance, challenging stability and coordination.

• Barbell Squats: Considered the best option if you have equipment available, as they allow for greater load and muscle engagement compared to bodyweight exercises. With proper form, barbell squats can effectively build strength and size in the lower body, while bodyweight exercises may have limited resistance for advanced lifters.