Bodyweight squat

What it works

• Quads and glutes, which stand you back up
• Adductors and hamstrings, holding your hips steady on the way down
• Abs and back, so your torso doesn't fold

How to do it

1. 1
   Feet shoulder-width apart

   Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly out. Your whole foot on the floor: heel, ball of the foot and outer edge.

2. 2
   Arms in front

   Stretch your arms out in front at shoulder height, hands together. They act as a counterweight and help you go down without tipping back.

3. 3
   Hips back and down

   Start the descent by pushing your hips back and bending your knees at the same time, as if you were about to sit in a low chair. Chest up.

4. 4
   To parallel or lower

   Go down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. If your mobility allows it and your back stays straight, you can go lower, with your hips below your knees.

5. 5
   Stand up by pushing the floor

   Push the floor with your whole foot, without lifting your heels, and rise until your hips and knees are fully straight. At the top, standing tall, start the next one.

The mistakes you see most

• Knees caving in. It's the most common mistake. Your knees follow the direction of your toes: think about pushing them out a little on the way down and up.
• Heels lifting. If you end up on your toes at the bottom, the weight goes to your knees. Widen your stance a little or go down less until you can do it with your whole foot on the floor.
• Half reps. Bending your knees a little and standing back up isn't a squat. The good ones are the ones that reach at least parallel.
• Rounded back at the bottom. If your hips tuck under and your back curves at the end of the descent, you've gone lower than your mobility allows. Stop a little earlier.
• Chest falling forward. Some lean is normal, but if you end up looking at the floor, your back is working for your legs. Arms in front and chest up.

Variations

• Hands at your chest. Hands together in front of your chest instead of stretched out. It's the most common way once you've got your balance under control.
• To a box or bench. You go down until your butt touches a box and stand back up. Great for learning to push your hips back and to go down the same way every time.
• Jump squat. You jump on the way up. Much more demanding on your heart and knees: only once the regular one is mastered.
• With weight. Once you can do them clean and in a row with no weight, the next step is a dumbbell at your chest (the goblet squat), or the barbell.

Frequently asked questions