Squat
A bodyweight squat is sitting your hips back and down until your thighs are about level with the floor, then standing back up. It mainly works the quads and glutes, needs no equipment, and is the base of almost every leg workout.
- Group
- Legs
- Equipment
- None
- A first set
- 15 reps
How to do it
Start position
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, both feet flat, arms relaxed by your sides.
One rep
- Sit your hips back and down, bending your knees in the same direction as your toes. Raise both arms straight in front of you to shoulder height for balance.
- Stop when your thighs are about parallel to the floor, chest up and back straight.
- Push through your whole foot to stand back up tall, lowering your arms to your sides.
Tempo
About 2.4 seconds per rep, at a controlled pace. A set of 15 takes around 36 seconds.
Form cues
- Keep both heels flat on the floor the whole time.
- Point your knees the same way as your toes.
- Keep your back long and your chest lifted.
- Your feet stay exactly where they started.
Common mistakes
- Heels liftingShift your weight to the middle of your foot and sit back more, as if reaching for a chair behind you.
- Knees caving inPush your knees out over your little toes on the way down and the way up.
- Rounding the backLift your chest and look ahead, not down at the floor.
- Stopping halfwayGo down until your thighs are level with the floor, or as low as you can with heels down.
- Bouncing at the bottomPause for a split second at the bottom, then stand up with control.