How to Squat With Proper Form

In the barbell back squat you hold the bar across your upper back, sit down between your hips until your thighs reach parallel, then stand back up. It trains the quads and glutes hard and teaches you to brace your whole body under load. Below you will find how to squat step by step, how deep to go, whether your knees can pass your toes, and the squat mistakes that hold most people back. Good squat form is simple to learn and takes years to polish, so start light.

The squat mainly works the quadriceps on the front of your thighs and the gluteus maximus. The adductors on the inner thigh work hard near the bottom, and the hamstrings help at the hip. Your spinal erectors and core hold the torso steady so the bar stays over the middle of your foot.

Aim for at least parallel: the crease of your hip level with the top of your knee. That depth trains the quads and glutes through a long range, and it is the standard most coaches use. Going deeper is fine if your back stays flat and your heels stay down. If your lower back starts to tuck under at the bottom, stop just above that point and work on depth with lighter sets. Half squats let you move more weight, but they build less strength and muscle in the bottom range, where most people are weakest.

For most people, yes. To reach a deep squat with your torso fairly upright, your knees need to travel forward past your toes. Holding them back on purpose mostly shifts the stress to your hips and lower back. What matters more is that your knees track in line with your toes and your whole foot stays on the floor. People with long thighs will see their knees go further forward, and that is normal. If your knees hurt during or after squatting, stop and see a professional.

The front squat holds the bar on the front of your shoulders. It keeps you more upright and puts more work on the quads. The bodyweight squat is the easiest way to learn the pattern and works anywhere. A Smith machine squat guides the bar on rails, so balance is less of a factor. A box squat teaches you to hit the same depth every rep. If the barbell bothers your back or shoulders, or you want more leg work, the moves below train the same muscles.

The squat is a main lift on Day A of Full Body Foundation and Day A of Curves & Confidence, both 3 day plans for the gym. Log every set and the plan sets your next weight. On iPhone and Android.

Full Body Foundation · Curves & Confidence · Dumbbell Home Essentials

They can. Most people need some forward knee travel to squat deep with a fairly upright torso. Keep your knees in line with your toes and your heels on the floor.

To at least parallel, with the hip crease level with the top of the knee. Go deeper if your back stays flat and your heels stay down.

Knees caving in, heels coming up, hips rising faster than the chest, stopping above parallel and losing the brace at the bottom. Most of them get better with a lighter weight and a video of your set from the side.

On the upper traps, just below the bony part at the base of your neck. That is the high bar position and suits most beginners. In a low bar squat the bar sits a few centimeters lower, across the back of the shoulders, and you lean further forward.

Mainly the quads and glutes. The adductors, hamstrings, lower back and core help, which is why the squat is one of the best leg exercises you can do.

For strength, 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps with 2 to 3 minutes of rest. For muscle, 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps. Add 2.5 to 5 kg when every set feels solid.