How to Perform Squats

Stand with your feet flat on the ground. Position your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight. Angle your toes outward towards 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock, not facing directly forward.

Bend your knees. Imagine you are sitting down on a chair. Keep your heels flat on the floor. Engage your core muscles. Maintain a neutral back position throughout the exercise.

Lower your body with control. As you descend, push your hips back. Move as slowly as possible while keeping your shins vertical and your heels on the ground. From the lowest position, push yourself up, transferring your body weight onto your heels. You may need to lean slightly forward to maintain balance if necessary.

• If possible, aim to lower your hips below knee level. If you're a beginner, you may not be flexible enough to go that low, but keep practicing to reach that point.
• Inhale as you lower yourself. Exhale as you push back up.
• Look straight ahead to maintain proper posture while performing squats.
• Extend your arms forward to help with balance. This also assists in keeping your shins vertical.

Repeat. If you are new to squats, aim for 10 reps. As you build strength, you can increase to 15-30 reps per set. Perform 1-3 sets with rest in between each set.

Stand with your feet flat on the floor, toes slightly turned outward. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart. Position yourself under the barbell with your knees slightly bent. Adjust the barbell height to match your body. It's crucial to focus your body weight on your heels while keeping your feet flat. Avoid shifting your weight onto your toes or the balls of your feet, as this can negatively affect your knees.

• When your feet are facing straight ahead, your knees may cave in, so you should angle your toes to 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. If you have issues like toes pointing outward or a bunion, try to maintain proper form and avoid using heavy weights. But never point your feet wider than this angle.
• Avoid standing with your feet too wide apart (wide stance), as this will engage your inner thighs and put strain on the knee joint (MCL), causing undue pressure on the knee cartilage and potentially leading to knee cap dislocation. Similarly, avoid standing too close together, as this could shift your weight onto your toes, adversely affecting your feet and knees.

Position the barbell behind your head, letting the weight rest on your upper back. Place your shoulders beneath the bar, ensuring it crosses your trapezius muscles. The trapezius runs along the upper back and between your shoulders. The bar should rest on your traps, not on your neck. Grip the bar comfortably, typically about 15 cm from each shoulder. If you're new to squatting with a barbell, skip the weights at first and practice the movement.

• Lift the bar off the rack, stepping forward or backward to avoid hitting the rack.
• Always have a spotter while squatting! This is especially crucial when lifting the bar from or placing it back onto the rack.

Bend your knees and lower your hips as if you're "sitting" onto an invisible chair. Keep your gaze forward, maintaining a straight back and keeping your chin up throughout the exercise. Your spine should remain neutral as you lower into the squat, as if you're sitting in a chair. Ensure your heels stay firmly planted.

• Don’t let your knees drift forward.
• Avoid rounding or arching your back.
• Keep your head up and shoulders engaged.
• Only lower as deep as you feel comfortable. With practice, you'll be able to squat deeper, closer to the height of a chair.

Engage your core throughout the squat movement. Tighten your abdominal muscles and keep your lower back in a nearly neutral position. Maintain a firm core and keep your back as straight as possible in a neutral stance. For most people, this means a slight curve in the lower back. Ensure your thighs don’t drop below parallel to the ground (hips and knees level) during the full range of motion.

• Focus on engaging your core throughout the squat. This supports your body in handling the weight.
• Keep the weight over your heels, with your shins vertical.
• Avoid pushing your hips forward while squatting, as it tilts your pelvis and reduces glute activation.

Drive yourself back to standing, pushing your hips forward to return to the starting position. From the bottom position, push up with the weight shifted to your heels, maintaining proper form. Use all your muscle groups to extend your legs and stand up slowly while balancing the bar.

• Keep your back straight. Don’t let your spine curve during the lift.
• Focus on driving through your glutes, not your back, to rise.
• Perform the movement smoothly and with control to minimize injury risk.

Never round your back -- keep your chest lifted throughout the exercise. Maintain a straight spine with a natural, gentle curve, as you would when standing upright. Push your hips back and lift your chest to prevent your spine from rounding. Most people tend to slouch when tired, causing their back to round. This is both dangerous and reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. Regardless of fatigue, focus on keeping your spine straight.

• A rounded spine can lead to serious injuries.
• If you can't maintain proper form, don't continue -- performing exercises incorrectly is much more harmful than not exercising at all.

Focus the weight on your heels, not your toes. If you're using proper form, you should still be able to lift and wiggle your toes if needed. Shifting your weight onto your toes puts stress on your knees, whereas your heels provide a much more stable base.

Keep your knees steady. Do not let your knees push out or "collapse inward" during the squat. This can be harmful to your knees. Actively push your knees into the correct position throughout the squat to ensure they stay aligned. Keep your knees mostly stationary, bending but staying close to their original position during the movement. If you feel your glutes engaging more, you're doing it right.

• Focus on keeping your knees pointing outward, with the weight shifted to your heels instead of your toes.
• Never let your knees travel past your toes as this increases the risk of damaging the tendons and ligaments in your knee.
• Your knees may move slightly forward when you squat down, which is fine -- just ensure they stay aligned with your feet and behind your toes.

Don’t place the barbell on your neck. The bar should rest on your upper back, not on your neck. If the bar is on your neck, you’ll feel pressure on the cervical spine, as the bar will touch a vertebra. Lower the bar slightly and evenly distribute the weight across your upper back.

• Using a wider grip can be helpful.

Inhale as you lower your body, and exhale as you rise. This is the most efficient way to use your body's natural breathing rhythm, allowing for maximum airflow and a smoother squat motion.

• Generally, inhale as you begin the movement, similar to stretching, then exhale when you exert more effort.

Warm up to prevent injuries. As with any sport, warming up and stretching are essential to avoid muscle strain or injury. Start by gradually increasing your heart rate and then follow the steps below for a light squat warm-up using very light weights.

• Static and dynamic stretches: Static stretching involves holding a position for a set period (usually 15-30 seconds). Dynamic stretching requires controlled movements through different ranges of motion. Dynamic stretches are often recommended as they activate muscles and can reduce the risk of injury. Shoulder shrugs, light kicks, sumo squats, leg swings, and knee bends are great examples of dynamic stretching movements.
• If you're new to squats and weights, begin without any added weight -- or use an unloaded barbell.
• If you're more experienced or find the unloaded barbell too light, you can add weights appropriate to your strength. If the rack height is adjustable, set it just below your shoulders, at chest level. Avoid using excessive weight as it may cause injury.

Don’t wear a lifting belt when learning the movement. A lifting belt supports your back and helps keep it aligned with the rest of your body, but this is something you need to train yourself to do. However, once you have built up sufficient back strength (both lower and upper), you may need to use the belt to support your back and core muscles when lifting heavier weights.

Squat with dumbbells to build muscle if you’re unable to perform barbell squats. Stand in front of a sturdy chair or a weight box with no armrests. This exercise is ideal for beginners. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended straight down at your sides. If you're just starting, use 2.5kg dumbbells. As you get stronger, gradually increase the weight.

• Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes slightly turned out.
• Bend your knees. Push your hips back and slowly lower your body until your glutes almost touch the chair, then return to standing.
• Don’t lock your knees. Always keep your knees relaxed and prevent them from moving past your toes. You should feel more strain in your thighs rather than your knees.

Incorporate a knee-bend position. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands, gripping one end so it hangs straight down toward the floor. Engage your core throughout the squat; using your abdominal muscles will help maintain balance.

• Foot placement: Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your knees and legs spread out so your feet point at a 45° angle. This posture is based on a ballet move known as the "plie squat".
• Lift your heels off the floor. Keep your balance on the balls of your feet and bend your knees.
• Slowly lower your body. Keep your back straight and your hips below your shoulders.
• Ensure your knees stay behind your toes. Do not allow them to move beyond this point!
• Slowly push yourself back up. Lower your heels back to the floor as you rise.

Perform squats with the barbell held in front to target new muscle groups and improve grip strength. This variation of the basic squat involves holding the barbell in front of your body instead of behind your head. Place the barbell under your neck, crossing your chest, and aligning it parallel to your collarbones. Grip the barbell from below, where it feels comfortable, typically about 15 cm away from each shoulder.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, flat on the ground. Position your body under the barbell and slightly bend your knees. You must evenly distribute the barbell’s weight across both legs during the movement. Angle your toes slightly outwards, not pointing straight ahead.
• Look straight ahead, keep your back straight, and bend your knees while ensuring your heels stay on the floor. Make sure your quadriceps remain parallel to the floor throughout the movement.
• Lower your body in a controlled manner until your thighs are nearly parallel to the ground. Do not go lower than parallel. Focus the weight on your thighs, heels, and the balls of your feet, avoiding strain on your toes or knees.
• Stand back up with your heels as the primary support. Always keep your torso tight.

Squat with the barbell overhead to develop greater muscle strength. If you're looking for a bigger challenge, this exercise will meet your needs. If you’re not ready to lift heavy weights, start with an unloaded barbell or very light weights. To maximize the effectiveness of the exercise, remember to keep your body as upright as possible -- avoid leaning forward or arching backward.

• Use a wide grip to lift the barbell overhead, locking your elbows firmly.
• Bring your shoulder blades together and engage your core.
• Look straight ahead, keep your back straight, and bend your knees, making sure your heels stay flat on the floor.
• Pull in your abdomen and maintain a neutral position with your lower back (a slight curve may be unavoidable).
• Lower yourself in a controlled manner until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Push your shoulders back and always focus on keeping the weight in your heels.
• Stand up, using your heels as the base of support. Always keep your torso tight.

Do not change your upper body posture while alternating legs. Begin in a lunge position with one foot forward, bending the front knee, and the other leg extended back. Then...

• Keep your spine straight.
• Lower your hips until the knee of the back leg touches the floor.
• Bend the front knee to a 90-degree angle.
• Stand up using the front heel, maintaining a straight back.
• Repeat with the other leg.

Lower the barbell slightly below shoulder level and perform a regular squat to target new muscle groups. Lower the barbell a few centimeters below your shoulders and perform a regular squat. This version primarily targets the quadriceps more than the hamstrings and is often referred to as the "low-bar squat".

• You can also extend your arms much lower, holding the barbell near your knees. From this position, maintain the squat posture — but because your arms are extended low, the barbell will touch the floor between reps.