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Squats are among the most effective exercises for strengthening your legs, and they are a staple in the routines of most serious weightlifters. However, there are misconceptions about squats being harmful to your knees or requiring a strict form to prevent injuries. Let’s clarify these points to ensure you’re performing squats correctly and confidently.
Which muscles are engaged during squats?
In reality, you perform squats daily without even realizing it.
Whenever you rise from a chair, you’re essentially executing a squat. Your quadriceps—the muscles on the front of your thighs—take on most of the effort. Meanwhile, your glutes, or buttocks, assist in hip extension as your quads extend your knees. In addition to several other muscles in your legs and hips, the barbell back squat also engages your core and back muscles, contributing to better posture.
The Advantages of Incorporating Squats into Your Routine
While well-defined legs enhance your appearance in shorts and make daily tasks easier, their true value becomes evident as you age, as emphasized by Greg Nuckols, a renowned writer and strength coach. During our conversation with him about squats, he highlighted:
Strong legs and hips play a vital role in promoting healthy aging. They enable you to maintain independence longer, perform daily activities with less effort, and both muscle mass and strength are key indicators of a longer lifespan.
It’s common knowledge that rising from a chair, toilet, or bed becomes more challenging with age, but it’s never too late to reap the rewards of strengthening your lower body or embarking on a strength training journey. A recent study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning revealed that supervised heavy squats can help postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis increase bone mineral density in their spine and neck while also enhancing overall strength.
Is Performing Squats Safe for Your Knees?
If someone advises you to avoid squats because they claim it’s harmful to your knees, they likely don’t understand—pun intended—the true nature of squats.
You don’t have to rely solely on my opinion: A review article in Sports Medicine concluded that squatting to different depths, even very low ones, does not place enough stress on your knee ligaments to cause damage (they’re quite resilient). In fact, the study found that consistent squatting with proper form allows your cartilage to adapt and strengthen, much like your muscles. However, if you have a history of knee problems, squats might exacerbate those issues.
On the other hand, if your technique is solid and your knees are healthy, squats can enhance knee strength and reduce the risk of injury, as evidenced by a study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
Therefore, it’s not squats that harm your knees; rather, it’s your squatting technique that may be the issue.
Mastering the Correct Way to Perform a Squat
During a back squat, the barbell’s weight should remain centered over your foot as your hips and knees bend. If you notice the pressure shifting predominantly to the front or back of your foot, it’s likely that the bar isn’t following the most efficient vertical path.
You might have heard the outdated advice that your knees shouldn’t extend past your toes, but this is no longer widely accepted by fitness experts. Nuckols clarifies the reasoning behind this:
Most individuals naturally distribute the forces of a squat evenly between their knees and hips without focusing on knee position. However, restricting forward knee movement or instructing people to avoid it shifts more load to the hips and lower back, reducing quad engagement and making the exercise less effective for overall lower body development.
Ideally, your knees should align with your first or second toe. Slight deviations inward or outward aren’t catastrophic, but excessive knee valgus [inward collapsing] should be avoided, particularly if it’s accompanied by pain.
Here’s a demonstration of proper squat technique:
All effective back squats share key characteristics: the hips are pushed back as though sitting into a chair, the chest remains upright and forward-facing to prevent spinal flexion (which could increase the risk of disc injuries), and the knees avoid collapsing inward.
A helpful tip is to actively push your knees outward during the descent phase of the squat (though a slight inward movement during the ascent, as shown here, is generally acceptable if pain-free, according to Nuckols). Ensure your feet, particularly your heels, remain flat on the ground, and maintain a tight core throughout the lift (here’s a video demonstrating how to properly “brace” your core).
Beginner’s Guide to Barbell Squats
The video by YouTuber Omar Isuf is an excellent resource for learning squat techniques, but it’s advisable to master bodyweight squats before adding weight. “Everyone should be able to comfortably hold a deep bodyweight squat position,” says Cody Lefever, a competitive powerlifter and creator of the popular GZCL training method.
Bodyweight squats are an ideal way to train your nervous system to adapt to the squatting motion and build familiarity with the movement. However, performing a flawless bodyweight squat doesn’t guarantee perfect form with added weight. Achieving that level of precision requires consistent practice.
Lefever also recommends:
Practice the squat movement using goblet squats and enhance both mobility and strength with single-leg exercises. Movements like back-step lunges and Bulgarian split squats are excellent choices, as they also improve balance and coordination.
Many individuals struggle with balance initially, but consistent practice of goblet squats and back-step lunges over a few weeks typically leads to noticeable progress. If achieving proper depth with just the bar feels awkward, consider refining your warm-up routine.
If traditional barbell back squats cause discomfort or feel intimidating, there are several effective alternatives for leg development, such as the front squat, goblet squats, and lunges. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that front squats are equally effective at targeting the same muscle groups as back squats—though mastering front squats requires its own learning process.
Regardless of the variation you choose, dedicating time and effort to gradually build proficiency in these squat exercises is essential.
Is Deep Squatting Safe?
The internet is rife with debates about the ideal squat depth, but the consensus is that deep squats (often referred to as “ass to grass”) aren’t suitable for everyone. We’ve provided a detailed guide to help you determine the appropriate squat depth based on your fitness goals.
Deep squats offer several notable advantages. The lower you go, the more effectively you engage the targeted muscles and enhance strength, as highlighted in this study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Additionally, as previously mentioned in the knee analysis study, deeper squats do not increase the risk of knee injuries.
While deep squats are safe and highly effective for building leg strength, they aren’t for everyone. Your ability to perform them depends on factors like injury history, body structure, and training objectives, as different squat variations target different areas. For instance, partial squats (with limited range of motion) can boost explosive power for jumping or help advanced lifters overcome sticking points. “Only Olympic-level weightlifters need to squat very deep with weights,” Lefever notes.
If you’re eager to squat deeper, the good news is that it’s achievable with practice. A great starting point is goblet squats, which make it easier to reach depth due to the weight being positioned in front of the body, altering the mechanics. Once you’re comfortable, you can progress to more demanding front squats. “By focusing on range of motion and control rather than heavy loads, most people can learn to squat deep with consistent effort and time,” Nuckols explains.
Ensuring a Successful Squat Workout
To perform squats comfortably and effectively, you’ll need adequate flexibility in your hips, ankles, and upper back to properly position yourself with a barbell on your back (or in front for front squats). Beyond flexibility, here are some essential tips to optimize your squat sessions:
Prioritize squats: Fatigue can increase injury risk and reduce workout effectiveness, so always squat when you’re fresh. If your routine includes heavy squats, do them first. The exception is olympic-style weightlifters, who typically perform competition lifts before squats.
Safety first: When squatting alone, ensure you can safely bail out of a failed lift. Set safety bars just above the barbell’s lowest point so you can roll the bar onto them if needed. (Omar Isuf demonstrates “bail out” techniques in this video.)
Strengthen your core: A stable core is crucial for lifting heavier weights safely. While squats engage the core, they’re not sufficient on their own. Incorporate exercises like bird dogs, pallof presses, or “stir the pot” to build core strength.
Engage your torso: Before squatting, brace your core tightly. “I focus on bracing my abs and torso as hard as possible,” says Lefever. A weightlifting belt can help create abdominal pressure, protect your spine, and allow you to lift more weight without weakening your core. Nuckols provides more insights in this article.
Stabilize your upper back: Squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your elbows pointed down and slightly back to maintain upper back stability.
Avoid foam pads: Foam pads between the bar and your traps prevent proper bar placement and reduce stability.
Focus on speed: Moving quickly ensures fluidity and helps overcome sticking points. If you struggle, keep your chest up and drive through your heels while pushing your traps into the bar.
Adjust your grip: A wider grip often improves bar stability, but experiment to find what works best. Keep your wrists neutral for optimal control.
Consider weightlifting shoes: Weightlifting shoes enhance foot and ankle stability, and the raised heel can help you squat deeper. However, they’re an investment, so ensure you’re committed to squatting before purchasing.
Embrace individuality: Everyone’s squat form varies due to anatomical differences. Your ideal squat depth, stance width, hand placement, and torso lean may differ from others, and that’s perfectly fine.
Like deadlifts, squats are highly technical and personalized. Always prioritize safety over lifting heavier weights. If you can’t squat to a specific depth, focus on mobility and gradual improvement. It took me nearly a year to feel comfortable with squats and finally reach the 200s (90 kilos)!
