Bodyweight Squat
A squat with no external load: bend the hips and knees to sit down, then stand back up. It trains the quads and glutes and grooves the squat pattern. Choose it for warm-ups, home training and high-rep conditioning, or as the first step before goblet and barbell squats.
Updated
Primary muscles: Quadriceps, Glutes. Supporting muscles: Hamstrings, Adductors, Core. Equipment: Bodyweight.
Muscles worked
Primary
Secondary
Equipment
How to do it
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width and the toes turned out 15 to 30 degrees.
- Reach your arms forward or clasp the hands at the chest for balance.
- Brace the core and keep the whole foot on the floor.
- Sit down between your heels with the knees tracking over the toes.
- Lower until the thighs are at least parallel, or as deep as you can keep a neutral spine.
- Drive through the midfoot until hips and knees are straight.
Watch for
- Knees collapsing inward.
- Heels lifting off the floor.
- Chest dropping so the hips rise first.
Breathing
Inhale as you lower, exhale as you stand.
Tip
Once 20 clean reps feel easy, slow the descent to 3 seconds or move on to goblet squats.
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