At the very core of any good workout routine, you'll find one move: squats. They're such a natural part of having a fit, strong bod, in fact, that you've been doing them since birth.
“Even before babies can walk, they can squat—and squat with perfect form," says trainer and physical therapist Laura Miranda, DPT, CSCS, founder of PURSUIT.
Unfortunately, that natural ability has probably lapsed over the years. “As our bodies grow, bones get longer, and we develop more muscles around each of the joints, we start to have more limitation than when we're young,” says strength coach and trainer Alena Luciani, CSCS, creator of Training2XL. “As we get bigger, there is a bit more resistance built up around the joints, but there is a lot we can do to help that.”
And rediscovering your *chef’s kiss* squat form is worth it. Though squats are known as primarily a lower-body exercise, they fire up pretty much every major muscle you have—including your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and the entire core—and also help you stay strong as you age. (Want to be able to get up out of a chair no-problem when you're 80? Yeah, squats.)
Whether you want to lift a super heavy barbell or mix up your leg-day routine with squat variations, consider this your A-to-Z guide to all things squats—from why the move is so fab, to how to squat with correct form, and more.
How to do a squat with perfect form.
Whether you plan on sticking to bodyweight squats or adding resistance into the mix, you have to squat properly to reap the benefits. Here’s how to fix your form and drop it low like a pro.
1. Adjust your stance based on your leg mobility. Start standing with feet shoulder-width distance apart, toes facing forward (and slightly outward at 11 and 1 o'clock), and arms at sides. If you have longer legs, you may need to widen your feet to create extra space for hips, says Luciani.
2. Imagine an invisible seat. On an inhale, engage core and push hips back as if lowering into a chair. "As you squat down, your upper body should never fall forward," says trainer Tatiana Lampa, CPT. "Keep your chest up with a neutral spine."
3. Focus on your alignment. Keep torso upright and spine straight, press knees outward, and distribute weight evenly between both feet during the motion. “Imagine your knees are a train and feet are the train track,” says Luciani.
4. Descend slowly. Continue lowering until thighs are at least parallel with the floor. Stop right before you catch yourself doing the “butt wink,” says Lampa. (Read: A rounding of the lower back and a posterior pelvic tilt.)
5. Reverse the movement with an exhale. Press through heels and corkscrew feet into the floor to return to standing. “Pretend like you're picking up a $100 bill with your butt cheeks, and you're pinching it and holding it,” says Luciani. “It may seem a little bit silly, but it’s super helpful for actually using your glutes to get out of the squat.”
6. Check your posture at the top. When you stand tall, you want hips, knees, and shoulders to be stacked. “Everything is in a nice neutral line,” says Luciani.
Watch out for these common squat mistakes.
Not only does using improper squat form mean you'll miss out on the move's biggest benefits, but it's also a first-class ticket to Injury City. “Moving with good form is an essential component of staying injury free and having a sustainable training routine as you age,” Luciani says. There are four major mistakes people often make when squatting, according to Miranda and Luciani. Luckily, they're all pretty easy to fix.
1. You don't drop low enough. If you can continue to squat lower once your thighs are parallel with the floor, keep going, says Luciani. “Reducing the range of motion reduces the movements' muscle-strengthening benefits,” says Luciani. As long as your torso stays upright, you can press your knees outward, and your feet stay flat on the ground, you're clear to keep dropping your squat.
If you can't squat past parallel, try loosening up with five minutes of foam rolling your hips and lower body per day, says Miranda—and consider seeing a PT to address any ankle mobility issues, which often hold squats back.
2. You bounce out of the bottom of your squat. To benefit from squats, you need to stay in control throughout the entire movement. “Often, people use momentum to return to standing,” says Luciani. Trouble is, this bounce means you're not in control, and, “if you lose control at any point during a squat, you greatly increase your risk of injury,” she explains.
If you bounce out of the bottom of bodyweight squats, incorporate box squats—which involve squatting down onto a box or chair and coming to a complete stop before rising back up—to build strength, Luciani suggests. (Isometric squats help, too.) If you bounce up out of weighted squats, lighten up your load.
3. Your knees collapse inward. Friendly reminder: At no point during a squat should you look like you’re doing the stanky leg. However, if your glutes don't fire up properly, you'll have a hard time keeping your knees pressing outward, Miranda says.
Before you squat, warm up with a few sets of 12 to 20 glute bridges to "wake up" your glutes, suggests Miranda.
4. Your chest drops forward. Throughout a squat, you want to keep your chest as upright and proud as possible. “When the chest starts to dump forward, it puts your lower-back in a not-so-good position,” says Miranda.
Often, this whole chest-drop situation occurs when you try to squat lower than your mobility allows, she explains. Either give yourself permission to keep your squats a little shallower, or talk to a PT about your mobility.
Progress your squats with more difficult variations.
Once you know your bodyweight squat form is a 10 (check with a trainer, if you can) and you can churn out more than a few reps before starting to fatigue, you're ready to up the challenge, says Luciani.
“Advance the movement when you feel incredibly powerful and capable doing regular squats,” she adds.
1. Box squat. The box provides helpful tactile feedback so you know when you’re at the bottom of your squat. Luciani recommends using a kitchen chair, so your lowest point is parallel. If that height feels limiting, switch to an ottoman or shorter box to increase your range of motion.
How to: Start standing facing away from a box (or chair). Engage core and push hips back to sink down until butt touches box. Once seat taps the box, press through heels to return to a standing position.
2. Goblet squat. Once you have good mechanics with a bodyweight squat, Luciani recommends adding resistance little by little. She likes goblet squats with a kettlebell or dumbbell because you can progress in small increments.
How to: Hug a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest and follow the standard squat cues. Engage core and push hips back as if lowering into a chair. Once thighs are parallel with the floor, press through heels to reverse the movement and return to start.
3. Tempo goblet squat. This variation is all about moving slowly, a.k.a. increasing the time under tension. “That actually increases the damage to the muscle fiber, and afterwards it builds back up to become nice and strong,” says Luciani. “The longer that we're under tension, the more the muscles have to work against that resistance.” To distract yourself from the extra burn, you can focus on all those form cues.
How to: Engage core and push hips back as if lowering into a chair and count slowly to three or four on the way down. Once thighs are parallel to the ground, press through heels to return to standing in one count.
4. Dumbbell squat. Grabbing a set of dumbbells creates a bit of instability, makes the arms work independently, and ups the difficulty. Plus, “changing the position of the dumbbells can change a lot,” says Luciani.
How to: Hold one dumbbell (or kettlebell) in each hand, racked on the shoulders. Or, you can hold the dumbbells with palms facing you and elbows at a 90-degree angle for an extra upper body challenge. Engage core and push hips back as if lowering into a chair until thighs reach parallel. Then, press through heels to return to standing.
5. Jump squat. “I think introducing jumps is a really good way to build up some additional power through the lower body,” says Luciani.
How to: Think load and explode. Start by loading up, dropping into that squat position nice and slow. Once you reach your lowest point with thighs parallel to the floor or a bit farther, come up off the ground as fast as you can. “Send your head through the clouds,” says Luciani. A soft landing is even more important, though, she adds. When you return to the ground, think about flexing your ankles, knees, and hips at the same time.
6. Landmine squat. The barbell adds resistance and a natural form check. “Because of the way the barbell is angled, it actually forces you to keep your posture upright,” says Luciani. No barbell? No problem. Luciani recommends setting up a broomstick in a corner with a pillow and completing the motion with bodyweight.
How to: Start by holding the end of the landmine (or broomstick) with both hands at chest height. Engage core and push hips back as if lowering into a chair until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep torso upright and press through heels to return to standing.
7. Offset loaded squat. If you don’t have access to a barbell for more difficulty, Luciani recommends loading up only one side for added instability. “It really challenges your core to stay upright, instead of tipping toward the weight,” she says.
How to: Grab one dumbbell or kettlebell and hold racked on your shoulder throughout your reps. Engage core and push hips back as if lowering into a chair until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep torso upright and spine straight, and press through heels to return to standing. Then, switch sides and repeat.
The benefits of squats are legit.
No matter where your squat skills are RN, you can get serious lower body rewards from practicing the move. Here's what trainers say is waiting for you after those reps:
1. Squats help you build stronger glutes. Your glutes do a lot of the work during squats, so the move is a must for strengthening them, says Miranda. Having strong glutes helps protect your lower back, which overcompensates when your glutes are weak (often leading to tightness and pain).
2. Squats also double as a core workout. When you squat, your core turns on to keep you balanced and stable, so you work your entire midsection with every rep, says Luciani.
“A strong core is so important for maintaining our posture, keeping us steady, and our ability to age gracefully,” Luciani says. (Also, abs.)
3. Squats can make you a better runner. Since squatting equals stronger glutes and stronger glutes equals faster running, squats are an absolute must for anyone who pounds the pavement regularly. “There’s no doubt that squatting will make you a faster, better runner,” says Luciani.
4. Squats help rev your metabolism. Since squats engage some of the biggest muscles in your body (and so many muscles), they're an incredibly effective move for building lean muscle, Luciani says. Since muscle burns more calories than fat (even when you're mid-Netflix binge), having more muscle on your bod means you'll have a higher metabolic rate and burn more calories every single day. Over time, Luciani explains, this can help you lose body fat and feel more toned.
Gabrielle Kassel (she/her) is a sex and wellness journalist who writes at the intersection of queerness, sexual health, and pleasure. In addition to Women’s Health, her work has appeared in publications such as Shape, Cosmopolitan, Well+Good, Health, Self, Men’s Health, Greatist, and more! In her free time, Gabrielle can be found coaching CrossFit, reviewing pleasure products, hiking with her border collie, or recording episodes of the podcast she co-hosts called
Jennifer Nied is the fitness editor at Women’s Health and has more than 10 years of experience in health and wellness journalism. She’s always out exploring—sweat-testing workouts and gear, hiking, snowboarding, running, and more—with her husband, daughter, and dog.
