What muscles does squat work?

Squat mainly works your quads. It also works your glutes, hamstrings and calves.

What equipment do you need for squat?

You do not need any equipment for squat. You can do it with just your body.

Here is how to do squat. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly outward. Find a stance that feels stable and lets your knees track over your toes comfortably. Stand tall, lift your chest, and pull your shoulders back. Brace your core as if you are about to be poked in the stomach, and keep that tension for the whole rep. Set your weight through your whole foot, from your heels to the balls of your feet. Grip the floor with your toes a little to create a stable, spread base. Begin the movement by pushing your hips back and down, as if you are sitting into a chair behind you. Let your knees bend and travel forward over your toes at the same time. Lower under control over about two seconds, keeping your chest up and your back flat. Let your knees push out in line with your toes rather than caving inward. Descend until your thighs reach at least parallel to the floor, meaning your hip crease drops to about knee height. Go as deep as you can while keeping your heels down and your back flat. Keep your heels planted and your core braced at the bottom. Do not let your lower back round under or your weight shift onto your toes. Drive up through your heels and mid-foot to stand back up, pushing the floor away. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top and finish standing tall and fully upright. Breathe in on the way down and out as you drive up, and aim for 10 to 20 reps per set since this is a bodyweight movement.

What are common mistakes to avoid with squat?

When you do squat, avoid these common mistakes: letting your knees cave inward as you stand up; rounding your lower back at the bottom; rising onto your toes and shifting weight forward.

Is squat good for beginners?

Squat is a beginner exercise. It is a good choice if you are new to training.

Squat Exercise - How To Video & Tips

Squat Overview

The squat is a lower body move you do with just your body. You stand tall, then sit your hips back and down. It mainly works your quads. Your quads are the big muscles on the front of your thighs. It also works your glutes, your hamstrings, and your calves. Your glutes are your butt muscles. Your hamstrings are on the back of your thighs. You need no gear at all. The squat is a key move for everyone. Beginners can start here and build a strong base. It makes your legs and hips strong for daily life. It also helps you sit and stand with ease. You can do squats at home or in a gym. Use them to warm up or as a main leg move.

What Is The Point of the Squat?

The squat exercise builds strong quads, glutes, and hamstrings while improving overall lower body power. It's the best move for functional leg strength you use every day.

How To Do The Squat

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly outward. Find a stance that feels stable and lets your knees track over your toes comfortably.
Stand tall, lift your chest, and pull your shoulders back. Brace your core as if you are about to be poked in the stomach, and keep that tension for the whole rep.
Set your weight through your whole foot, from your heels to the balls of your feet. Grip the floor with your toes a little to create a stable, spread base.
Begin the movement by pushing your hips back and down, as if you are sitting into a chair behind you. Let your knees bend and travel forward over your toes at the same time.
Lower under control over about two seconds, keeping your chest up and your back flat. Let your knees push out in line with your toes rather than caving inward.
Descend until your thighs reach at least parallel to the floor, meaning your hip crease drops to about knee height. Go as deep as you can while keeping your heels down and your back flat.
Keep your heels planted and your core braced at the bottom. Do not let your lower back round under or your weight shift onto your toes.
Drive up through your heels and mid-foot to stand back up, pushing the floor away. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top and finish standing tall and fully upright.
Breathe in on the way down and out as you drive up, and aim for 10 to 20 reps per set since this is a bodyweight movement.

Squat Form Tips

Keep your feet flat and planted. Push through your heels to stand.
Push your hips back first. Then bend your knees.
Keep your chest up the whole time. Do not fold forward.
Keep your knees in line with your feet. Do not let them cave in.
Go down until your thighs are about parallel. Aim for good depth.
Keep your core tight. This holds your back safe.
Keep your back flat and long. Do not round it.
Move slow on the way down. Drive up with power.
Breathe in as you lower. Breathe out as you stand.

Common Mistakes to Avoid for the Squat

Letting your knees cave inward as you stand up. Knees collapsing in loads the joint unevenly and leaks power from your glutes. Consciously push your knees out in line with your toes on the way down and especially as you drive up.
Rounding your lower back at the bottom. A rounded spine under load, even bodyweight, puts your discs at risk and takes power away from your legs. Keep your chest up and brace your core so your back stays flat all the way down.
Rising onto your toes and shifting weight forward. When your heels lift, you lose your base and stress your knees. Keep your weight spread through your whole foot and drive up through your heels and mid-foot.
Not squatting deep enough. Cutting the squat to a quarter depth only trains a small range and shortchanges your glutes and quads. Aim to get your thighs at least parallel to the floor while keeping your heels down.
Starting the movement by bending the knees first. Leading with the knees pushes them far forward and takes your glutes and hips out of the lift. Initiate by pushing your hips back, then let the knees bend together with the hips.
Letting your chest drop toward the floor. Folding forward turns the squat into a good-morning and loads your lower back. Keep your chest proud and your torso as upright as your mobility allows.
Bouncing carelessly out of the bottom. Slamming down and rebounding relies on momentum and can jar your knees and hips. Lower under control and drive up with your muscles rather than a bounce.
Holding your breath the whole set or not bracing at all. No brace leaves your spine unsupported, while holding your breath too long makes you dizzy. Brace hard, breathe in on the way down, and breathe out as you drive up.
Setting your feet too narrow or too wide. A stance that does not fit your hips forces your knees to track badly and limits your depth. Experiment until you find a width where you can hit depth with your knees tracking over your toes.
Looking straight up or dropping your head down. Cranking your neck up or tucking your chin breaks your spinal alignment. Keep your gaze a few feet ahead and your neck in line with your spine.
Rushing your reps with no control. Speeding through squats sacrifices depth and tension for numbers. Lower with a controlled two second descent and own each rep to actually build your legs.

Squat Workout Tips

Push your hips back first to start each squat. Leading with the hips keeps your knees in a safe position and loads your glutes and hamstrings the way the movement intends.
Cue your knees to track out over your toes. Actively pushing the knees out stops them caving in, spreads the load evenly, and lets your glutes fire hard.
Drive up through your heels and mid-foot. Pushing the floor away from a stable base keeps you balanced and puts the power where your big leg muscles can use it.
Chase the mind-muscle connection with your glutes and quads. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of every rep, since feeling the target muscles work is a proven way to build them.
Use a controlled two second descent. Owning the lowering phase keeps tension on your legs and builds more muscle than dropping fast.
Work toward full depth over time. If you cannot hit parallel yet, work on your ankle and hip mobility, because a deeper squat trains far more muscle.
For bodyweight squats, chase higher reps of 15 to 25 to build real leg endurance and control. Slow the tempo or add a pause at the bottom to make them harder without weight.
Add a pause at the bottom for a few sets. Pausing kills the bounce and forces your legs to work through the hardest part of the range.
Progress to goblet or barbell squats when bodyweight feels easy. Holding a weight is simple progressive overload once your form is dialed in.
Try tempo squats or pulse reps to keep bodyweight training challenging. Slowing down or adding little pulses at the bottom cranks up the difficulty with no equipment.
Keep your core braced throughout, not just at the top. A tight midsection protects your spine and makes your whole squat feel stronger and more stable.
Warm up your hips, knees, and ankles before heavy sets. A few easy bodyweight squats groove the pattern and prepare the joints for real work.
Film your squat from the side. A quick video shows your depth and whether your back stays flat far better than how it feels.
Keep your gaze a few feet ahead and your neck neutral. A stacked head keeps your whole spine aligned and your balance centered.
Master the bodyweight squat before you load it up. Clean, deep bodyweight reps are the foundation every heavier squat variation is built on.
Be consistent and patient. Strong legs are built over months of quality squats, so keep showing up and adding a little each week.