Squat
Step by step
How to perform
- Slowly bend your knees and lower your body as if you're sitting back into a chair, keeping your back straight and your chest lifted.
- Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel with the floor, ensuring that your knees are aligned with your feet and do not go past your toes.
- Pause at the bottom of the squat, then push through your heels to slowly rise back up to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions, ensuring to keep your core engaged throughout the entire exercise.
Overview
About this exercise
The squat is a comprehensive lower body exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles, but also engages the core and improves balance. It's suitable for individuals at all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced athletes, due to the variety of modifications and progressions available. People would want to perform squats as they not only build strength and muscle, but also promote mobility, enhance functional fitness, and contribute to overall body composition.
Coaching cues
Form tips
Before you start squatting, make sure to warm up properly. This can help to prepare your muscles for the exercise and reduce the risk of injury. A good warm-up might include some light cardio, such as jogging or jumping jacks, followed by some dynamic stretching.
Breathe in as you lower your body, and breathe out as you push back up. This will help to keep your blood pressure stable. Holding your breath during squats can cause a rapid increase in blood pressure.
Aim to lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel
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