How to Do Squats Correctly: Form Tips & Common Mistakes

Introduction

Squats are a useful exercise that, when done properly, may increase your calorie burn, strengthen your core, help you avoid injuries, and enhance your posture and balance. One of the most basic and efficient workouts for developing lower body strength is the squat.

They involve stabilizing muscles throughout the body, mainly targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core. Because they replicate commonplace motions like standing and sitting, squats are a functional exercise that is very good for general mobility and fitness.

What are squats?

The squat is a basic movement pattern that calls for the incorporation of several joints and muscles. Babies have excellent squats, but we unlearn this in favor of bending over.

Squats are a dynamic strength training exercise that calls for the simultaneous use of multiple upper and lower body muscles. Your ability to walk, climb stairs, bend, and lift heavy objects is aided by several of these muscles. They also assist you in carrying out sports-related tasks.

You may improve your exercise performance, lower your chance of injury, and maintain your mobility throughout the day by including squats in your routine. However, these are only a handful of the advantages. To find out more about the benefits of performing squats and how to make an effort with different variations for extra benefits, continue reading.

What muscles do squats work?

If you’re looking for an exercise that can work most of your muscles, the squat is it.

Although the lower body is the obvious goal for this compound exercise, you also need to activate some muscles above your waist to perform it well. As a complex exercise, squats work several muscular groups simultaneously. Although their primary focus is on the lower body, they also stabilize the upper body and core. Squats are, therefore, among the best workouts for increasing strength, power, and endurance.

A squat targets the following lower muscles:

• Gluteus maximus, minimus, and medius (buttocks)
• Quadriceps (front of the thigh)
• Hamstrings (back of the thigh)
• Adductor (groin)
• Hip flexors
• Calves

The squat strengthens not just the lower part of your body but also your core muscles. The rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae are some of these muscles. Squats are a vital exercise for general strength, stability, and athletic performance because they work a lot of the body’s muscles.

Your shoulders, arms, chest, and back muscles will all be worked if you perform an overhead or back squat.

Form Tips for Basic Squats

The most basic kind of squat, called an air squat or bodyweight squat, employs only your body weight as resistance. Weights like dumbbells or barbells, resistance bands, or yoga balls can all be used in squat variations.

Working with a trainer to improve your technique is ideal while learning how to perform a squat. The squat should start with your feet bearing about equal amounts of the load. This is sometimes referred to as a foot tripod.

With equal pressure applied on the front of the foot behind the big toe, the front of the foot behind the pinky toe, and the heel, visualize a triangle on the sole of your foot.

How to do

• Start with your toes slightly out and your feet a little wider than hip-width apart.
• Push your hips back while using your abdominal muscles to move your weight back into your heels while maintaining even pressure in your feet and an up-and-out chest.
• Drop into a squat when your heels begin to lift off the floor or your chest begins to round or bend forward. Your form should decide your depth.
• Push down your heels to come back to your starting position while keeping a tight core and an elevated chest. At the top, squeeze your glutes.
• Do 10–15 repetitions. Complete up to three sets.

What are the benefits of doing squats?

There are many advantages to performing squats, but these seven are the most important ones to promote.

Strengthens your core

Everyday motions like turning, bending, and even standing can be made easier with strong core muscles. Furthermore, having a strong core can help you maintain proper posture, reduce low back pain, and enhance your balance. That in opposition the activation of core muscles during a plank with back squats, and it was discovered that the muscles supporting your back were more activated during the latter exercise.

Based on these results, using back squats to strengthen the core muscles lowers the risk of injury and improves athletic performance.

Reduces the risk of injury

You can perform full-body motions with proper form, balance, mobility, and posture more easily when your lower body muscles are stronger. Additionally, adding squats to your entire exercise regimen helps strengthen your bones, tendons, and ligaments, all of which may lower your chance of injury.

Crushes calories

Running, cycling, and other aerobic exercises are frequently associated with burning calories. However, engaging in compound, high-intensity exercises like the squat can also burn a significant number of calories.

Strengthens the muscles of your lower body

Some of your biggest and strongest muscles are found in your lower body.

Your glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, and calves are involved in nearly every movement you make, from getting out of bed to sitting in a chair.

Squats are one type of strength-training exercise that can help tone and build your lower body muscles. You may find that anything from walking to bending to exercising is easier when these muscles are in good shape. You may also find that you can move more comfortably and with less pain.

Increases athletic ability and strength

If you participate in sports, incorporating jump squats into your training regimen could help you gain harmful strength and speed, which could enhance your performance. Concluded that training with jump squats can enhance multiple athletic performance aspects at the same time, such as dangerous strength and sprint time.

They enhance coordination and balance.

Try using squats in your exercise regimen if you want to improve your balance. Balance and coordination are necessary for squats, particularly when doing them with additional resistance.

Maintaining joint health as you age requires preventing falls and injuries, which can be achieved by improving balance and coordination.

Variety helps with motivation

You can try a variety of squat variants after you’ve mastered the basic movements. By varying your squats, you can engage different muscle areas and keep the activity involving.

They can also be performed with resistance bands, yoga balls, or weights like medicine balls, dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells.

It can be carried out anyplace.

You don’t need any special equipment to perform bodyweight squats. Your physique and sufficient space to descend your hips into a sitting position are all you need.

50 squats a day can still help a lot of muscle groups, so if you’re short on time, try performing 25 in the morning and 25 at night. Add 25 to the afternoon as you get stronger.

They will prepare you to carry heavy objects.

Squats are incredibly versatile exercises that can be performed by anyone, not just athletes and bodybuilders. Instead of putting undue strain on your back, they provide you with the strength and form you need to properly lift large objects—and anything!—by using your lower body. You must be able to move securely in your daily life, whether you’re picking up your children or grandchildren, moving boxes and furniture, or cleaning and arranging the house.

They promote strong bones.

It’s easy to forget that exercising helps more than just your hurting muscles. Maintaining strong, healthy bones requires weight-bearing workouts like the simple squat. “Resistance exercises are crucial to maintain bone density and strength, as well as stimulating bone reconstruction (the process in which old or damaged bone tissue is replaced with new, strong tissue), which is important for preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of fractures.”

They are good for the health of joints.

Squats assist “maintaining their health by promoting the production of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints and nourishes the cartilage.” This is because they involve regulated loading of the lower body joints, particularly the hips, knees, and ankles.

Squats strengthen all of the muscles supporting the joints, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles, which provides better support for the joints, reducing the risk of injury while improving overall ligament function. Increased joint mobility and flexibility, especially in the hips, knees, and ankles, can result from performing squats through their complete range of motion. This can lessen stiffness and improve joint function.

What are the advantages of squat variations?

You can target different muscle groups by varying the basic squat. Additionally, it keeps you motivated so you don’t become tired of doing the same thing over and over.

Check that you are comfortable in the fundamental squat movement before attempting any variants. More strength, flexibility, and core activation are needed for these harder workouts.

Back squats

One of the greatest complex exercises for increasing lower body strength, power, and total muscle growth is the back squat. They work the lower back and stabilizer muscles in addition to the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core.

How to do

• Place the barbell on your upper traps or, if you’re doing a low bar squat, just below them on your rear delts.
• Pull your shoulder blades together while holding the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Place your feet shoulder-width apart and tip your toes slightly out.
• Breathe deeply, tense your abdominal muscles, and start lowering
• yourself by simultaneously bending your hips and knees.
• Avoid curving your back and maintain a neutral posture with your chest raised.
• Lowering your hips till they are at least parallel to your knees should be your goal.
• Keep your knees tracking over your toes as you push into your midfoot and heels.
• Keep your chest high and push your hips upward.

Overhead squats

You can use a medicine ball or a dumbbell for an overhead squat.

Your core, particularly your lower back, is worked in this variant. It also strengthens the muscles in your arms, shoulders, and upper back. This squat will need a somewhat different range of motion, so be mindful of your technique.

How to do

• Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and stand tall.
• Throughout the workout, keep the medicine ball above your head.
• As you would for a standard squat, thrust your hips back and bend your knees from a standing posture. Stop until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Hold your squat position for a moment.
• Squeeze your glutes at the peak and push through your heels to go back to the beginning position.

Jump squats

Jump squats don’t require any special equipment. Considering this activity is plyometric, it’s a strong cardio workout that demands you to use your muscles to their fullest capacity in a little amount of time.

The jump squat raises your heart rate while working your hips, hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. If you want to practice this type of exercise, you should have healthy knees, hips, and ankles because it puts more strain on your joints.

How to do

• Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and stand upright.
• Lower yourself into a squat until your thighs are just above your knees.
• Lift your feet off the ground by pushing yourself upward.
• Return to the squat position after landing with your knees bent and soft.

How to Perform Squats Properly: Form Advice & Typical Mistakes

Safety and precautions

Although squats are generally a safe exercise if performed properly, there are a few safety measures to be aware of.

• Don’t lower yourself more than you can keep. Stop when you start to experience knee or hip pain, and use that as your endpoint.
• Check that your base is strong. Starting with your feet somewhat wider than shoulder-width apart is necessary for the majority of squat movements. Although a narrower stance puts more strain on your knees and reduces foundation stability, it enables you to work on the muscles of your outer thighs.
• Keep your focus forward. When doing a squat, you should look straight ahead, even if it might feel natural to turn your head down. Choose an area in front of you to concentrate on to aid in this. You might be able to maintain a neutral neck position by doing this.
• Maintain an erect stance. Don’t round your back or shoulders. Keep your head neutral, not looking up or down, and concentrate on maintaining a straight, neutral spine.
• Lift only what you can manage. If your form isn’t capable of supporting the weight, don’t add too much. If you perform the squat correctly, you will gain more from it than if you lift too much weight. Additionally, lifting too much weight can cause problems by putting strain on your knees, hips, and lower back.
• Activate your core. For the duration of the exercise, maintain your core muscles. Consider your internal weight belt, which keeps everything in its proper place, to represent these muscles.

What is the recommended daily number of squats?

Aiming for three sets of 10–20 repetitions at least three times a week would be a better objective, even though performing squats every day is probably not going to harm you unless you’re performing millions of them and/or pushing huge weights. This will provide your lower-body muscles with good exercise and recovery time.

How Many Calories Are Burned During Squats?

It is impossible to determine calorie burn unless everyone reading this is using an activity tracker. This is due to the fact that each body is unique and that a person’s potential calorie burn during any exercise depends on a variety of parameters, including height, weight, level of fitness, muscle/fat ratio, and so forth.

In actuality, quality is more effective than quantity in this situation. A perfect squat is an excellent bodyweight exercise for muscle gain because it simultaneously involves a lot of muscles.

Your body will burn an extra 50 to 70 calories per day for every pound of muscle you grow, so instead of worrying about how many squats burn 100 calories, concentrate on learning how to perform a decent squat and gaining more muscle.

Common mistake of squats

• Knees collapsing in: Knees ought to drop out rather than in. One of the most frequent and harmful mistakes is this one.
• Not starting with the hips: Your hips, not your knees, should be the starting point for the squat.
• Not using the core: Good form requires a strong core.
• Letting your chest drop forward: Maintain a strong posture.
• Not breathing: Take a breath as you descend and release it as you rise again.
• Insufficiently deep squatting: As low as you can squat without losing form, do it correctly.
• It is not advisable to rise with your butt first.
• Knees too far forward: When bending, avoid bending your knees too far forward.
• Not maintaining a straight back: Maintain a straight back.

Summary

One of the best workouts for increasing muscle mass, strength, and power is the squat. They strengthen various muscle groups, boost functional movement, and promote athletic performance. Adding squats to your regimen can result in noticeable increases in core and lower-body strength, regardless of whether they are done as a front squat, back squat, or any other variation.

Maintaining mobility, concentrating on good technique, and gradually overloading with the right weights will optimize the advantages. To minimize injuries and maximize outcomes, stay away from common blunders like inadequate depth, knee collapse, and incorrect back placement.

FAQs

References

• Davis, N. (2019, June 18). 45 squat variations to keep you on your toes. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/squat-variations
• Video: Squat exercise. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/multimedia/squat/vid-20084663
• Cpt, T. L., & Breitowich, A. (2024, April 4). 36 types of squats to strengthen your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and more. Women’s Health. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19904135/types-of-squats/
• Seaver, M. (2024, December 19). Here’s How to Do Squats Properly, Safely, and Effectively Every Time. Real Simple. https://www.realsimple.com/health/fitness-exercise/workouts/squat-form
• Theriot, D. (2025, February 24). 3 ways to do free squats – WikiHow. wikiHow. https://www.wikihow.com/Do-Free-Squats
• Nasm, B. W. (2025, March 10). 14 squat variations to crush your Leg Day workouts. Men’s Health. https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a39651734/types-of-squat-variations/