How to do a Proper Bodyweight Squat

Doing a proper squat is one important exercise that everyone needs to master. This is because every other exercise uses this position to execute an exercise or use on a daily basis. For a bodyweight squat, you put my arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the ground. Keep your spine in a neutral position. This means don't round your back like a cat, but also don’t hyper-extend and over accentuate the natural arch of your back.1 These are some steps to perfect a proper bodyweight squat.

1. Think about where your weight is on your feet – it should be on the heels and the balls of your feet, as if you were pasted to the ground.  You should be able to wiggle your toes the entire movement.1

2. Keep your entire body tight the entire time.1

3. Now, breathe in, break at your hip and push your butt back.  Keep sending your hips backwards as your knees begin to bend.  It’s important that you start with your hips back, and not by bending your knees.1

4. Keep your back straight, with your neutral spine, and your chest and shoulders up.  Keep looking straight ahead at that spot on the wall.1

5. As you squat down, focus on keeping your knees in line with your feet. Many beginners need to focus on pushing their knees out so they track with their feet. So, watch your knees! When they start to come inside the toes, push them out (but not wider than your feet). Think about it like this: if you were to attach a laser to the end of each of your knees, the laser would track between your second and fourth toes. Make sure your knees are out!1

6.     Squat down until your hip joint is lower than your knees (what we call parallel). We are looking at your hip joint here, not your thighs. Depending on the size of your thighs, your squat may appear to be less deep than it truly is.  You can go deeper than this, however, anything less than parallel is a partial squat.

7. Keeping everything tight, breathe out and drive through your heels (keep the balls of your feet on the ground as well).1

8. Drive your knees out the same way you did on the way down, and squeeze your butt at the top to make sure you’re using your glutes.1

Squatting is one of the most productive if not the best exercises out there. It is one of the most difficult to learn as well. If you are new to this exercise, please take several training sessions practicing with an empty bar or broomstick. Your small errors with small weights will turn into BIG errors with big weights.2

References:

1Strength Training 101: How to Squat Properly. (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/03/03/strength-training-101-how-to-squat-properly/

2How To Squat: Proper Techniques For A Perfect Squat. (2014). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyberpump1.htm