How to do a bodyweight squat
A bodyweight squat is sitting down and standing up without a chair: you bend your hips and knees until your thighs are about level with the floor, then drive back up. It trains the biggest muscles in your body, the thighs and glutes, and the same movement is what you use every time you get out of a chair.
Muscles worked
Main: Front of the thighs (quadriceps), Glutes.
Also working: Inner thighs (adductors), Hamstrings, Calves, Core and lower back.
How to do a bodyweight squat
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly.
- Brace your core and push your hips back as if sitting into a chair behind you.
- Bend your knees and lower yourself, keeping your chest up and your heels on the floor. Let your knees travel forward over your toes.
- Go down until your thighs are about parallel to the floor, or as low as you can with heels down and a neutral back.
- Push through your whole foot to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Form tips
- Feet shoulder-width
- Sit back and down, chest up
- Drive through your heels
Common mistakes
Knees caving inward
Knees collapsing toward each other strains them. Push your knees out so they stay in line with your toes.
Heels lifting off the floor
This shifts the load to your knees and costs balance. Widen your stance a little, turn your toes out, or squat only as deep as your heels stay down.
Rounding the back at the bottom
Keep your chest up and stop just before your lower back starts to round. Depth improves with practice.
Easier and harder versions
- Similar level: Sit-to-stand, Sumo squat, Wall sit, Goblet squat
- Harder: Reverse lunge, Jump squat, Tempo squat, Step-up
How many to do
A good starting point is 3 sets of 15 reps, resting 60–90 seconds between sets. Stop each set 1–2 reps before your form breaks down. When every set feels easy, add a few reps, then move to a harder version.
Questions
Should my knees go past my toes?
It is fine for most people. Knees travelling forward over the toes is a normal part of a deep squat; what matters is that they track in line with your toes.
How many squats should I do a day?
For beginners, 3 sets of 10–15 good reps two to four times a week is a solid start. Add reps, then move to harder versions.
Are bodyweight squats enough to build legs?
At first, yes. Once 3 sets of 20 feel easy, harder versions such as split squats or jump squats, or adding weight, keep you progressing.
General fitness information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting if you have a health condition, an injury or are pregnant, and stop if an exercise causes pain.
