Squats

Execution

Start with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
Keep your chest up, engage your abdominals, and shift your weight onto your heels as you push your hips back into a sitting position.
Lower your hips until your thighs are parallel or almost parallel to the floor.
You should feel the squat in your thighs and glutes.
Pause with your knees over, but not beyond, your toes.
Exhale and push back up to the starting position.

Points of attention

Feet wider than shoulder width apart
Push the hips back and weight on the heels
Keep the knees in line with the toes

Muscles involved

Glutes
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Hip flexors

Variations

PROGRESSION

Slow on the way down, fast on the way up
Add weights

REGRESSION

Sink a bit less deep into the squat position

VARIATION: SQUAT HOLD

Instead of moving up and down keep holding a squat position.

VARIATION: SQUAT PULSES

VARIATION: 3 PULSE SQUAT

You can do a 3 pulse squat as well: move down into your squat. Do 3 pulses and move back up. Repeat the movement.

VARIATION: SQUAT TO SHOULDER PRESS

Squat holding dumbbells in front of your chest. When you press back up straighten your arms and lift the dumbbells above your head. You can also use a kettlebell or a medicine ball for the shoulder press.

VARIATION: SQUAT TO KNEE LIFT

Squat down and press back up. Lift one foot off the ground and raise your knee to your opposite elbow. Put your foot back down and move into your next squat. Press up and lift your other foot off the ground to perform a knee lift.

VARIATION: NARROW TO WIDE SQUATS