Let’s Talk about SQUATS

Squats are one of my favorite exercises and I get pretty excited about them! It’s a functional movement. If you think about it, we do some variation of a squat everyday whether that’s bending down to pick up a child or getting up and down from a chair. No matter what age you are, learning how to squat properly is so beneficial! Not only that but squats work so many different muscles, there are a ton of variations you can do to change it up, and squats work big muscle groups so you burn more calories.

The big question is….how do you know if you are doing them right? I get asked this question so much as a trainer! In this post I will show you how to squat with proper form, how to start if you are a beginner, and provide you with some fun squat variations to get a great leg workout. Make sure you don’t miss the squat challenge at the end!

Squat 101: Step by Step Guide to a Proper Squat

• Start with your feet a little wider than your shoulders, chest lifted, shoulders back, and toes facing forward.

• Brace your core to engage those muscles.

• Drive your weight back (think about sticking your butt out) by sinking back into your hips. Make sure your knees are behind your toes. You may feel like you are falling back at first but that means you are doing it right!  

• Strive to get to a 90 degree angle where your thighs are parallel to the floor BUT only go as far down as you are comfortable with. If you are beginner you can work up to this. Many people have knee issues that prevent them from going down too far and that’s ok, just find what works for you.

• Drive up through your hips to a standing position.

What muscles do squats work?

Squats use a variety of muscles throughout the body and it depends on the type of squat you are performing. For a regular bodyweight squat (shown above), the main target areas are your quadriceps, hamstrings, and the gluteus maximus. You are also engaging your core muscles to help stabilize your body as you move up and down as well so don’t think your core is left out!

How many squats should a beginner do?

This will be different for everyone and there isn’t a set number you should be doing. If you are just starting out, I would recommend starting with three sets of 10-12 body weight squats. You can add this into your workout and feel those leg muscles start to fire up! If you aren’t quite comfortable doing a body weight squat just yet, start with a box squat (or bench if that’s easier) to help practice correct form and movement. I love and trust the fitness advice given from Girls Gone Strong and they have this great video on how to properly do a box squat. Check it out to learn how to do this beginner movement!

What are some squat variations?

If you’ve been doing squats for a while and are ready to mix it up, here are three of my favorite squat variations. These will give you an amazing workout and target your leg muscles a little differently than the regular squat. We appreciate a little variety in our workouts, right?

Sumo Squat

This one targets your inner thighs and it WORKS!

• Start with your feet wider than your shoulders, feet turned out, chest lifted, and core engaged.
• Sink back into your hips keeping a neutral spine and go as far down as you are comfortable with. Drive up through your hips by pressing into your heels. You should feel your inner thighs engaged while pressing up.  

Single Leg Squat

This is definitely the most challenging one for me, it takes a lot of core strength and balance to perform it right but I love working one leg at a time for an extra challenge.  

• Start with one foot firmly planted on the ground, slightly lift the other leg off the floor in front of you. Engage your core muscles.
• Bend the standing leg and sink back into your hips and glutes, lowering to your comfort level (goal is to get to a 90 degree angle with your thigh parallel to the floor).
• Squeeze your glute muscles and engage your hamstrings to drive your hips back up into a standing position.

If this one seems too hard right now (it took me a while to build the strength to perform this one and it’s are still SO hard for me!), try this Single Leg Box Squat variation first and then work your way up to a Single Leg Squat without the box. There is ALWAYS an exercise you can do no matter where you are in your fitness journey, it’s one of the things I love about fitness! 

Bulgarian Split Squat

This one is a burner and I love it! You will need a bench (or a box) to perform this exercise.

• Place one leg on the bench and the other firmly on the floor in a split squat position.
• Align your hips, knee, and ankle so they are stacked in a straight line and facing forward. Brace your core and lift your chest.
• Sink straight down making sure your knee does not go over your toes. Power up through that front leg and return to starting position.

These are all great leg exercises to add into your workout, pick one and perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps. Or if you are looking for a full lower body workout, check out my Legs on Fire workout.

Ready for a squat challenge?

If you want to up your squat game, I have a leg burning challenge for you! Here is my 10 day squat challenge you can start TODAY. If you don’t have time to get all the reps in at once, spread them out throughout the day. Make this challenge work for you! Don’t be afraid to do a few while working at your desk either, if people look at you funny just challenge them to do the same thing and bring some excitement to the office. Spread the fitness love!

Now you are a Squat Pro

I hope this blog post helps you perfect your squat form and gets you excited to do this amazing exercise in your next workout. Whether you are a beginner or have been at it for a while, there are a ton of variations you can do. As a beginner, start with the box squat and work up to a full bodyweight squat. If you are advanced, add in some of the squat variations I showed above to challenge your legs in a different way and be sure to do the 10 day squat challenge! Happy Squatting!