Squat
A foundational lower-body movement where you bend at the hips and knees to lower down and stand back up.
Overview
The squat is one of the most fundamental movement patterns in training. You lower your hips down and back by bending at the hips, knees and ankles, then drive back up to standing. It mirrors everyday actions like sitting down and standing up, which is why it appears in almost every general fitness routine.
A bodyweight squat needs no equipment, making it an easy starting point, and it can later be loaded with a dumbbell, kettlebell or barbell as the movement becomes familiar. It mainly builds the muscles of the thighs and hips while asking the core to stay steady throughout.
The movement
- 1Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out.
- 2Send your hips back and down as your knees bend, keeping your chest tall.
- 3Lower to a comfortable depth, then drive through your feet to stand back up.
Beginner notes
- A chair or box behind you can act as a target to squat down to when you are learning the depth.
- Most beginners start with bodyweight before adding any load.
- Keeping the heels in contact with the floor helps the movement feel stable.
A note on training information
Where it’s used
Sports this relates to:
Fitness
Strength and general fitness training — the foundation that supports every other sport.
Weightlifting
A technical strength sport built around lifting a loaded barbell overhead with speed and control.
Functional Fitness
Varied, whole-body training built around everyday movement patterns like squatting, lifting and carrying.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Related exercises
Goblet squat
A squat variation where you hold a single weight close to your chest for balance and control.
Jump squat
An explosive squat variation where you spring off the floor at the top of the movement.
Wall sit
A holding exercise where you sit against a wall with no chair, holding a squat position still.
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Movement patterns
- SquatA knee-dominant pattern: bending the hips, knees and ankles to lower and rise while keeping the torso upright — the foundation of lower-body strength.
- DecelerationThe athletic pattern of actively braking and absorbing momentum to slow or stop under control, producing eccentric forces that oppose the direction of travel.
- LandingThe controlled absorption of force at ground contact that ends an airborne phase, dissipating impact through eccentric triple flexion of the ankle, knee and hip.
- HingeA hip-dominant pattern: bend forward at the hips with a flat back, minimal knee bend, then drive the hips tall — powers pulling from the floor and jumping.
Coaching concepts
- Repetition QualityThe attention and intent behind each repetition matter more than raw volume — focused, well-executed reps build skill faster than mindless numbers.
- Feedback and CueingFeedback from your senses, a coach, or video plus short instructional cues guide skill learning — including internal vs external focus of attention.
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Exercise
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-06
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