← EXERCISE LIBRARYCalisthenics
Bodyweight Squat
The base squat pattern, trained for depth and control rather than load. Three sets of twenty with the hips below the knees and the heels down before you move to single-leg work.
- 01Stand with the feet about shoulder width and the toes turned slightly out.
- 02Set the ribs over the pelvis and take a breath into the trunk.
- 03Push the hips back and bend the knees together, tracking them over the toes.
- 04Descend until the hip crease drops below the top of the knee.
- 05Drive the floor away and stand tall, finishing with the glutes squeezed.
- 01Spread the floor with your feet.
- 02Chest stays up as the hips go down.
- 03Whole foot on the ground, heel to big toe.
- 01Heels lifting, which shifts load to the knees and usually means the ankles need mobilising before depth improves.
- 02Knees caving inward, where the medial knee takes the force the glutes should be handling.
- 03Cutting depth to hit a rep target, which trains a partial range and leaves the bottom position weak.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.