Whether your goal is boosting strength, increasing fitness, losing weight or anything else, knowing how to squat is pretty much essential. Squats are one of the three most widely used forms of fitness training, and for good reason. They can, and should, be used by almost anyone looking to train and improve performance. 

While squats look simple, it’s important to learn how to squat properly. That means your sessions will be more productive - and you’ll be less likely to develop injuries. Here’s everything you need to know about how to do squats. 

You’ve almost certainly seen people doing squats, and have probably tried them yourself. At its simplest, a squat mirrors a sitting-down then standing-up motion. You bend at the knees so your glutes are out behind you. You then drive back up to standing (scroll down for a step-by-step guide on how to do the squat). Squats are one of the most effective exercises for building strength in the lower body. 

The scientific definition of a squat is: “a closed‒chain movement, requiring simultaneous extension patterns of the ankle, knee and hip joints”. 

Let’s break down what that means: 

• Closed-chain: Your feet don’t move but stay fixed to the floor. 

• Simultaneous extension patterns: Engages all your lower leg joints at the same time.

Squats are primarily leg exercises, and they’ll work all major muscle groups in your lower body:

• Glutes: Squats engage all three major muscle groups in your glutes - the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus. They help extend the hip, so you can stand up again. 

• Quadriceps: These muscles in front of your thigh grind hard during a squat, powering the motion of the squat and helping you straighten your legs.  

• Hamstrings: Helps to maintain knee stability via the back of your thigh during the squat.  

• Calves: They’re most engaged during the descent stage of the squat, and also help with stabilisation.  

• Adductors: These are your inner thigh muscles - they stabilise you during the descent and when you’re pushing back up to standing.  

• Hip flexors: Located at the top of your thigh, they help with stabilisation throughout the squat.  

• Back and core: They don’t get engaged as much, but you still call on upper body muscles to maintain posture. 

Knowing how to perform a squat, and building them into your routine, will lead to serious benefits.

Regularly performing any kind of squat will boost your athletic performance. For example, one study with rugby players asked them to do some squat-based training. After the training, they were asked to do a jumping test. The research showed that, after squatting, they were able to jump higher and with more power than before. 

Meanwhile, a different study with football players found that squat training led to improved sprint performance. 

Squat training will, of course, make you stronger. In one eight-week study with teenage boys, squat training increased muscle thickness by 3.2%, increased lean body mass by 2.7% and increased the strength of knee extensors by a massive 16%. 

A study of athletes in the US found that those who did squat training appeared less likely to develop a lower leg injury over the course of a season. Squats build tons of strength in your muscles and bones, while also boosting your stability and balance, which might reduce injury risk. 

Knowing how to do squats will also help with your daily living. Stronger muscles and bones mean you can be more confident with activities like picking things up. One study with older adults found that a simple home-based squat routine improved lower limb function and helped with daily living activities. 

Learning how to squat is super valuable, whatever your training goals. Here’s how to do a classic squat: 

• Warm up: You don’t need to do tons of warming up, but a few minutes of light jogging, cycling or fast walking will get your body primed. 

• Get into position: Stand with feet shoulder distance apart. Your toes should point slightly outwards. Keep your back straight and look forward (not down).  

• Start the descent: Lower yourself down by bending at the knees and hips. Your back should remain straight and your chest should be up. Bring your arms in front of you to help with balance. 

• Bottom of the squat: You’ve reached the bottom of the classic squat when your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold it here for a moment. 

• Start the ascent: Now push up through your heels, until you’re in standing position.  

• Repeat: Now, repeat three sets of 10 reps

There are dozens of possible variations on a squat. Each variation will follow the same basic movement described above, but will target slightly different muscle groups or make the move more challenging. Here are 10 squat variations to get started with:

1. Sumo squat: Your feet go beyond shoulder-width apart, and your toes point out at a 45 degree angle. 

2. Jump squat: From the bottom of the squat, you drive up into a jump, land, and descend again. 

3. Goblet squat: You hold a kettlebell or dumbbell to your chest while squatting.  

4. Back squat: You squat while holding a barbell over your upper back.  

5. Box squat: You squat down so you briefly ‘sit’ on the surface, then you drive up.  

6. Deep squat: Your behind drops down closer to the floor. 

7. Single leg squat: One leg is extended and ‘hovers’ in front of you, while the other bends.  

8. Pulse squat: After reaching the bottom position, you ‘pulse’ 2-3 times, before rising up to standing.  

9. Bulgarian split squat: Extend one leg behind, and place the toes on a bench or box. Squat with the other leg.  

10. Narrow stance squat: Squat with your feet close together or touching at the ankle. 

Squats are generally a low risk exercise, but there are a few key things to remember to do them safely:

• Keep your knees in line with the direction your toes are pointing - they shouldn’t bend inwards or outwards.

• Keep your back straight and hold an upright position (a slight lean forward is natural, but you shouldn’t collapse forward).

• Keep your heels on the ground.

• Avoid rounding or arching your back. 

• Use your arms to balance. 

If you’re building squats into your regular training routine, you’re going to need suitable gear.