Bodyweight Squat

Beginnerlower-body

Stand tall, feet shoulder-width, arms relaxed in front.

The foundation of all lower-body training. Sit back and down with chest up, then drive through the heels to stand.

Key points

•Feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out
•Chest up, core braced
•Knees track over toes
•Hips below parallel at the bottom

Practice with Coach Maya

Camera setup tips

· Place the camera side-on to you, 2 to 3 metres away.
· Keep your whole body in frame, head to feet.
· Phone on a tripod or a laptop webcam both work.
· Perform the movement, pause, repeat. Your coach speaks every 15 seconds.

Theory & Technique

The bodyweight squat is the single most important lower-body movement pattern. It trains your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core in one fluid motion. Start standing tall with feet shoulder-width apart and toes angled slightly outward. As you descend, push your hips back as though sitting into a chair while keeping your chest lifted and core braced. Your knees should track over your toes — never caving inward. At the bottom position your hip crease should be at or below your knee line. Drive back up by pressing through your whole foot, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Fun Fact

Ancient Greek athletes performed squats as part of their Olympic training over 2,500 years ago — it's one of the oldest documented exercises in human history!

Watch the real thing

Learn from real coaches first. Your live scoring compares you to the reference figure above; these videos are for learning, and stay with their creators on YouTube.