How to Master Your Squats

Squats are a staple of nearly all exercise programs.  Of course, they primarily work your lower body (quads, glutes, and hamstrings) but they have full-body benefits as well!  We can talk all day about the best workout plans and exercises for your goals, but when it really comes down to it, to get results, it’s in the execution that matters! 

So let’s focus on getting the most out of every squat that we do.  In this post, I’ll walk you through the main 4 squat “faults” I see and 4 small tweaks you can make to master your squat form.

Fault 1: Butt Wink (top right)

What this means: 
This postural fault isn’t something I see through the full range of motion, but rather it tends to happen near the bottom of the squat.  Often people begin to lose the good glute extension and tuck their bottoms (butt wink) as they get closer to the bottom of the squat. This means they aren’t getting full glute extension. We want our glutes to fully extend so that they can fully contract through the full range of motion. 

What to do about it: 
To help with this, we need to practice the glute extension through the full range of motion.  These Horizontal Squats in the video below will help practice the mind-muscle connection needed for this proper glute extension in your squat. I recommend 3-5 of these, slow and controlled, before each of your squat sessions.

Fault 2: Excessive Arch and/or Toes Lifted (bottom left)

What this means: 
When the back arches past neutral, the abdominal muscles stretch out and the core is not engaged in the squat. Another sneaky indication that the core is not engaged with the squat as it should be is that your toes (big toe primarily) involuntarily lift off the ground. Yes, you should be sitting back into your heals, but the whole foot should remain planted firmly.

Note: The picture doesn’t really show that “excessive” of an arch. My belly got in the way trying to demo. #pregnacyproblems

What to do about it:
This could be as simple as paying more attention to engaging your core during the squat or it could mean you need to spend some more time on core strength. There a endless options for core strength (starting with mastering your breath). The following video briefly demonstrates one option: Bird Dog. I recommend adding a core stabilizer like this to part of your warm-up for all strength workouts. ​

Fault 3: Knees Fall In (bottom right)

What this means: 
When your knees fall in (internally rotate) or your arches collapse, it likely means the muscles responsible for the opposite motion (external rotation) are weak or simply not active. 

What to do about it:
This may be as simple as cuing that mind-muscle connection and focusing on tracking your knees over your toes or you may need to do some specific strengthening of the muscles responsible for external rotation. Either way a great place to start is with some knee banded squats. If it’s simple cuing you need, the band will act as a reminder to push out against it. If you need strengthening or your external rotators, pushing out against the band will do that too (win-win). Check out this quick video for a demonstration.  You can also add a band like this to other exercises, like bridges and hip thrusts, for the same effect.

Fault 4: Rang of Motion (not pictured)

What this means: 
The goal for a good squat is typical to squat to that depth that your thigh is parallel to the ground or below.  However, the ideal squat depth varies from person to person based on our unique bodies. If you are not squatting at deep as you could/should be there may be a variety of reasons for this. It could be as simple as a mental game, you are afraid to go that low.  Putting a chair behind you to ease your mind may help. Most of the time it has to do with either your range of motion in your hip flexion, ankles (dorsiflexion) or both. 

**or it could be that you are pregnant an your belly is getting in the way like in my demo**

What to do about it:  
Ideally, a full movement assessment by a trained professional (hi 👋), is needed to assess your muscle imbalances (honestly not just for this specifically, but for moving with efficiency in all you do). However,  in most cases, I see ankle mobility as a limiting factor. Watch this quick video for some simple tips to work on this.