How to Do Squats Correctly

Step-by-step form

1. Setting up

   Stand with feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, toes turned out 15-30 degrees. Arms can be extended forward at chest height or crossed at the chest for counterbalance. Maintain a neutral spinal curve from tailbone to crown, with eyes focused on a fixed point straight ahead. Distribute bodyweight evenly across both feet, ensuring heels remain fully grounded before the movement begins.

2. The movement

   During the descent phase, take a full 3 seconds to lower by sending the hips back and down simultaneously as the knees bend. Once the thighs reach parallel to the floor or slightly below, hold the bottom position for exactly 1 second without bouncing or relaxing tension. Drive through the full foot, extending at the hip and knee simultaneously, to return to the start position in 1-2 seconds under control.

3. What stays in line

   The kneecap must track directly over the second toe throughout the full range of motion to prevent medial knee collapse. Keep the pelvis in a neutral tilt — neither anteriorly tucked nor posteriorly tucked — to avoid lumbar stress at the bottom position. The shoulder joint should remain stacked directly under the ear, with the thoracic spine extended so the chest faces forward rather than dropping toward the floor.

4. Breathing

   Take a diaphragmatic breath in at the top before initiating the descent, and hold that breath throughout the 3-second lowering phase to maintain intra-abdominal pressure. Continue to brace and hold at the 1-second bottom pause. Begin a forceful exhalation through the mouth as you initiate the upward drive, completing the exhale fully before reaching the top lockout position.

Common mistakes

1) Losing tempo on the descent — dropping faster than 3 seconds, which you can self-detect by counting '1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi, 3-Mississippi' aloud. 2) Heel rise during the lowering phase — caused by limited ankle dorsiflexion mobility; check this by observing heel contact in a mirror or on video. 3) Bouncing or releasing tension at the bottom pause — skipping the full 1-second isometric hold eliminates the primary training stimulus of this variation; detect it by feeling whether your muscles remain actively loaded or suddenly relax at the transition.

Easier and harder versions

Pick the version you can do with clean form today, then move up when it stops being hard.

Recommended sets and reps

Recommended sets and reps

Beginner: 6 reps × 2 sets; intermediate: 10 reps × 3 sets; advanced: 12 reps × 4 sets with added external load. The full 3-1-2-0 tempo must be maintained at every level.

Tempo

Tempo prescription: 3-1-2-0. A 3-second eccentric descent, a 1-second isometric hold at the bottom, a 2-second concentric ascent, and 0 seconds at the top before transitioning directly into the next rep. This protocol brings total time under tension per rep to 6 seconds, maximizing the hypertrophic and neuromuscular control stimulus.

How often

Program tempo squats 2-3 sessions per week, with a minimum of 48 hours of recovery between sessions due to the elevated muscle damage potential of the prolonged eccentric phase. Do not schedule this exercise within 48 hours of another high-volume lower-body session targeting the same muscle groups.

What it trains

The 3-second eccentric phase generates greater mechanical tension and muscle damage in the quadriceps and gluteus maximus compared to standard-tempo squats, accelerating hypertrophy adaptations. Enhanced eccentric strength around the knee and hip joint directly transfers to improved deceleration control in running, stair descent, and change-of-direction tasks. The 1-second isometric pause at the bottom develops concentric force production from a dead-stop position, improving starting strength and neuromuscular recruitment efficiency.

If something hurts

Knee

Pain localized at the front of the knee around the patellar tendon is often related to excessive forward knee travel or valgus collapse — reduce squat depth and verify knee tracking. Pain felt inside or behind the knee joint may indicate stress on the meniscus or ligamentous structures; in that case, reduce to a quarter-squat depth only. Stop immediately if pain is sharp or persistent and consult a healthcare professional.

Lower back

Tension or dull pain in the lower back during the tempo squat commonly results from excessive anterior pelvic tilt or squatting beyond the individual's available hip mobility — limit depth to above parallel and reassess pelvic position. Any sudden sharp lumbar pain or pain that radiates down the leg is a red flag requiring immediate cessation of the exercise. Stop if pain is sharp or persistent and consult a healthcare professional.

Shoulder

Shoulder pain during a bodyweight tempo squat is uncommon but may occur as rotator cuff tension when arms are held extended forward — switch to a crossed-arm position at chest height to eliminate overhead shoulder load. In a barbell variation, pain is often related to bar placement stressing glenohumeral internal rotation; experiment with a high-bar position to reduce that demand. Stop if pain is sharp or persistent and consult a healthcare professional.

When to skip it

Acute grade 2-3 knee ligament tears (ACL, PCL, MCL), active meniscus tear, acute-phase patellofemoral syndrome flare-up, lumbar disc herniation in the acute inflammatory phase, and the first 12 weeks post total knee arthroplasty are contraindications for this exercise. Individuals diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) should restrict squat depth to avoid hip impingement at the bottom position.

Where to go next

Moves that train the same thing — and, where this one sits on a ladder, the rungs either side of it.

• Glute Bridge→
• Calf Raise→
• Glute Bridge Hold→
• Reverse Lunge→
• Wall Sit→
• Push-Ups→