How To Do Bodyweight Squats So You Actually Get All The Butt Sculpting Perks

Plus, the simple trick that'll help you drop deeper.

a beautiful asian woman's fitness at home instead of going to the gym she is doing squats on a yoga mat in the bedroom she wears sportswear exercise concept for good shape
Pongtep ChithanGetty Images

If I could only do one exercise for the rest of my life, it'd have to be squats. There are a million and one ways to keep 'em interesting and challenging—and nothing makes me feel as powerful as being able to lift a barbell with a few more plates on it.

But as much as I love the satisfaction of heavy squats, I'm not about to write off the simplest form of the move—the bodyweight squat. And while you might think squatting sans weight, equipment, or other fancy frills is for beginners only, that's totally not the case.

"Bodyweight squats are underrated," says trainer Sal Nakhlawi, USAW Level 2, founder of StrongHER Girls. "They’re a compound, functional movement you can do anywhere."

Compound means that bodyweight squats work multiple muscle groups at once, firing up your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hips, calves, and inner thighs, while also turning on your core. Functional, meanwhile, means they translate to real life. "Humans squat from the day they are able to walk," Nakhlawi says. "We squat a lot in everyday life." So, learning how to do bodyweight squats properly can make everything from standing from a seated position to picking stuff up off the floor more easily.

So whether you're brand-new to exercising or practically work out in your sleep, the bodyweight squat can do your fitness (and physique!) plenty of good. Use this guide to check your drop-it-low form, take note of the move's benefits, and learn how to scale or level up your own squats.

    The Benefits Of Bodyweight Squats

    Aside from making it easier to get off your super-plush couch, practicing bodyweight squats keeps your body strong and injury-free.

    Since bodyweight squats involve multiple major muscle groups, they help you build strength and muscle throughout your entire body—especially in your legs, back, and abs, says Nakhlawi.

    The sweet secondary result of firing up so many muscles? You boost your metabolism, burning more calories, she adds. (Do 'em quickly and you'll spike your heart rate and get in some cardio, too.)

    Aside from getting you the most bang for your workout buck, bodyweight squats help your body move better all day long. Not only do they help improve your balance and coordination, but also develop mobility in your hips, ankles⁣, and knees, Nakhlawi explains. All good news if you want to feel strong and bendy in pretty much everything you do.

    How To Do A Bodyweight Squat Properly

    Of course, if you want to reap all those juicy squat benefits, you've gotta nail your execution.

    How to: Start standing with feet hip-distance apart, toes pointed out slightly, and arms at sides. Keep torso upright, engage core and glutes, shift hips back and down, and bend at knees to lower seat until thighs are at least parallel with floor. Drive down through heels to return to standing.

    Common Bodyweight Squat Mistakes To Avoid

    Simple as bodyweight squats may seem, there are a few common (and crucial!) mistakes that can mess with their effectiveness, Nakhlawi explains.

    1. Not engaging your core. Fail to get your abs in on the action and you may dump unnecessary pressure into your lower back during bodyweight squats, she says. Ouch!
    2. Lifting your heels. Without your feet flat on the ground throughout the entire movement, you'll throw off your balance and body alignment. Plus, pushing down through your heels when you stand back up helps to engage calves, hammies, and glutes even more.
    3. Letting your knees cave inward. When your knees fall out of line with your hips and ankles, you put extra pressure on them, increasing your risk of injury. It also takes some of the work out of your butt muscles undermining all your effort.

      Important Form Tips To Keep In Mind

          For best results, repeat these key cues in your head as you move through bodyweight squats.

          1. Brace before you begin. Nakhlawi recommends inhaling and engaging your core, which is called bracing, prior to initiating your squats. Doing so "can help protect your spine by increasing intra-abdominal pressure," she explains.

          2. Push those knees outward. "To prevent your knees from collapsing inward, think about driving them out both on the way down and on the way up when squatting," she says. "This will keep your hips open and allow you to maintain the correct squat position." (Looping a mini band around your thighs just above your knees can help with this.)

          3. Keep weight in your heels. Coming up onto your toes is typically due to a lack of ankle mobility, Nakhlawi says. So, think about driving down through your heels when you squat instead. You can also elevate your heels on a pair of weight plates (or books if you're at home!) or strap into weightlifting shoes, which have heel lifts, in order to squat deeper with proper form.

          Bodyweight Squat Modifications And Progressions To Try

          Though bodyweight squats come in clutch for all fitness levels, there are a few different ways you can scale them down or make them more challenging in order to get the most out of 'em.


          If you're a beginner or have any trouble with standard bodyweight squats, there are two simple ways you can modify them.

          1. Squat onto a box or a chair. This is a great option "if you have trouble squatting without feeling like you're going to fall backward," Nakhlawi says. "This allows you to strengthen (and eventually increase) your range of motion." It also helps you build the confidence to know you can drop it low without actually falling on your butt.
          2. Try suspension squats. Holding onto the handles of a suspension trainer system like TRX while squatting can give you more control of your body weight, says Nakhlawi. It's another great way to boost your confidence and practice the movement pattern securely.


            Once you've mastered the basic bodyweight squat, you could add resistance with weights or bandsOR you could make them hella more difficult with a couple of equipment-free tweaks.

            1. Switch up your stance. To change the stimulus squats provide for your bod, swap your regular foot position for a narrower one or go wide for bodyweight sumo squats, which turn up the burn on your inner thighs, says Nakhlawi.
            2. Increase your time under tension. You'll be shocked at how much simply slowing down or playing with the tempo of bodyweight squats ramps up the challenge. Nakhlawi recommends taking three seconds to lower into your squat, pausing for one second at the bottom, and pressing back up for three seconds. The longer your muscles work to get through every rep, the faster they fatigue.
            3. Try a single-leg variation. If you really want to level up bodyweight squats, switch to split squats, rear-foot-elevated split squats, and even pistol squats, suggests Nakhlawi. These unilateral (a.k.a. single-sided) moves put extra emphasis on your working leg, increasing the intensity (and your strength gains) big time.

              The bottom line: Bodyweight squats might seem like a beginners-only move, but they can benefit exercisers of all fitness levels—as long as they're done with proper form. You can also make bodyweight squats more challenging without adding resistance by switching your stance or increasing or decreasing your tempo (a.k.a. speed).

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