Bodyweight SquatMuscles Worked
The bodyweight squat works your quads most, with your glutes and hamstrings helping you rise out of the bottom. It needs no equipment, so it's the place to learn the squat pattern and a handy way to train your legs anywhere with higher reps.
PrimaryQuads
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Compound
- Force
- Push
How to do it
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, toes turned slightly out, and your arms in front of you or hands behind your head.
- Brace your core and start the rep by bending your hips and knees at the same time.
- Sit down as deep as you comfortably can while keeping your heels on the floor and your chest up.
- Push your knees out so they stay in line with your toes.
- Drive through your feet to stand back up tall, and keep a steady rhythm from rep to rep.
Form tips
- Reach your arms forward as you descend, because the counterbalance makes it easier to stay upright.
- If your heels lift, squat a little less deep for now or widen your stance slightly.
- Once the reps feel easy, slow down the lowering phase or add a pause at the bottom to make them harder.
Why it made the list
No. 11 of 13
Best Quad Exercises
Zero equipment quad exercise. Foundation of all squatting patterns. Can be done anywhere for high reps.
More quad exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Bodyweight Squat sets in KasMaker and watch your quads, glutes, and hamstrings fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
