Bodyweight Squat
Bodyweight Squat builds your lower-body muscles that specifically activate muscles like the hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and calf muscles. Doing squats can help you prepare for other strength-training exercises like deadlifts.
BEGINNER
Squat Pulses
A lower-body endurance exercise performed by holding a squat and making small, controlled pulses to intensify quad, glute, and hip engagement while building burn, stability, and time-under-tension strength.
Demonstration Video
Share Exercise
Target Muscles
Instructions
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly bent at the knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hips with your head and neck in a neutral position. Your chin should remain elevated throughout the movement.
- Distribute your weight evenly on your feet, from toes to heels, and plant your feet on the floor for a stable position. Flex your pelvis slightly and lower your chest to engage your torso.
- Maintaining alignment, begin the downward movement by bending your hips, knees, and ankles. Place your hands on your hips, or you can also extend your arms forward into a squat.
- Lower yourself until your legs are parallel or just below parallel to the floor. You should only go down as far as you can keep your pelvis level. The weight on the legs should be evenly distributed. Place your feet on the floor and rise 1-2 inches from the starting position. Keep your chest up and tighten your abs.
- Use your legs to lower yourself 1 to 2 inches by bending your legs. Continue to lower and raise the body as many times as necessary.
Tips
- Select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement.
Alternative Exercises
Bodyweight Jump Squat
Bodyweight Jump Squat targets the glutes, quads, hips, and hamstrings and also increases your heart rate. Because this variation puts more stress on your joints, it''s important to have healthy knees, ankles, and hips if you want to try this move.
Spotted an error or missing detail?
Report it here
so we can improve this exercise.
Author
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you agree to our
cookie policy.