Legs
Air Squats
The basic bodyweight squat. It builds your quads and glutes and teaches the pattern every other squat is built on.
- Works
- Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core
- Equipment
- No equipment
- Load
- Bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, toes turned out a little. Hold your hands together at your chest or reach them out in front.
- 2Sit your hips back and down like you're sitting into a chair, knees moving out over your toes.
- 3Go as low as you can with your heels down and your chest up.
- 4Push through your whole foot to stand back up tall, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Cues
- Keep your weight over the middle of your feet, heels down.
- Knees follow your toes.
- Chest up, like you're showing off the logo on your shirt.
Common mistakes
- Heels lifting. Sit your hips back more and keep your weight over the middle of your feet. A slightly wider stance helps.
- Knees caving in. Push your knees out so they track over your toes the whole way down and up.
- Chest dropping forward. Keep your chest up and your eyes forward. Only go as low as you can while staying tall.
Easier
Squat down to a chair or box and stand back up, or shorten the range.
Harder
Take 3 seconds on the way down and pause for 1 second at the bottom.
Try it: 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
How low should you go in an air squat?
As low as you can while your heels stay down and your back stays flat. For most people that's thighs about level with the floor or a little lower. If you can't get there yet, squat to a chair and work your way down.
