How to Do Squats and Lunges

Part 1 of 2: Learning How to Squat Correctly

Squats are a fantastic full body exercise that everyone should incorporate into their workout routine -- whether you're trying to build muscle or lose weight. Squats work your quads, your glutes, your hamstrings and your lower back, all in a single movement. However, in order to reap the full rewards of doing squats and avoid injury, you need to perform them correctly. Here's how.

1

Stand erect with your feet approximately one shoulder width apart.

• From there, you can widen or narrow your stance depending on which muscles you are targeting -- a wider stance works the hamstrings and glutes, while a narrower stance works the quads.
• Point your toes slightly outwards, as this helps to stabilize your stance.
• Keep your arms extended in front of you.
• 2
  Push your hips back, slowly bending your knees to a 90 degree angle.
  • Rather than squatting straight down, you want to hinge your hips so that your butt moves backwards, almost as if you were sitting in an invisible chair.
  • Keep bending until your hamstrings are parallel with the floor. Your knees shouldn't extend beyond the tips of your toes, unless you are very tall.
  • Your body weight should be concentrated on your heels rather than on your toes. This will allow you to squat deeper.
  • 3
    Keep your back straight and eyes looking ahead.
    • It is very important to keep your back straight while squatting, otherwise you could put unnecessary pressure on the spine which could lead to a pulled muscle or a herniated disc.
    • Keeping your chest up and your eyes pointing straight ahead will help you to keep your back straight as you squat. Also try to keep your stomach muscles engaged as you perform the exercise.^[1]
    • 4
      Slowly rise to starting position.
      • Pause for a moment at the bottom of the squat, then slowly rise back to your starting position. Keep your back straight and push up from your heels.
      • Squeeze your glutes in tight when you reach the top of the squat.