In this article, you’ll learn proper squat form, 6 common squat mistakes & solutions to improve them.
Squats are a staple exercise in every strength training program, for good reason.
How many times throughout the day do you squat? It’s more often than you think!
The squat is one of your body’s most basic, foundational movement patterns.
Strengthening this movement pattern is important if you want to:
✅Build muscle
✅Get stronger
✅Have a defined-looking lower body
✅Prevent injury
✅Keep your knees, hips & lower back healthy
For a complete guide on the basics of the squat – how to squat, how to progress your squat & exercises to build mobility & stability to improve your squat – check out “The Ultimate Guide to Squats” here!
How to Squat with Good Form
Setup:
- Place your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart & your toes pointed slightly outward
- Engage your abdominals by drawing your ribs in
- Keep your chest lifted & shoulders down away from your ears by engaging your upper back
- Keep your neck neutral & eye gaze forward
Movement:
- Sit your hips down & back as if you’re squatting in between your legs
- Press your knees outward & forward so they track over your 1st 2 toes
- Press your heels & base of your big & pinky toe down into the floor
- Spread the floor in between your feet to externally rotate your hips
- Squat down until your hip joint is lower than your knees
Watch this video for a full demonstration!
Squat Mistake #1 – Knee Valgus (Knee Collapse)
The first squat mistake I’m going to cover is knee valgus or knee collapse.
Knee valgus is characterized by the knees falling inward during a squat.
It can put you at risk for knee pain, IT band syndrome & ACL tears.
Causes of knee valgus are:
- Weak hips (specifically, gluteus minimus, gluteus medius, gluteus maximus & hip external rotators)
- Tight or overactive hip adductors
- Tight ankles
- Weak medial quads (specifically, the VMO or vastus medius obliquus)
- Weak medial hamstrings (specifically, semimembranosus and semitendinosus)
7 Solutions for Knee Valgus
Use these exercises if you experience knee valgus while squatting!
Watch the video for demonstrations
(descriptions are below)
- Banded Squat – Place a band slightly above your knees. Keep outward tension on the band while squatting.
- Banded Bridge – Place a band slightly above your knees. Keep outward tension on the band while bridging your hips up.
- Banded Split Squat – Anchor one end of a band around a stable surface & the other end around the leg furthest from the anchor point slightly above the knee. Perform a split squat while keeping outward tension on the band (resisting the inward pull of the band).
- Side Plank Clamshell – Place a band slightly above your knees. Position yourself in a modified side plank. Keeping your feet together, lift the top knee away from the bottom one. ALTERNATIVE Lying Clamshell – Perform the clamshell motion (as described above) without being in side plank.
- Squat with Single Leg Abduction – Place a band slightly above your knees. Squat down & drive one knee outward at a time. ALTERNATIVE Squat with Abduction – Place a band slightly above your knees. Squat down & pull the band apart by driving both knees apart.
- Monster Walk – Place a band slightly above your knees. Squat down & take diagonal steps forward & backward while keeping outward tension on the band & keeping your body square facing front.
- Lateral Walk – Place a band slightly above your knees. Squat down & side step while keeping outward tension on the band & keeping your body square facing front.
Squat Mistake #2 – Heel Lift
he second squat mistake I’m going to cover is the heels lifting up.
This is typically seen at the bottom of the squat & can lead to knee discomfort, decreased squat depth & failure to use the hip musculature.
Potential causes of the heels lifting are ankle inflexibility & tight calves.
7 Solutions for Heels Lifting
Try these techniques if you experience your heels lifting when you squat!
Watch the video for demonstrations
(descriptions below)
- Roll bottom of feet – Use a tennis or lacrosse ball or frozen water bottle to roll out the bottom of your feet.
- Calf Stretch & Single Leg Variation – Stand on the stairs with your heels hanging off. Allow the heels to drop down. You can do this one leg at a time for a deeper stretch.
- 1/2 Kneeling Soleus Stretch – Face a wall in a 1/2 kneeling position. Keeping your front heel on the ground, move your knee towards the wall.
- Downward Dog Calf Stretch – Come into downward dog position & allow your heels to drop towards the ground. Take one foot & hook your first 2 toes around the back of your other ankle to pull your heel closer to the ground.
- Table Top Calf Stretch – Setup in a table top position. Extend one leg straight back with your toes tucked under. Shift back & forth.
- Kneeling Foot Stretch – Setup in a kneeling position with your toes tucked under. Sit your hips back onto your heels for a great foot stretch.
- Modifications (Feet Wider, Toes Out, Sit Hips Back) – Widen your feet & point your toes slightly outward so you can sit back into your hips & better keep your heels on the ground!
Squat Mistake #3 – Anterior Pelvic Tilt (Sway Back)
The third squat mistake I’m going to cover is anterior pelvic tilt (or sway back).
Anterior pelvic tilt (APT) is characterized by an excessive arch in the lower back.
Things associated with APT are stiff hip flexors, weak hamstrings, weak glutes, weak core and overactive spinal erectors.
APT can lead to back, knee & hamstring injuries.
10 Solutions for Anterior Pelvic Tilt
Here are 10 solutions you can use to strengthen your core & your hips if you experience APT!
Watch the video for demonstrations
(descriptions below)
- Lying/table top/standing pelvic tilt – Practice taking your pelvis from anterior pelvic tilt into a posterior pelvic tilt in all 3 positions!
- Plank with posterior pelvic tilt – Setup in a forearm plank & tuck your pelvis under & draw your lower abs into your spine.
- Dead bug – Lie flat on your back with your knees over your hips & bent to a 90 degree angle. Your rams will be extended up towards the ceiling & stacked over your shoulders. Keeping your back pressed into the ground, extend opposite arm & leg out, then draw them back to the starting position. The other arm & leg stay stationary.
- Leg lower – Lie flat on your back with your legs extended up towards the ceiling. Keeping your back pressed into the ground, slowly lower your legs towards the ground without allowing the lower back to arch up. Once you’ve reached the point right before you can’t keep your lower back down, draw your legs back up to the starting position.
- Reverse crunch – You can do this with or without the foam roller shown in the video. Lie flat on your back & hold a stable object over your head. Contract your core by drawing your belly into your spine & pressing your back into the floor. Use this contraction to draw the legs up into a reverse crunch. Move back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
- Leg lift – Lie flat on your back with your legs extended up towards the ceiling & hold a stable object over your head. Contract your core by drawing your belly into your spine & pressing your back into the floor. Use this contraction to lift the legs up as if you’re trying to touch the ceiling with the bottom of your feet.
- Hip thrust – Stabilize your upper back against a bench. Bend your knees & place your feet hip width apart on the ground. Press through your heels & squeeze your glutes to bridge your hips up. Make sure you’re not arching in your lower back at the top of the movement. Instead, tuck your pelvis under to better use your gluten.
- Pull through – Attach a band to a sturdy object. Face away from the band & grip it in between your legs. Allow the band to pull your hips backward, then drive through your heels & squeeze your glutes as you come to an upright position.
- Bird dog crunch – Setup in a table top position with your knees under your hips, wrists under your shoulders & a neutral spine. Extend opposite arm & leg out, maintaining a stable torso & spine. Draw your elbow to meet your thigh under your body, then extend back out. When extending through the leg, squeeze your glute & resist allowing your lower back to arch. When crunching, allow your spine to round & core to engage.
- Squatting cues:
- Ribs down to engage your core
- Squeeze your butt
- Spread the floor apart with your feet
- Drive through your heels out of the bottom of your squat
Squat Mistake #4 – Posterior Pelvic Tilt (Butt Wink)
The 4th squat mistake I’m covering is posterior pelvic tilt (or rounded back/tuck under/butt wink).
Posterior pelvic tilt (PPT) is characterized by excessive rounding of the lower back.
PPT can be a result of mobility or motor control/coordination issues.
Things associated with PPT are tight hamstrings, glutes & lower abdominals & weak quads, hip flexors & lumbar extensors.
It can lead to increased loads on the vertebrae & increased tension inside the vertebral discs, resulting in disc herniations, nerve issues, SI joint pain & muscular strain.
12 Solutions for Posterior Pelvic Tilt
If you experience PPT while squatting, try the following!
Watch the video for demonstrations
(descriptions below)
Step 1 is to release tight muscle groups to make them more receptive to stretching.
- Foam Roll Piriformis – Sit on a foam roller. Cross one ankle over your other thigh & lean onto the hip of the same side of the ankle. Roll up & down your hip.
- Foam Roll Hamstrings – Roll out the length of your hamstring.
Step 2 is to stretch tight muscle groups.
- Hamstring Stretch – Keep your hips square to the front. Take a slight bend in your knee & hinge forward from your hips with a straight spine. Resist any rounding of the lower back.
- Figure 4 Hip Stretch – Have a seat on a chair & cross one ankle over the other thigh. Keep a straight spine & hinge forward from your hips.
- Cobra Stretch – Lay flat on your stomach with your hands right under your shoulders. Press your torso up.
Step 3 is to activate weak muscles.
- Banded Hip Flexor Lift – Anchor a band on a sturdy object. Lay on your back with the band hooked around one foot. Slide your hands under your lower back to maintain a neutral lower back arch. Contract your hip flexor to drive your knee towards your chest.
- Cobra Lift – Lay flat on your stomach with your hands right under your shoulders. Use your lower back muscles to lift your torso up. Don’t press with your arms & be sure to keep the back of your neck neutral.
Step 4 is to strengthen your movement patterns.
- Stiff Legged Deadlift – Place your feet hip width apart & toes pointed forward. Hinge forward from your hips & keep a straight spine. Resist any rounding of the lower back.
- Bottoms Up Squat – Have a seat with a straight spine & neutral lower back arch. Maintain this position & stand.
- Goblet Squat – Hold a dumbbell at your chest. Squat down, hold in the bottom, then rise up. Resist going into a posterior pelvic tilt at the bottom.
- Band Overhead Squat – Attach one end of a band to a sturdy object a little lower than soulder height. Press the band up overhead. Keep your biceps next to your ears by tensing your mid back. Squat down keeping a straight spine with a neutral lower back arch.
- Quadruped Rockback – Setup in a table top positon with the bottoms of your feet against a wall (squatting distance apart). Find a neutral spine position. Maintain this position & rock your hips back towards your heels, then come back forward.
The more your practice squatting, the more coordinated & controlled this movement pattern will become.
Watch or film yourself while you squat to ensure you’re maintaining a neutral lower back arch.
Tune in to your body to feel what muscles are working & how a squat with a posterior pelvic tilt feels different than a squat with a neutral spine.
This will help you learn what the correct movement pattern feels like and as you practice more and more, you’ll find that it will become increasingly natural for you to perform the movement correctly!
Squat Mistake #5 – Kyphosis & Improper Neck Positioning
The 5th & final squat mistake I’m covering is kyphosis (rounded upper back or chest caving) & improper neck positioning (looking up or head protruding forward).
Kyphosis is a result of weak upper back & tight chest muscles.
Forward head posture is a result of weak deep cervical flexors, erector spinae & shoulder blade retractors & tight suboccipital, chest & levator scapulae muscles.
Kyphosis & improper neck positioning while squatting can lead to headaches, neck & shoulder tension, & mid back & chest pain.
10 Solutions for Kyphosis & Improper Neck Positioning
If you experience these issues while squatting, try the following mobilizations, stretches & strengthening exercises!
Watch the video for demonstrations
(descriptions below)
Step 1 is to mobilize & stretch tight muscle groups.
- Thoracic Spine Extension – Lay with your thoracic spine against the foam roller. Bring your fingertips to your temples & extend over the foam roller. Don’t allow your lower back to arch up. Rather, make all the motion come from your upper back.
- Thoracic Rotation – Setup in a table top position. Rock your hips back to lock down your lumbar spine (lower back) to ensure the rotation doesn’t come from here. Bring your fingertips of one hand to your temple. Rotate your elbow towards the ceiling.
- Side Lying Thoracic Slide – Lie sideways with your top leg bent to a 90 degree angle & resting on a foam roller. Both arms will be extended in front of you at shoulder heigth. Sweep your top arm up & over your head & continue the circle until your arms are in a T position. Try to keep your arm sliding against the floor throughout the motion. ALTERNATIVE Setup in the same position as above. Instead of sweeping your arm in a circle, draw it across your chest & open until your arms are in a T position.
- Foam Roller Scapular Slides – Lie vertically on a foam roller with your arms in a cactus position. Extend your arms straight overhead, then pull your elbows into your sides. Make this motion come from your shoulder blades drawing down & in. Try to keep your arms as close to the floor as possible. ALTERNATIVE Wall Scapular Slides – Setup against a wall with your arms in a cactus position. From here, the movement is the same as above.
- Hip Hinge Lat Stretch – Grab onto a sturdy object with both hands. Push your hips back & extend your arms. ALTERNATIVE Kneeling Lat Stretch – Setup in a kneeling position with your elbows on an elevated surface & palms together. Sit your hips back onto your heels & allow your chest to hammock towards the floor. For an extra stretch, take your interlaced hands behind your head.
Step 2 is to activate & strengthen weak muscle groups!
- Y Raise – Hinge forward from your hips. Keep your arms straight & raise your hands towards the ceiling.
- Band Pull Apart – Hold a band out in front of your chest. Pull the band apart using the movement of your shoulder blades.
- Rows – Anchor a band to sturdy object & hold the other end. Squeeze your shoulder blades together & pull your hands to your lower ribs.
- Face Pulls with Shoulder External Rotation – Anchor a band to sturdy object & hold the other end. Pull your hands towards your face & squeeze your shoulders back. When you reach the end range of motion, rotate your hands back, but keep your elbows stationary.
- Chin Tucks – Stand against a wall. Tuck your chin back (like you’re trying to give yourself a double chin) to touch the back of your head to the wall.
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