What’s up Wellness Warriors? Today let’s talk about dat booty. Squats are one of the most effective strength exercises you can do. Regardless of your overall goals, squats should be an important part of your lower body strength training routine. Squats are also one of the most mis-performed exercises.

Squats are a super effective exercise for building and maintaining muscle mass and function in the lower body. This exercise effectively uses your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes to create the large motion, but it also calls on your calves and core for balance and stability. Whether your goal is to increase your 1-RM, grow a peach, or be able to get up from a seated position without help, squats are the jam. But you gotta do them correctly.

So my first hack should be completed before you even lace up your sneakers. Decide which version or versions of this exercise are appropriate for you and your needs. Take a look around the gym or jump on Instagram and you’ll see a lot of people performing back squats. Squats with a barbell across their upper backs. Guess what? This is actually the most challenging variation. And it isn’t appropriate for everyone.

If you have more modest goals, you don’t need to throw a couple hundred pounds on your back and try to balance. If you have any movement pattern issues, you shouldn’t do this variation because it may cause more harm than good. What are movement pattern issues?

I’m glad you asked. Our bodies are typically built to move with particular patterns. These patterns try to optimize the force created by our muscles for more efficient and effective movement. But over time, we either unlearn or replace some of these patterns with more maladaptive ones. Sometimes this happens because an injury was sustained that altered movement patterns due to pain. Sometimes this happens because we engage in other repetitive activities that alter the pattern (including sitting). Regardless, if your body exhibits altered movement patterns, the most difficult or challenging version of an exercise needs to be put on hold until correct patterns are relearned.

In terms of squats, you should be looking at what your hips, knees, ankles, and back are doing. If your hips aren’t able to press backwards comfortably, if your knees and/or ankles collapse inwards, or if your back rounds at all, these are indicative of muscle imbalances or weaknesses that present movement pattern problems. Hold off on back squats and complete a different variation. Front, dumbbell/kettlebell, sumo, and goblet squats are all good options.

Tip number two: set your feet correctly. Guys, you can go with the standard advice of shoulder width apart. Since your shoulders and hips are approximately the same width thanks to your anatomy, this base will work for you. Ladies, I’d recommend setting your feet about hip width apart. It’s a stronger base to work from since our shoulders tend to be a good bit narrower. If you tend to feel pressure in your knees, you can turn your toes out slightly, but I mean slightly. More than about 10 degrees from straight and you are working different muscles in different patterns.

Number three: lower to your point of discomfort. Standard advice is to get your thighs parallel to the ground or lower if possible. Especially if you are doing back squats, that’s pretty low and requires a good amount of flexibility. If you are just starting out, don’t feel guilty because your body only allows you to do half squats. Keep doing them and they will get easier.

Tip four: chest up, booty out. If I had a dollar for every time I told a client or student that you should feel a bit ridiculous when in the fully lowered position… First and foremost, keep your chest up. If you allow your upper body to collapse down, you aren’t going to be able to breathe properly (see tip number five). If you can’t keep your chest up, then as above, you need to dial back the variation intensity. Again, there is no shame in doing dumbbell squats if it means you are doing them correctly and won’t hurt yourself.

Once you have your chest up, you gotta stick that tush out. Not just a little. Again, you should feel a bit silly. But by sticking your butt out, you are creating length in your spine. You are keeping your spine from rounding. This allows the weight to be carried by your lower body and not your back. If you try to stand up with a rounded spine, you are putting a lot of pressure on your lower back. Never ideal. If you can’t extend your hips into this position, again, take a modification. The best way to double check this is to try and slide a hand under your toes. If you are positioned properly, your weight will be in your heels and your fingertips will fit under the toe of your shoes.

And last but not least, breathe. Breath and proper control are important for any strength exercise, but especially for squats. A lot of your musculature is working, which means a lot of your musculature needs oxygen. Your muscles get oxygen (and remove carbon dioxide and lactic acid, two waste products abundant during exercise) when you breathe.

I inevitably see people by the squat rack beet red in the face because they are holding their breath through their sets. So, again, chest up so the air can actually get to your lungs. Inhale on the lowering phase of the motion and exhale as you return to standing. If this is a struggle, try dropping the weight (perish the thought!) by a bit first. If that doesn’t help, then try a different variation.

Remember that whichever squat variation you choose, squats are an amazing exercise to strengthen and maintain function across your lower body.

Until next time, be well friends!