Squat Form

Check your squat with your phone

RepSensei has a detailed squat check. Prop up your phone and it counts your reps and flags these issues as you move:

• Not deep enough
• Leaning too far forward

Prop your phone at hip height, about 2 to 3 metres away, with your whole body in view. Stand side-on for the best feedback. The squat check has been tested on real movement. It sees one angle, so it won't catch everything.

How to do it

1. Set the bar in the rack at about mid-chest height so you can unrack it with a small knee bend rather than a tiptoe.
2. Step under, place the bar on your upper back just below the bony knob of your neck, and grip it a little wider than your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to make a shelf.
3. Stand up to unrack, take two or three short steps back and set your feet about shoulder width apart, toes turned out slightly.
4. Breathe in deep to your belly, brace as if about to be poked in the stomach, and hold that breath.
5. Sit down and back between your heels, letting your knees travel forward over your toes, until your hip crease is level with or just below your knee if you can keep your back position.
6. Drive up through the whole foot, keeping your chest and hips rising together, and breathe out near the top.

Coaching cues

Spread the floor

Pushing your feet outwards without moving them keeps your knees tracking over your toes instead of falling inwards.

Chest and hips rise together

If your hips shoot up first, the squat turns into a good morning and your lower back takes the load.

Brace before you bend

A full breath held against a tight midsection stops your spine rounding under the bar.

Whole foot down

Weight spread across heel, big toe and little toe keeps you balanced; lifting the heels tips you forward.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Knees caving in

Weak or unaware hip muscles let the knees drift inwards, usually on the way up, which puts strain where you do not want it. Fix: Lighten the bar, think about spreading the floor, and keep the knees in line with the toes for every rep.

Heels lifting

Tight ankles or sitting too far forward shifts the weight onto the toes and makes the lift unstable. Fix: Widen your stance a little, turn the toes out more, or try small plates under the heels while you work on ankle mobility.

Cutting depth short

Half squats let you load more weight but train a smaller range and make progress hard to judge. Fix: Squat to a box or bench at a consistent height so every rep reaches the same depth.

Lower back rounding at the bottom

Going deeper than your hips allow makes the pelvis tuck under, often called butt wink. Fix: Stop just above the point where it happens and brace harder; depth can improve over time.

Hips shooting up first

The quads give out, so the body leans forward to let the back and hips finish the rep. Fix: Use a lighter load, lead with the chest, and add goblet or front squats to build the quads.

Muscles worked

Main: Quads, Glutes. Also: Inner thighs, Hamstrings, Lower back, Abs.

Who should take care

If you have knee, hip or back problems, start with a bodyweight or box squat and a range you control. If anything hurts, stop and see a doctor or physiotherapist.

Variations

• Bodyweight Squat: Easier: learn the pattern with no load, anywhere.
• Goblet Squat: Easier: the weight in front helps you sit upright.
• Box Squat: Easier to judge: sit back to a box for consistent depth.
• Front Barbell Squat: Harder: more upright torso and more quad demand.

Filming your squat

Prop the phone side-on at about hip height, two to three metres away, so your whole body and the bar stay in frame at the bottom. RepSensei has a detailed camera check for the squat that counts reps and flags some visible issues from that one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.

Questions

How deep should I squat?

Aim for your hip crease to reach knee height or a little below, as long as your back stays in position. Depth you can control matters more than a number.

Should my knees go past my toes?

Yes, for most people that is normal and needed to stay balanced. What matters is that the knees track in line with the toes and the heels stay down.

Where should I look when I squat?

Look at a point on the floor a couple of metres ahead or straight ahead. Craning the neck up or tucking the chin hard both tend to pull you out of position.

Should I wear a belt?

You do not need one to learn. A belt can help experienced lifters brace on heavy sets, but it does not replace learning to brace.

See the Barbell Squat exercise guide with a 3D figure.

More form guides

• Deadlift form
• Lunge form
• Romanian Deadlift form
• Hip Thrust form
• Bulgarian Split Squat form

General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.