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Exercises

Squats

King of leg exercises — quads, glutes and core in a single pattern.

Execution

  1. Shoulder-width stance, toes turned slightly outward.
  2. Send the hips back, then bend the knees over the toes — like sitting on an invisible chair.
  3. Descend as deep as mobility and hips allow — ideally thighs parallel or below.
  4. Drive back up powerfully through the heels; do not lock the knees at the top.

Tips

  • Track the knees over the toes — do not let them cave inward.
  • Squeeze the glutes on the way up or the lower back ends up overworking.

Why the squat is the most important leg exercise

Standing up, sitting down, climbing stairs, picking something up off the floor — the squat isn't a gym exercise, it's a daily-life pattern. It trains the quads, glutes and core in a single movement and is the exercise with the highest carry-over to later life: anyone who can still get out of a low chair without pushing off at seventy has kept this pattern.

Depth and the myth of knees over toes

Two rules persist stubbornly and both are wrong. First: "never below 90 degrees." For the training effect, depth is exactly what counts — studies on range of motion in flexion show deeper squats produce noticeably better adaptations in muscle and tendon. Second: "the knees must not go past the toes." That's a myth from the 1970s. In a natural squat the knees travel forward, and that's unproblematic as long as the heel stays on the floor.

Execution

Feet roughly shoulder-width, toes turned slightly out. The movement starts with the hips and knees together, not with the torso. The knees track the direction of the feet and are actively pressed outward. Go as deep as possible without rounding the back or lifting the heels, then drive up under control.

Common mistakes

  • Knees caving inward. The one knee fault that really matters. Actively think outward.
  • Heels lifting off. Usually tight calves. Work with heels elevated in the meantime while addressing mobility in parallel.
  • Rounded back at the bottom. If the pelvis tucks under at the lowest point, the depth is still too much.

Programming

Three to five sets of 8 to 20 reps. If you can do more than 25 clean reps, switch to a harder variant instead of adding more reps: single-leg forms, jump squats, or added weight.