The Bodyweight Squat is a beginner-friendly bodyweight strength exercise that targets the glutes and quadriceps, with the quadriceps working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesGlutes, Quads
Secondary musclesQuads
EquipmentBodyweight
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Bodyweight Squat
Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward.
Brace your core, lift your chest, and extend your arms straight out for balance.
Sit your hips back and down as if lowering into a chair, keeping your weight in your heels.
Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, with knees tracking over your toes.
Keep your chest tall and your spine neutral throughout the descent — no rounding at the bottom.
Drive through your heels to stand back up, squeezing your glutes hard at the top of the rep.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds the quads, glutes, and inner thighs with no equipment.
Teaches the foundational squat pattern for every loaded variation.
Improves lower-body mobility and balance in any setting.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the knees cave inward, which weakens the squat and loads the knee joint badly.
Squatting straight down instead of sitting the hips back, which puts all the work on the knees.
Lifting the heels off the floor at the bottom, which kills balance and reduces glute drive.
Cutting the depth short and squatting only halfway — robs the lift of glute and quad work.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Bodyweight Squat, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
