Squat form7 min read · Updated 8 Nov 2026

How to Squat Properly: Steps, Depth and Common Mistakes

The short answer

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width and toes turned slightly out, brace, then send the hips back and down while the knees bend together and track over the second toe.

Go down until your thighs are about parallel, your heels start to lift or your back starts to round, whichever comes first (ACE).
Knees moving a little past the toes is normal, and stopping them shifts load to the hips and lower back (Fry et al., 2003).

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Written by the Fit Titans coaching team. Edited by Theon. How we write guides

This guide shows how to squat properly, one step at a time, then answers the questions people get stuck on: how deep to go, whether your knees can pass your toes and how to fix the common faults.

It also covers moving on to goblet and barbell squats, squatting at home and what to do first if you have a knee or back history.

On this page (9)

1. How do you do a bodyweight squat step by step?
2. How deep should you squat?
3. Can your knees go past your toes when you squat?
4. What are the most common squat mistakes and how do you fix them?
5. How do you progress from bodyweight to goblet and barbell squats?
6. Can you squat with a knee or back problem?
7. How do you practise squats at home with no equipment?
8. What does a coach watch for in your squat?
9. How do you start squatting with a Fit Titans coach?

Key facts

Stopping the knees from passing the toes cut knee torque by about 22% but raised hip torque about tenfold in a 2003 barbell squat study (Fry et al.)
A 2013 review found deep squats do not raise injury risk to the knee's passive tissues, provided technique is learned under supervision with gradual loads (Hartmann et al.)
Full squats grew the glutes 6.7% against 2.2% for half squats over 10 weeks in a small trial of 17 men (Kubo et al., 2019)

How do you do a bodyweight squat step by step?

Feet a little wider than your hips, brace, sit the hips back and down, then stand up through your heels. These steps follow the American Council on Exercise bodyweight squat guide.

01Set your feetFeet slightly wider than hip width, toes turned slightly out, shoulder blades drawn down and back.
02BraceTighten your core, lift your chest and shift your weight toward your heels as the hips start to move back.
03LowerHips go back and down while the knees bend at the same time. Let the knees drift forward under control, with your back flat.
04Find the bottomStop when your thighs are about parallel, your heels start to lift or your torso starts to round. Knees stay over the second toe.
05Stand upBreathe out and push through your heels, with hips and chest rising together.

ACE says to breathe in on the way down and out on the way up. At the bottom, your shin and torso should look roughly parallel from the side, with your weight spread between the balls and heels of your feet.

How deep should you squat?

As deep as you can while your heels stay down and your back stays flat. ACE's stopping points are thighs about parallel, heels starting to lift or the torso starting to round. For many beginners the last two come first, and that is your depth for now.

What two studies found about squat depth, read as abstracts on Europe PMC (checked 8 Nov 2026).

Study	What it found
Kubo, Ikebukuro and Yata, 2019	17 men trained full or half squats twice a week for 10 weeks. Full squats grew the glutes 6.7% and the adductors 6.2%, against 2.2% and 2.7% for half squats. Thigh growth was similar
Hartmann, Wirth and Klusemann, 2013	A review that found deep squats do not raise injury risk to the knee's passive tissues, provided technique is learned under expert supervision with gradual increases in load

Can your knees go past your toes when you squat?

Yes, a little is normal for most people. In a 2003 barbell squat study, Fry and colleagues stopped lifters' knees from passing their toes.

What happened when the knees were held back, per Fry et al. 2003

01Knees held backLifters' knees were stopped from passing their toes.
02Knee torque downBy about 22%.
03Hip torque upAbout tenfold, and the trunk leaned further forward.
04Stress shiftsThe authors concluded holding the knees back may shift stress to the hips and lower back.

The authors concluded that the knees may need to move slightly past the toes. ACE's guide also lets the knees drift forward under control. What matters more is that they track over the second toe.

What are the most common squat mistakes and how do you fix them?

Knees caving in, heels lifting and the back rounding at the bottom. The fixes below are coaching advice our coaches use, not medical advice.

Common squat faults and the usual coaching fixes. Coaching advice, not a medical prescription.

Fault	What you see	Common fix
Knees caving in	Knees drift inside the line of the feet on the way up	Slow the descent and think of pushing the knees out over the second toe. Use a lighter load
Heels lifting	Weight rolls onto the toes at the bottom	Stop just above where the heels rise, widen the stance slightly or hold a weight in front as a counterbalance
Back rounding	Lower back tucks under at the bottom	Squat to a box or chair at the depth where the back stays flat, then lower it over the weeks
Chest dropping	Torso folds forward, hips rise first on the way up	Brace before each rep and lead the stand with hips and chest together
Rushing	Bouncing out of the bottom	Lower over about 3 seconds and pause briefly before standing

Alexander, a Fit Titans coach, coaching a client through a single-arm cable pulldown in a gym — **Alexander** with a client, in a real session. See Alexander's profile

How do you progress from bodyweight to goblet and barbell squats?

Move on only when the current version looks the same on every rep. This order is coaching advice, and your coach may change it to suit you.

A typical squat progression our coaches use. Coaching advice, not a medical prescription.

Stage	What it is	Move on when
Box or chair squat	Sit back to a chair or box and stand up	You can stand up without rocking forward or using your hands
Bodyweight squat	The five steps above, no support	Depth and form hold for every rep of your sets
Goblet squat	A dumbbell or kettlebell held at the chest	Form holds with a weight you find challenging for your last few reps
Barbell back squat	Bar on the upper back, in a rack with safety bars set	Learned with a coach watching, starting light and adding load gradually

How many sets, how often and how to add load for muscle gain are on how to build muscle in Singapore. Its weekly plans build each session on a squat or leg press.

Can you squat with a knee or back problem?

Often yes, but get the problem checked first and let the physio's plan come first. A coach does not diagnose or treat pain. See a doctor or physio before you squat if any of these apply.

01KneeIt is very painful, you cannot put weight on it, it is badly swollen or changed shape, or it locks, gives way or clicks painfully (NHS).
02Knee pain that lingersPain that does not improve within a few weeks (NHS).
03Back, urgentPain, tingling, weakness or numbness in both legs, or bladder or bowel changes. In Singapore, call 995 in an emergency (NHS).
04Back, see a GPPain that is worse at night, does not ease with rest or comes with unexplained weight loss (NHS).

From a knee or back problem back to squatting

01Get it checkedSee a doctor or physio first if any sign above applies.
02Physio's plan firstLet the physio's plan come first.
03Coach inside the limitsOnce cleared, a coach works inside the physio's limits.

How knee training builds back up is on knee injury training, and back pain on training with back pain.

How do you practise squats at home with no equipment?

A chair and a patch of floor are enough. Slow squats are quiet, so they suit a flat.

Four squats for a flat with no equipment

Squat	How to do it	Why it helps
Chair squat	Sit back until you touch the seat, then stand	Use a higher chair if your heels lift
Slow squat	3 seconds down and a short pause at the bottom	Makes bodyweight harder without jumping
Backpack goblet squat	Hug a loaded backpack to your chest	Takes the place of a dumbbell
Split squat	One foot forward, one back, lowering straight down	Works one leg at a time

A full quiet routine for a flat is in the HDB living room workout. When you are ready for a dumbbell or a rack, see home gym setup in Singapore.

What does a coach watch for in your squat?

How you move from the side and the front, rep after rep. This checklist is coaching practice, not a medical assessment.

01FeetHeels down and weight spread across the whole foot.
02KneesTracking over the second toe, not caving in on the way up.
03BackFlat at your depth, with no tuck at the bottom.
04TempoA controlled descent and no bounce.
05LoadAdded only when every rep of the last session looked the same.

How do you start squatting with a Fit Titans coach?

Message us with your goal, any knee or back history and where you would like to train. A coach comes to your home, your condo gym, a park or a gym that allows outside trainers, and some coach live by video.

A 60-minute session with our coaches starts from S$50 (measured October 2026). The first session is a paid trial at 10% off the coach's rate. After it, sessions come in packs of 5, 10, 15 or 20, paid by PayNow. See home personal training.

Questions about how to squat properly

Should your knees go past your toes when you squat?

A little is normal. In a 2003 study, stopping the knees from passing the toes cut knee torque by about 22% but raised hip torque about tenfold and increased forward lean. The authors suggested the knees may need to move slightly past the toes.

How low should you squat?

ACE says to lower until your thighs are about parallel, your heels start to lift or your torso starts to round. Stop at whichever comes first and work on depth over time.

Are deep squats bad for your knees?

A 2013 review in Sports Medicine found deep squats do not raise injury risk to the knee's passive tissues, provided technique is learned under expert supervision with gradual increases in load. If you have knee pain, see a doctor or physio first.

Should you do goblet squats before barbell squats?

Our coaches usually start with box squats, then bodyweight and goblet squats before a barbell, moving on once form holds on every rep. That order is coaching advice, not a rule.

Can you squat every day?

It depends on the load and how you recover. How many sessions a week build muscle is covered on our muscle-building guide, and a coach sets the plan around your recovery.