Squats: Common Mistakes, Corrections, and Proper Form

What are 3 common mistakes people make when doing squats?

Despite its apparent simplicity, the squat is a complex compound movement often performed incorrectly, leading to reduced effectiveness and increased injury risk. Three prevalent errors include allowing the knees to cave inward, failing to achieve adequate depth, and rounding the lower back.

The Squat: A Foundation of Functional Movement

The squat is a fundamental human movement, integral to daily activities like sitting, standing, and lifting. In a fitness context, it's a cornerstone exercise for developing lower body strength, power, and muscle hypertrophy. However, due to its multi-joint nature and reliance on specific mobility and stability, proper squat technique is often elusive for many. Understanding and correcting common mistakes is crucial for maximizing the squat's benefits while minimizing the risk of injury.

Mistake 1: Valgus Knee Collapse (Knees Caving Inward)

This common error occurs when the knees track inward, falling inside the line of the feet, particularly during the eccentric (lowering) phase or ascent.

• Description: As you descend into the squat, your knees drift towards each other, creating an "A" frame shape with your legs rather than keeping them aligned over your toes. This is often more pronounced under heavier loads.
• Why it's a Mistake:
  • Increased Joint Stress: This inward collapse places excessive valgus stress on the medial (inner) structures of the knee, including the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscus, increasing the risk of sprains or tears.
  • Muscle Imbalance: It often indicates weakness in the hip abductors and external rotators (primarily the gluteus medius and minimus, and piriformis), which are responsible for stabilizing the knee and keeping it aligned. Tightness in the hip adductors can also contribute.
  • Reduced Muscle Activation: When the knees cave in, the gluteal muscles, crucial for hip extension and external rotation, are less effectively engaged, diminishing the exercise's primary benefits.
• How to Fix It:
  • Active Cueing: Consciously "push your knees out" or "spread the floor with your feet" throughout the movement.
  • Strengthen Hip Abductors: Incorporate exercises like banded glute bridges, clam shells, side-lying leg raises, and monster walks to strengthen the muscles responsible for external hip rotation and abduction.
  • Improve Ankle Mobility: Limited ankle dorsiflexion can sometimes contribute to knee valgus; address this with ankle mobility drills.
  • Reduce Load: Practice the movement with bodyweight or lighter loads until proper form is consistently maintained.

Mistake 2: Insufficient Depth (Half Squats)

Insufficient squat depth refers to stopping the descent well before the hips are parallel with or below the knees, often resembling a partial squat or knee bend.

• Description: The lifter performs only a partial range of motion, failing to bring their hip crease below the top of their knees. This limits the recruitment of key muscle groups and the functional benefits of the movement.
• Why it's a Mistake:
  • Limited Muscle Development: A full range of motion is essential for maximally activating the glutes and hamstrings. Half squats predominantly work the quadriceps, neglecting the powerful posterior chain muscles that are vital for overall lower body strength and athletic performance.
  • Disproportionate Joint Stress: By limiting depth, the load is often disproportionately placed on the knees and quadriceps, rather than being distributed across the hips, glutes, and hamstrings. This can increase patellofemoral joint stress.
  • Reduced Functional Carryover: Real-world movements like sitting down or picking something off the floor require greater depth than what a half squat provides, diminishing the exercise's practical benefits.
• How to Fix It:
  • Assess Mobility: Identify and address limitations in hip and ankle mobility. Tight hip flexors, tight hamstrings, or limited ankle dorsiflexion can restrict depth.
  • Box Squats: Use a box or bench as a target to ensure consistent depth. Focus on "sitting back" onto the box rather than just descending straight down.
  • Elevate Heels: For individuals with significant ankle mobility limitations, temporarily placing small plates under the heels can allow for greater depth and a more upright torso, helping to learn the movement pattern.
  • Focus on Posture: Maintain a neutral spine and an engaged core throughout the descent, ensuring you're sitting between your knees, not just descending vertically.

Mistake 3: Lumbar Flexion (Rounding the Lower Back / "Butt Wink")

Lumbar flexion, commonly known as "butt wink," occurs when the lower back rounds or tucks under at the bottom of the squat, losing its natural lumbar curve.

• Description: As the hips descend to their lowest point in the squat, the pelvis posteriorly tilts, causing the sacrum and lower lumbar spine to round into flexion rather than maintaining a neutral or slightly extended position.
• Why it's a Mistake:
  • Spinal Injury Risk: This is perhaps the most dangerous squat mistake. Lumbar flexion under load places significant shear and compressive forces on the intervertebral discs of the lower back, dramatically increasing the risk of disc bulges, herniations, or other spinal injuries.
  • Compromised Force Transfer: A rounded spine is an unstable spine. It creates a weak link in the kinetic chain, reducing the body's ability to efficiently transfer force from the legs through the core to the bar (if loaded), diminishing lifting potential.
  • Underlying Mobility Issues: Often, butt wink is a symptom of limited hip mobility (especially hip flexion) or hamstring flexibility. The body compensates for restricted hip range of motion by rounding the lumbar spine to achieve greater depth.
• How to Fix It:
  • Improve Hip Mobility: Dedicate time to hip mobility drills, focusing on hip flexion, internal, and external rotation. This includes exercises like 90/90 stretches, pigeon pose, and hip flexor stretches.
  • Strengthen Core Stability: A strong, stable core is essential for maintaining a neutral spine. Incorporate anti-extension and anti-rotation exercises (e.g., planks, dead bugs, bird-dog) into your routine.
  • Maintain Neutral Spine Cue: Actively think about keeping a "proud chest" and maintaining a straight line from your tailbone to the top of your head. Imagine a dowel rod running along your spine that should maintain three points of contact (back of head, upper back, tailbone).
  • Limit Depth: If you cannot achieve full depth without your lower back rounding, reduce your squat depth until you can maintain a neutral spine throughout the entire movement. Gradually increase depth as mobility and control improve.

Foundations of a Proper Squat

To ensure a safe and effective squat, always prioritize these fundamental elements:

• Foot Placement: Feet approximately shoulder-width apart, with toes pointed slightly outward (10-30 degrees) to allow for comfortable hip external rotation.
• Core Bracing: Before initiating the descent, take a deep breath into your belly and brace your core as if preparing for a punch. This creates intra-abdominal pressure for spinal stability.
• Initiate with Hips Back: Begin the movement by sending your hips back and down, as if sitting into a chair.
• Knees Tracking Over Toes: Ensure your knees remain aligned with your feet, neither collapsing inward nor excessively flaring outward.
• Maintain Neutral Spine: Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and a natural arch in your lower back throughout the entire movement.
• Achieve Adequate Depth: Descend until your hip crease is at least parallel with the top of your knees, or deeper if your mobility allows without compromising form.

Conclusion: Prioritizing Form for Performance and Longevity

Mastering the squat is an ongoing journey that requires attention to detail, consistent practice, and a willingness to prioritize form over ego. By understanding and actively correcting common mistakes like valgus knee collapse, insufficient depth, and lumbar flexion, you not only unlock the full strength and muscle-building potential of the squat but also significantly reduce your risk of injury. If you struggle with any of these issues, consider seeking guidance from a qualified fitness professional or physical therapist who can provide personalized coaching and mobility assessments. Investing in proper technique ensures a lifetime of safe and effective squatting.