The Perfect Squat

Squats can be very beneficial to your lower body base, but they also put a heavy strain on your legs. Research has shown that the most unstable knee angle occurs when your 90s are bent 90 degrees and your legs are slightly above the point where they would be parallel to the ground. Thus, you want to get in the habit of repping deep, full squats (if your body permits).

Here are some key points to achieving the perfect squat:

1. Rest the bar on your traps (never your neck)
2. Keep your head erect and look forward.
3. Your shoulders should be pulled back and your chest should be stickout out.
4. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
5. On the way down, your knees should point in the same direction as your toes (you should be aligned.)
6. Once you are sunk into your squat position, pause and then come back to the starting position.
7. Your heals should be on the floor.
8. Your legs should end up lower than parallel to the floor when you hit the apex of your squat.

Squats are great for leg strength, but you must be careful and exercise proper technique as they involve a higher degree of risk.

In this video, the squatter exercises mostly proper form, but one key mistake is his toe and knee alignment.