How to do Wide Squats

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Difficulty: Easy

Impact Level: Normal

Target Body Parts: calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps

Instructions

Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, on a flat level surface. This will be your starting position. Begin the movement by sitting your hips back, bending your knees and push them out to the sides a little, whilst keeping you head looking forwards at eye height and your chest up. Your heels should stay in contact with the floor and your weight should be centered, mid-foot. Continue down until your hips are level with your knees and your thighs are parallel (or as low to this as your mobility will allow). At the same time, raise your arms out straight in front of you to shoulder height. This helps offset the weight of your hips sitting back behind you. This is the bottom of the squat, and quickly reverse the motion until you return to the starting position. As you squat, keep your head and chest up and push your knees out.

How to make Wide Squats easier

Using a chair to lower down on to and stand up from is a great way to work towards a full squat. Check out our Chair Squat exercise for more info.

How to make Wide Squats more challenging

Progress from Wide Squats to Single Leg Squats and the different Lunge exercises.

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