How to properly do squats without wrecking your knees or lower back

You've probably seen the "squat police" at your local gym. Those guys who hover near the power rack, judging everyone's depth like they’re Olympic weightlifting coaches. Honestly, it’s annoying. But here’s the thing—they sort of have a point. Most people aren't sure how to properly do squats, and it usually shows up as a nagging pain in the patellar tendon or a "wink" in the lower back that eventually makes sitting in a desk chair feel like a chore. Squatting is the king of exercises, yet it’s the one we mess up the most because we treat it like a leg movement when it’s actually a whole-body coordination test.

Your body wasn't designed to sit in a Herman Miller for eight hours a day. When you finally get under a barbell or even just try some air squats in your living room, your hips are likely tight, your ankles are stiff, and your core is probably "asleep."

The mechanics of how to properly do squats

Forget the "toes forward" myth. If you try to squat with your feet perfectly straight, and your hip sockets are built laterally—which many people’s are—you’re basically ramming your femur into your pelvis. It hurts. Instead, let your toes point out slightly, maybe 15 to 30 degrees. This creates space in the hip joint. You need that space to get deep.

Start the movement by unhinging your hips. Don’t just drop your knees forward. Think about sitting back into a chair that’s just a little bit too far behind you. As you descend, your knees should track in line with your toes. If they cave inward (we call this knee valgus), you're putting a massive amount of shear stress on your ACL. It's bad news. Push those knees out. Feel the tension in your glutes.

Depth is a controversial topic. You’ll hear people say "ass to grass" is the only way to live. Others claim going past 90 degrees will explode your kneecaps. Both are kinda wrong.

According to Dr. Aaron Horschig, the physical therapist behind Squat University, the "proper" depth is the deepest you can go without your pelvis tucking under—a move called the "butt wink." If your lower back rounds at the bottom, stop just above 그 point. Over time, as your mobility improves, you’ll get lower.

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Bracing is the secret sauce

Most people breathe all wrong. They suck their stomach in. If you want to know how to properly do squats with any kind of weight, you have to do the opposite. You need intra-abdominal pressure. Take a huge breath into your belly—not your chest—and expand your core 360 degrees. Imagine someone is about to punch you in the gut. Hold that breath through the hardest part of the lift. This creates a "fluid ball" that supports your spine from the inside out.

Without this, your spine is basically a wet noodle under a heavy load. Not a good look.

Common mistakes that stall your progress

Stop looking at the ceiling. I see people do this all the time because some coach in 1985 told them it keeps the chest up. It doesn't. It just puts your cervical spine into a precarious, hyper-extended position. Keep your neck neutral. Pick a spot on the floor about six feet in front of you and stare it down. Your spine should be a straight line from your head to your tailbone.

Let's talk about footwear. If you're squatting in squishy running shoes, you might as well be standing on a bowl of marshmallows. Running shoes are designed to absorb impact, but for a squat, you want force transfer. You want to feel the floor. If you don't have dedicated lifting shoes (the ones with the hard, elevated heel), honestly, just squat in your socks or a flat shoe like Chuck Taylors. It's safer.

The hip vs. knee debate

Some people are "hip dominant" squatters. They have long femurs and lean way forward. Others are "knee dominant" and stay very upright. Neither is inherently wrong, but you have to know your limb lengths. If you have long legs and a short torso, your squat is going to look a lot more like a powerlifting-style low-bar squat. If you try to force yourself into an upright "Olympic" posture, you’ll probably just fall over.

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Screw your feet into the floor—imagine trying to rip the carpet apart between your feet.
3. Big belly breath and brace.
4. Hips back, knees out.
5. Break parallel if your mobility allows.
6. Drive through the mid-foot, not just the heels.

Why your "butt wink" matters

The posterior pelvic tilt, or "butt wink," happens when you run out of range of motion in your hip sockets or your hamstrings are screaming. When the pelvis rotates back, your lumbar spine flattens or rounds. Under the weight of a barbell, this is how herniated discs happen. It’s the number one reason people quit squatting.

To fix it, work on your ankle mobility. If your ankles are stiff (common if you wear heels or sit a lot), your shins can't tilt forward. If your shins can't tilt forward, your butt has to go somewhere, and it usually goes into a tilt. Try stretching your calves or doing "wall ankle mobilizations" before you hit the rack. It makes a world of difference.

Variations for different goals

You don't always need a barbell on your back. In fact, if you're just learning how to properly do squats, the Goblet Squat is superior. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell against your chest. The weight acts as a counterbalance, allowing you to sit deeper and keep your chest upright naturally. It's almost impossible to mess up a goblet squat.

Then there's the Front Squat. This one is brutal on the core and quads. If you have lower back issues, the front squat is often "friendlier" because it forces an upright posture. If you lean forward, you drop the bar. Simple feedback loop.

The role of the "Tripod Foot"

Think of your foot as having three points of contact: the heel, the base of the big toe, and the base of the pinky toe. Most people shift all their weight to their heels. While you don't want to be on your toes, shifting too far back actually makes you less stable. Claw the ground with your toes. Maintain that tripod. This creates a stable arch and prevents your foot from collapsing inward, which, you guessed it, saves your knees.

Consistency beats intensity every single time. You don't need to max out every Friday. In fact, you shouldn't. Focus on the "feel" of the movement. If the weight feels like it’s drifting toward your toes, you’re losing the path. The bar should move in a perfectly vertical line over your mid-foot. If you filmed yourself from the side and drew a line, it should be straight.

Actionable steps for your next leg day

To truly master the movement, start your next session with a "bodyweight prying squat." Drop into the bottom of a squat, grab a doorframe or a rack for balance, and just hang out there for 30 seconds. Shift your weight from side to side. Open up those hips.

Next, perform 2 sets of 10 Goblet Squats with a light weight to prime your nervous system. Focus exclusively on keeping your elbows inside your knees at the bottom to "push" them out. When you finally move to the barbell, keep your repetitions crisp. If your form breaks down on rep 8, then rep 7 was your last rep.

Stop treating the squat as a way to just move weight from point A to point B. Treat it as a skill. The strength will follow the technique. If you feel a sharp pain, stop. Discomfort is fine; "sharp" is a warning. Adjust your stance width, check your ankle mobility, and don't be afraid to use a box to gauge your depth consistently.