The Best Way to Do Squats Without Destroying Your Knees

You've probably heard that squats are the "king of exercises." It’s a cliché because it’s true. But honestly, most people in the gym are doing them in a way that’s basically a ticking time bomb for their lower back or patellar tendons. If you're looking for the best way to do squats, you have to stop thinking about just moving weight from point A to point B. It’s about tension. It's about leverage.

Squats are primal. Look at a toddler. They sit in a perfect deep squat to pick up a toy without a second thought. Somewhere between kindergarten and a desk job, we lose that. We get tight ankles, stiff hips, and a core that's about as stable as a house of cards. Then we go to the gym, throw 135 pounds on our back, and wonder why our spine feels like an accordion.

I’ve spent years watching people struggle with their form. The biggest mistake? Thinking there is one "perfect" stance for everyone. There isn't. Your hip sockets are unique. Some people have deep sockets; others have shallow ones. This means your "best" stance might be wide, while your buddy’s is narrow.

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Most trainers will tell you to keep your feet shoulder-width apart and toes forward. That's actually terrible advice for a lot of humans. If you have long femurs (thigh bones), forcing a narrow, toes-forward stance will make you lean so far forward you'll look like you're trying to do a "good morning" exercise instead of a squat.

Try this instead. Stand up. Jump in the air. Where your feet land naturally is usually your strongest power position. For most of us, that’s a bit wider than shoulder-width with the toes turned out about 15 to 30 degrees. This "duck foot" position opens up the hip capsule. It gives your pelvis room to sit between your thighs rather than on top of them.

The Hip Socket Reality

Dr. Stuart McGill, a world-renowned expert in spine biomechanics, often talks about the "Anatomical Variation of the Hip." If you try to force a deep squat and your hip bones literally hit each other (bone-on-bone contact), no amount of stretching will fix that. You just need to widen your stance. Listen to your anatomy. Don't fight it.

The Secret is in the Tripod Foot

Everyone talks about the knees and the back, but the best way to do squats actually starts at the floor. Your feet are your foundation. If your arches collapse, your knees cave in. It’s a chain reaction.

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Think about the "Tripod Foot." You want your weight distributed across three points:

1. The base of your big toe.
2. The base of your pinky toe.
3. Your heel.

Claw the floor with your toes. Literally try to "screw" your feet into the ground. If your right foot is at 1 o'clock and your left is at 11 o'clock, try to rotate them clockwise and counter-clockwise respectively without actually moving them. This creates external rotation torque in the hips. It turns on your glutes before you even start the descent. It makes your legs feel like solid pillars.

Breathing is Not Optional

Most people breathe like they’re sitting on the couch. Big mistake. When you have a barbell on your back, your spine needs an internal airbag. This is called the Valsalva Maneuver.

Take a huge breath into your belly—not your chest. Expand your midsection 360 degrees. Now, hold it and brace your abs like someone is about to punch you. This increases intra-abdominal pressure. It turns your soft torso into a rigid cylinder. Do not exhale until you are past the "sticking point" on the way back up. If you let that air out at the bottom, your spine loses its support system. You’ll fold.

The Myth of "Knees Over Toes"

For decades, people said your knees should never go past your toes. They said it would blow out your ACL. They were wrong.

If you want to reach full depth, your knees have to go past your toes, especially if you have long legs. Professional Olympic weightlifters do this with hundreds of pounds every day. The danger isn't the knees moving forward; it’s the weight shifting entirely onto the balls of your feet. As long as your heel stays glued to the floor and your weight is balanced, your knees are safe.

In fact, avoiding forward knee travel often forces the lower back to take the brunt of the load. I’d much rather have a little extra stress on my knees—which are designed to handle it—than on my L5-S1 spinal disc.

Bracing the Upper Body

A squat isn't just a leg exercise. It’s a full-body movement. If your upper back is loose, the bar will roll forward. This shifts the center of gravity and makes the lift feel twice as heavy.

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• Pull the bar down: Actively try to bend the bar over your traps.
• Tuck your elbows: Don't let them flare back like wings.
• Look forward: Not at the ceiling, not at your shoes. Pick a spot on the wall about six feet in front of you.

Common Mistakes That Kill Progress

• The Butt Wink: This is when your pelvis tucks under at the bottom of the squat. It’s usually caused by poor ankle mobility or going deeper than your anatomy allows. It puts massive shear force on the lower discs. Stop an inch before your tailbone starts to tuck.
• Heels Lifting: This usually means your calves are too tight. If you can’t keep your heels down, put some small weight plates under them or buy lifting shoes with a raised heel. It’s an instant fix for better depth.
• The "Good Morning" Squat: This is when your hips rise faster than your shoulders. It happens because your quads are weak, so your body tries to shift the load to your stronger back and hamstrings. Lower the weight and focus on pushing your back up into the bar.

Equipment: Do You Need the Fancy Stuff?

You don't need much. But a few things help.

Shoes: Running shoes are for running. They have squishy foam soles. Squatting in them is like trying to lift weights while standing on a mattress. It's unstable. Use flat shoes like Chuck Taylors, Vans, or dedicated weightlifting shoes with a hard sole.

Belts: A lifting belt isn't a corset. It doesn't "protect" your back by holding it in place. It gives your abs something to push against so you can create more internal pressure. Don't use one until you've mastered the basic movement.

Wraps and Sleeves: Knee sleeves are great for keeping the joints warm. They don't add much to your lift, but they feel good. Knee wraps are for powerlifters trying to break world records. Unless that's you, skip them.

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The Best Way to Do Squats: A Step-by-Step Execution

1. Approach the bar with intent. Set your grip, dive under, and place the bar on your upper traps (high bar) or across the rear delts (low bar).
2. Unrack with two feet. Don't lunge the bar out. Stand it up like a mini-squat.
3. The Three-Step Walkout. One step back, one step back to match, one step to adjust width. That’s it. Don’t dance around.
4. Big belly breath. Brace hard.
5. Sit down and out. Think about sitting between your heels. Keep your chest up.
6. Drive. When you hit depth, don't pause. Use the "stretch reflex" to bounce back up. Drive your shoulders into the bar.
7. Finish. Squeeze your glutes at the top. Exhale.

What if it Hurts?

If you have sharp pain, stop. Simple as that. A "burn" in the muscles is fine. A "stabbing" in the joint is a red flag. Often, switching from a Back Squat to a Goblet Squat (holding a weight at your chest) fixes form issues instantly because the front-loaded weight acts as a counter-balance.

Actionable Next Steps

To truly master the best way to do squats, you need to stop guessing.

• Film yourself. Set your phone up at hip height from a side angle. You’ll be shocked at how different your "feel" is from your "real." Look for the bar path; it should move in a straight vertical line over the middle of your foot.
• Work on ankle mobility. Most "bad" squats are actually just "bad" ankles. Spend two minutes a day in a deep bodyweight squat holding onto a doorframe for support.
• Frequency matters. You don't get better at squats by doing them once every two weeks. Aim for twice a week. One day can be heavy, and the other can be lighter "technique" work.
• Assess your depth. You don't have to go "ass to grass" if it causes pain or bad form. "Parallel" (where the crease of your hip is level with the top of your knee) is the gold standard for a reason.

Mastering the squat is a lifelong pursuit. It’s not about how much you can lift today, but how well you can lift for the next twenty years. Focus on the tension, respect your anatomy, and keep your heels on the floor.