Whether you’re loading a barbell on your back, shouldering a kettlebell, or simply warming up with bodyweight squats, one question remains constant: What is the proper squat depth?
How low you go is just as important to your performance, safety, and results as how much weight you press, so squat depth should be high on your form checklist, according to Carol Mack, DPT, CSCS, MD physical and strength and conditioning. coach. Read on to find out why.
How Low Should You Squat?
Unless you’re a competitive powerlifter whose goal is to squat as much weight as possible, Mack recommends squatting as deep as you can without sacrificing form. A deeper squat helps to fire the muscles more efficiently and builds strength over a greater range of motion, which is important if you’re training for something beyond aesthetics, like athletics or daily function.
But the depth of your squat will vary based on several personal factors, such as “whether you have knee, hip, or ankle pain and whether you have enough mobility to go deeper,” says Mack.
What if the knees go in front of the toes?
A persistent myth about squat depth is that you should never let your knees go past your toes. While this signal can indicate other form mistakes you might be making — such as not hanging at the hips — Mack says your knees are likely going past your toes if you’re going for a deeper squat, especially with an activity like powerlifting.
“Don’t worry about your knees coming forward when you go past 90 degrees,” she says. “Of course, don’t force yourself deeper if you feel pain or a tight spot. But if you feel comfortable going deeper and you’re listening to your body, then it’s fine to go lower.”
A stretching tip that helps, she adds, is to look down and make sure your knees are in line with your middle two toes, rather than extending outward. (Just make sure you apply this tip during your warm-up and not, say, during a PR attempt.)
How Can You Improve Squat Depth?
If squatting depth is something you struggle with, here are some strategies to help you sink lower.
1. Focus on your hips
Because squat depth isn’t just about your quads and hamstrings, focusing on your hips can be a game changer, says Mack.
Instead of dropping your butt straight down, try swinging your hips back a little—known as a hinge—as you lower into the squat. This will help you bend with more hip flexion (aka bringing your knees closer to your chest), which can improve depth.
It is also important that the knees do not creep in as you approach the bottom of the squat and stand up.
“This may require adding hip mobility or strengthening to your routine to improve your squats,” notes Mack. Hip mobility exercises can do more than help squat depth. They can reduce the strain on the body from excessive sitting, improve overall flexibility and give you a greater range of motion.
2. Increased ankle mobility
Mack adds that it’s also important to have greater ankle mobility. This aspect of squatting can sometimes be overlooked, but it plays a huge role in helping you dig deeper. If you ever feel your ankles lift off the ground during a squat, this is a sign that you need to improve your mobility.
Ankle strengthening exercises can give you greater mobility and stability to support your squats, no matter how deep you go.
3. Strengthen your core
Finally, remember that squats also involve the spine, says Mack.
“Some people have a hard time keeping their trunk straight as they move deeper into the squat,” she says. “This can remove the stretch throughout the squat motion. It can happen for many reasons, including mobility, but core strength is a big culprit.”
If you tend to round your back while on a squat, or feel your upper body collapse as you push back up, it usually means you need to integrate more core work into your routine, she suggests.
Fortunately, there are plenty of options for this, and like the other mobility and strengthening choices here, you’ll reduce your risk of injury and improve your form for a variety of movements, including squats.
