Squat

Bodyweight Squat

A practical movement guide for every Mission SOP that uses this exercise. Sets, reps, load, tempo, and purpose remain specific to each mission and phase.

Movement guide available

Anatomy map

Muscles involved

  • Primary musclesOrange · None
  • Secondary musclesGraphite gray · None
ShaOS anatomy illustration for Bodyweight Squat, with primary and secondary muscles highlighted
PrimaryQuads
SecondaryHamstringsGlutes

ShaOS custom anatomy illustration. Visual reference only; movement coaching and muscle classifications remain defined by the Exercise Library.

Description

A foundational squat that develops lower-body coordination, usable range of motion, and control without external load.

Setup & Execution

  1. Stand in a comfortable stance with the whole foot connected to the floor and toes turned slightly outward if needed.
  2. Brace gently, then sit down between the hips while the knees track in line with the toes.
  3. Descend only as far as the heels stay grounded and the trunk remains controlled.
  4. Drive the floor away to stand tall without snapping the knees or leaning backward.

Coaching Cues

  • Keep the whole foot heavy.
  • Let your knees follow your toes.
  • Stand by pushing the floor away.

Common Mistakes

  • Heels lifting from the floor.
  • Knees collapsing inward.
  • Dropping into a depth that cannot be controlled.

Movement media

See the movement

Reviewed short loop

Muscle highlight key

  • Primary musclesOrange · Quads
  • Secondary musclesGraphite gray · Hamstrings, Glutes
Published media
Short silent loop · 6 seconds
Reviewed
Sep 3, 2026
Video source
ShaOS production record
30–60 second tutorialplanned
Setup angleplanned
Side angleplanned
Key cue overlayplanned
Captionsplanned
Transcriptplanned

Accessible movement summary

Stand in a comfortable stance with the whole foot connected to the floor and toes turned slightly outward if needed. Brace gently, then sit down between the hips while the knees track in line with the toes. Descend only as far as the heels stay grounded and the trunk remains controlled. Drive the floor away to stand tall without snapping the knees or leaning backward.

Key cue: Keep the whole foot heavy.

The production indicators above are roadmap states, not claims that multi-angle footage, overlays, captions, or a narrated transcript are already available.

Adapt the movement

Regressions & alternatives

Preserve the movement pattern while matching current capacity, available equipment, and the mission environment.

Regression

Sit-to-stand from a stable chair

Progression

Tempo bodyweight squat with a controlled bottom pause

Home gym

Counter-supported bodyweight squat

Commercial gym

Bodyweight box squat to a stable bench

Used in

Linked Mission SOPs