Squat Variations to Keep You on Your Toes

1. Squat Variations to Keep You on Your Toes

3. Whether you love or loathe them, squats work. They’re beneficial not only for your legs and glutes, but also your core. Plus, they’re a functional exercise, meaning they can help make everyday activities easier. And while there’s no denying the effectiveness of a basic squat, there are plenty more where that came from. Below, we’ve got 45 variations to help you up your squat game and keep things interesting.

4. Bodyweight squats: 1. Basic squat • This is the holy grail of squatting. Master this foundational move and you’ll be in great shape as you work your way through this list. • Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out, and your arms down at your side. • Start to hinge at the hips and bend your knees, sitting back like you’re going to sit down and allowing your arms to raise up in front of you. Ensure that your knees don’t fall inward and your back stays straight. • When your thighs are parallel to the ground, stop and push up through your heels to return to start.

5. 2. Wall squat If you have knee or hip problems, a wall squat will provide extra support. • Stand with your back against a wall and step your feet out about 12 inches from the wall. • Bend your knees, dropping into a squat while keeping your back pinned to the wall throughout the movement. • Stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground. Push up through your heels back to start.

6. 3. Prisoner squat Putting your hands behind your head helps to stabilize your core and shoulders. • Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out, arms bent, and fingers interlaced behind your head. • Proceed with a basic squat.

7. 4. Side squat It’s important to work in all planes of motion while exercising that means not only front and back, but side to side as well. • Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms down at your sides. • Begin to hinge at the hips and bend your knees, stepping your right foot out to the side and allowing your arms to raise up in front of you to a comfortable position. • When your thighs are parallel to the ground, stand up, stepping your left foot to meet your right.

8. 5. Pistol squat A more advanced move, a pistol squat is a single-leg bodyweight squat that requires strength, balance, and mobility. • Start standing with your feet together and extend your arms out in front of you. • Lift your left leg up off of the floor in front of you and squat down on your right, lowering until your left leg is parallel to the floor. • Stand up and repeat on the other side.

9. 6. Single-leg squat Not to be confused with a pistol squat, a single-leg squat is just that — a squat on one leg. The main difference is that in a single-leg squat, the free leg doesn’t have to be parallel to the ground. • Start by standing with your feet together and your arms out in front of you. • Lift your left leg up off of the ground in front of you and squat down on your right as far as you can go, stopping when your right thigh is parallel to the ground. • Stand up, then switch legs.

10. 7. Plié squat Channel your inner ballet star with a plié squat. It’s great for targeting your hips, too. • Start with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointed out. • Bend your knees, dropping until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as far as you can go. Keep your chest up throughout the movement. • Push through your heels to return to start.

11. 8. Plié squat with foot drag • Start by doing a plié squat. As you come back up, drag your right foot on the ground to meet your left leg. • Step your left foot out wide, plié squat, then drag your left foot to meet your right.

12. 9. Squat with knee drive • Drop down into a basic squat. • As you come up, drive your right knee up as high as it will go. • Drop immediately down again to another basic squat, pushing up and driving your left knee up this time.

13. 10. Side-kick squat Adding a kick to your squats takes them from strength to cardio in no time. • Drop down into a basic squat. • As you come up, kick your right leg up as high as it will go. • Drop immediately down again to another basic squat, pushing up and kicking your left leg up.