legs
Bodyweight Squat
Works in
calisthenics, home
Equipment
none
Primary muscles
quads, glutes
Why do it
For anyone without a barbell, or when you want the squat as conditioning rather than strength. Run it like burpees: big EMOM sets, max reps in five minutes, or 100 reps for time. It keeps the knees and hips healthy and gets the heart pounding. Sit back and down, chest tall.
How to do it
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly out. Push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs reach at least parallel, then drive through the whole foot to stand. Keep your chest up and heels planted the entire time.
What the science says
A network meta-analysis of 270 trials found isometric holds like the wall sit were the single most effective way to lower resting blood pressure (Edwards et al., 2023, British Journal of Sports Medicine).
Fun fact
The word squat comes from the Old French esquatir, meaning to press down or crush flat, a pretty fair description of what a hard set of these does to your legs.