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The best way to improve your squat form is to use a three-step diagnostic method. First, record a video of your working set from the side. Second, analyze the video against key checkpoints. Third, apply specific corrective drills based on what you find. This process removes guesswork and focuses your effort where it's needed most.

This method works because it treats form breakdown as a symptom, not the root problem. Instead of just telling you to keep your chest up, it helps you identify if a weak core or poor ankle mobility is the real issue. This comprehensive guide is for any lifter who feels stuck, experiences minor discomfort, or wants to build a more efficient and stronger squat. We'll first cover how to perform a perfect squat, then how to diagnose your own form, and finally, how to fix the most common mistakes.

Why Your Squat Form Breaks Down Under Load

Most squat mistakes happen for two reasons: a mobility restriction prevents you from getting into the right position, or a muscle imbalance prevents you from staying in that position under load. Simply trying harder won't fix these underlying issues. For example, a common problem called "butt wink," where the lower back rounds at the bottom of the squat, is often caused by tight hips or limited ankle flexibility, not a lack of effort.

Many lifters try to solve form issues by adding more weight, thinking it will force their body to adapt. This usually makes the problem worse and increases injury risk. The counterintuitive solution is to reduce the weight and slow down the movement. Slowing down the squat with a 3-1-1 tempo (a 3-second descent, 1-second pause at the bottom, and 1-second ascent) builds motor control and strengthens stabilizing muscles. This deliberate practice forces you to maintain tension and control through the entire range of motion. It makes you acutely aware of where your form breaks down. Fixing the pattern with lighter weight and controlled tempo ensures the new, correct movement becomes automatic before you start adding heavy loads again.

How to Perform a Perfect Barbell Squat: A Step-by-Step Guide

Before you can diagnose flaws, you need a clear picture of what you're aiming for. This step-by-step guide covers the execution of a standard high-bar back squat from start to finish.

Step 1: The Setup

Proper setup is 90% of a successful lift. Rush this, and you're setting yourself up for failure.

• Rack Height: Set the J-hooks in the squat rack so the barbell is level with your mid-chest or upper sternum. Too high, and you'll struggle to unrack it; too low, and you'll waste energy doing a partial squat to get it out.
• Grip: Place your hands on the bar symmetrically, slightly wider than your shoulders. A narrower grip helps create a tighter upper back. Wrap your thumbs around the bar for security.
• Bar Placement: Duck under the bar and place it directly on your upper trapezius muscles-the meaty part, not your neck bone. This is the high-bar position. Squeeze your shoulder blades together to create a solid “shelf” for the bar to rest on.
• Foot Position: Place your feet directly under the bar, about shoulder-width apart.

Step 2: The Unrack and Walkout

• Unrack: With your core tight and back straight, drive your hips forward to stand up and lift the bar off the hooks. The movement should be powerful and stable.
• Walkout: Take three deliberate steps back. Step one foot back, then the other, and a final small adjustment step to get your stance perfect. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward, typically between 15-30 degrees. Find what feels natural for your hip structure.

Step 3: The Brace and Descent

• Brace: Before you descend, take a large breath of air *into your stomach*, not your chest. Brace your entire core as if you're about to be punched. This is the Valsalva maneuver, and it creates intra-abdominal pressure that stabilizes your spine.
• Initiate: Begin the squat by breaking at your hips and knees simultaneously. Think of it as sitting back and down between your heels.
• Descent: Control the descent over 2-3 seconds. Keep your chest up and your eyes focused on a point on the wall in front of you. The barbell should travel in a straight vertical line over the middle of your foot.
• Depth: The goal is to reach a depth where the crease of your hip is below the top of your kneecap. This ensures a full range of motion and maximum muscle activation.

Step 4: The Ascent

• Drive: Once you hit depth, drive upwards explosively. Think about pushing the floor away with your entire foot. Your upper back should drive up into the bar.
• Synchronize: Your hips and chest must rise at the same rate. If your hips shoot up first, it puts immense strain on your lower back.
• Finish: As you approach the top, squeeze your glutes to fully extend your hips. Exhale forcefully as you complete the rep. Reset and repeat.

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The 3-Step Squat Form Diagnostic Method

This process requires your phone and a few minutes of honest assessment. Do this with a weight that is challenging but allows you to complete all your reps, typically around 70-80% of your one-rep max.

Step 1. Record Your Set From the Side

Set up your phone on a bench or tripod so it captures your entire body from a direct side angle. The camera should be level with your hips. Perform a regular working set of 5-8 reps. Don't perform for the camera; just execute the set as you normally would. The goal is to capture your typical form, not your best single rep.

Step 2. Analyze Against 3 Checkpoints

Review the footage and watch for these three specific markers on every rep. Be critical.

1. Bar Path: The barbell should travel in a straight vertical line directly over the middle of your foot. If it drifts forward on the way down or up, it indicates a balance or strength issue.
2. Depth: The crease of your hip must drop below the top of your kneecap. If you are not hitting this depth, you are not completing the full range of motion and are leaving gains on the table.
3. Spine Neutrality: Your back should maintain its natural curve. Watch for any rounding in your lower back at the bottom of the squat (butt wink) or excessive arching. Your torso angle should remain relatively consistent.

Step 3. Correct With Specific Drills

Based on your analysis, add one or two of these drills to your warm-up routine.

• If your bar path drifts forward: This is often a core strength or quad activation issue. Add goblet squats to your warm-up, holding a 25-40 lb dumbbell against your chest and focusing on keeping your torso perfectly upright.
• If you struggle with depth: The cause is likely hip or ankle mobility. Add deep squat holds. Hold the bottom position of a bodyweight or goblet squat for 30-60 seconds to improve flexibility. For ankle mobility, perform wall-facing ankle stretches.
• If your lower back rounds (butt wink): You need to improve core stability and hip/ankle mobility. Add planks (3 sets of 30-60 seconds) and bird-dog exercises to learn how to brace your core effectively while your limbs are moving.

You can track your working sets and drills in a notebook. Note the weight, reps, sets, and tempo. This lets you see if your total volume (e.g. 3 sets × 8 reps × 100 kg = 2400 kg) is increasing. Manually calculating this for every exercise is tedious. Mofilo's workout logger does this automatically, showing you if your strength is actually progressing as your form improves.

5 Common Squat Mistakes and How to Fix Them

During your video analysis, you'll likely spot one of these common errors. Here’s a deeper look at why they happen and how to fix them.

1. Butt Wink (Lower Back Rounding)

• What it looks like: At the bottom of the squat, your pelvis tucks under, causing your lower back to round.
• Why it happens: This is usually a mobility issue. Limited ankle dorsiflexion or tight hips can prevent you from hitting depth with a neutral spine. It can also be a motor control issue where you fail to keep your core braced.
• The Fix: Work on ankle mobility with wall stretches. Use goblet squats to teach your body to stay upright and braced. Only squat to the depth you can maintain a flat back, and work to gradually increase it over time.
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1. Knees Caving In (Knee Valgus)

• What it looks like: As you drive up from the bottom, your knees collapse inward toward each other.
• Why it happens: This is a classic sign of weak gluteus medius muscles, which are responsible for hip abduction (pushing your knees out).
• The Fix: Add glute activation drills to your warm-up, like banded side steps, clamshells, and glute bridges. You can also perform light squats with a mini-band around your knees, actively focusing on pushing your knees out against the band's resistance.
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1. Chest Falling Forward (Good Morning Squat)

• What it looks like: Your hips rise much faster than your shoulders during the ascent, forcing your torso to become nearly parallel to the floor.
• Why it happens: This indicates your quads are weak relative to your posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings). Your body shifts the load to the stronger muscles. It can also be caused by a weak upper back or poor core bracing.
• The Fix: Incorporate pause squats, holding the bottom position for 2-3 seconds to build strength and control. Front squats are also excellent for building quad and upper back strength.
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1. Heels Lifting Off the Ground

• What it looks like: Your weight shifts forward onto your toes, and your heels come off the floor.
• Why it happens: This is almost always a direct result of poor ankle mobility (specifically, dorsiflexion). You can't keep your shins upright enough, so your heels lift to compensate.
• The Fix: As a temporary solution, squat with your heels elevated on small 2.5 or 5 lb plates. For a long-term fix, aggressively work on ankle mobility drills before every leg day.
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1. Bar Path Drifting Forward

• What it looks like: The bar moves forward of your mid-foot during the descent or ascent.
• Why it happens: This is a balance issue. It means your center of gravity is shifting forward. The cause is often a weak core or a failure to properly engage your lats to keep the bar pulled into your body.
• The Fix: Focus on the cue "bend the bar over your back" to engage your lats. Tempo squats (3-1-1) are fantastic for teaching motor control and keeping the bar path straight.
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What to Expect After Fixing Your Squat Form

Rebuilding your squat pattern takes time and patience. You will likely need to reduce the weight on the bar by 20-30% for 4-6 weeks while you focus on tempo and corrective drills. This can feel like a step backward, but it is essential for long-term progress and injury prevention.

Good progress in the first month is not adding more plates to the bar. It is hitting proper depth on every rep without your heels lifting or your back rounding. It is feeling more stable and controlled at the bottom of the squat. Once the new movement pattern feels automatic and you can maintain perfect form with the lighter weight, you can begin to gradually increase the load again. This foundational work will allow you to break through previous plateaus safely.

This process has its limits. If you experience sharp pain, you should consult a physical therapist. This method is for correcting technical errors, not for diagnosing or treating injuries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my heels lift when I squat?

This is almost always a sign of limited ankle dorsiflexion, which is the ability to flex your foot toward your shin. You can temporarily fix this by squatting with your heels elevated on small 1-inch plates. At the same time, work on ankle mobility drills to fix the root cause.

Is it bad if my knees go past my toes?

No, this is a common myth. For individuals with longer femur bones, it is biomechanically necessary for the knees to travel past the toes to maintain balance and keep the bar over the mid-foot. The focus should be on keeping your heels planted and torso upright, not on an arbitrary knee position.

Should I use a high-bar or low-bar squat?

A high-bar squat, where the bar rests on the upper trapezius muscles, keeps the torso more upright and is more quad-dominant. A low-bar squat, where the bar rests lower on the rear deltoids, involves more forward lean and utilizes the hips and posterior chain more. Neither is better; choose the one that aligns with your goals and feels most comfortable for your body.

Do I need weightlifting shoes?

Weightlifting shoes with an elevated heel can be a valuable tool. The raised heel artificially improves your ankle mobility, making it easier to squat to depth with an upright torso. They are a great investment if you are serious about squatting, but they are not a replacement for working on your ankle flexibility.

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