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 The back squat is one of the best movements for building overall size and strength in your lower extremities. It hits your quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs, and lower erectors which make it a full-body exercise. It is one of the best bang for your buck movements that will provide the best results. This one can be dangerous as it can be loaded up with a lot of weight and if done with poor range of motion or technique can lead to overuse wear and tear or severe injuries. There's plenty of work and benefit to be done with lighter weights and when slowly increased over time, massive strength and muscle gains will soon follow.

Generally, a good rule of thumb is to jump up in the air, and wherever your feet land is a pretty good starting point for your squat position. They should be just about shoulder width apart, maybe a little outside or inside of that. Your feet can be turned out slightly or pointed more straight but that is a personal preference that is learned over time when maximizing the lift for your body structure.

The best way to describe this lift is to act like you're sitting back on a toilet. Everyone knows how to sit on a toilet, you do it one to 3 times a day or more. You want your shins to stay mostly vertical. You want to hinge at the hips and keep your lower(lumbar) and upper(thoracic) spine static and flat. Keep your head position neutral here as well, there is no need to crane your head upward as it can make you lose back tension.

(Show picture of sitting back on toilet)

(show video of hinging at hip)(show video of back and neck position)

When descending into the bottom position of the squat, you want your knees to track over your toes as you go down. You do not want your knee to cave in as you go down or stand up. It should almost feel like your trying to turn your foot outward while also trying to push the floor apart with your feet.

(show video of knee tracking over toe)

(Show picture of externally rotating and pushing floor apart.)

When you're in the bottom of the lift, you should be in a good stable position. Your knees shouldn't cave in. Your lower back shouldn't round. Your heels shouldn't come off the ground. You should be in a stable, balanced position. When you start to go back up, think about these 3 things:

1. Drive your knees out
2. Squeeze your glutes
3. Drive your chest up

You don't want your knees to cave in as it puts you in a compromised position prone to injury. The glutes store a lot of your power, so thinking about engaging them helps you to lift with your legs and not your back. You also don't want the weight to come forward as you start the ascension. It should stay directly over the center of your body as you go up. Drive your chest up so as to not fold over with the weight on your shoulders.

Throughout the entire lift, you need to increase and expand your abdominal cavity. Keeping this pressure and rigidity through your core will keep you stabilized, safe, and help to maintain proper form as you execute the lift. You don't want to pull your abs in like you are flexing to show off your abs. You want to push out your abs life you are going to get punched in the stomach. Learning to do this helps with the squat a lot.