A bilateral bodyweight exercise that combines knee and hip flexion and extension to train the thighs and glutes. This version uses a fixed stance on the floor, with the arms extended forward and no external load.
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward, and extend your arms in front of you.
Brace your trunk lightly and keep your heels and the bases of your big and little toes in contact with the floor.
Bend your hips and knees together, lowering your pelvis between your feet while your knees follow the direction of your toes.
Descend only as far as you can control the movement without losing foot contact or noticeably rounding your lower back; do not force the depth shown in the demonstration.
Press through the whole foot and extend your hips and knees together to return to standing, without bouncing or jumping.
Repeat with the same stance and controlled range. One descent followed by a complete standing return counts as one repetition.
Distribute pressure across the whole foot rather than shifting all your weight onto your heels.
Let your knees travel naturally in line with your toes; do not force them to stay behind your toes.
Use your forward-reaching arms for balance and allow a comfortable torso angle without exaggerating the arch in your lower back.
Inhale during the descent and exhale during the return, without prolonged breath-holding.
Choose a repeatable, comfortable range rather than chasing a fixed depth. Stop if the movement causes pain.
Lifting the heels or rolling onto the inner or outer edges of the feet.
Letting the knees collapse inward instead of following the direction of the toes.
Dropping into the bottom position or bouncing to start the ascent.
Forcing extra depth by rounding the lower back or changing the stance mid-repetition.
Leaning backward at the top instead of finishing in a balanced standing position.
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