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Instructions
- Stand tall with feet about shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out.
- Brace your midsection and keep your chest up as you push your hips back slightly.
- Bend your knees and lower until your thighs are roughly above parallel (about half squat depth).
- Pause briefly without bouncing at the bottom position.
- Drive through your whole foot to stand back up to the start position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps with controlled tempo.
Technical tips
- Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes, not collapsing inward.
- Maintain a neutral spine and avoid rounding your lower back.
- Stay balanced over mid-foot with heels down and even pressure through the foot.
- Control the descent and avoid using momentum or bouncing out of the bottom.
- Stop the range of motion before pain or loss of alignment occurs.
Breathing tips
- Inhale before you descend and brace your core as you lower.
- Exhale as you stand up through the hardest part of the rep.
- If reps are fast, use short, controlled breaths while keeping your brace.
Medical restrictions
- Acute knee pain, recent knee injury, or post-surgical knee restrictions
- Uncontrolled low back pain, acute disc symptoms, or recent spinal injury
- Acute hip pain or recent hip surgery with restricted squatting range
- Acute ankle injury or severe balance limitations
Description
The Half Squat is a practical lower-body movement that trains the squat pattern while keeping the range of motion shorter than a full squat. This makes it a useful option for beginners learning squat mechanics, for people rebuilding consistency, and for athletes who want to emphasize strong, controlled leg drive in a limited depth. Because the movement is simple and equipment-free, it fits easily into home workouts, warm-ups, conditioning circuits, and strength-focused training blocks. Half squats develop reliable lower-body power that carries over to everyday tasks such as standing up from a chair, climbing stairs, and lifting objects from mid-level positions. The shorter range can also help you accumulate quality repetitions while focusing on posture, alignment, and control, which are key factors for long-term progress. With consistent practice, you can improve leg endurance and reinforce a stable, repeatable squat pattern that supports more advanced training later on. Half squats are also easy to scale. You can slow the tempo for more control, add a brief pause at the bottom, or increase total reps to build work capacity. Whether your goal is general fitness, better movement quality, or stronger legs for sports and daily life, the Half Squat is a straightforward exercise that delivers dependable results when performed consistently.
What are the benefits of doing half squats?
Half squats build lower-body strength and endurance while reinforcing the squat pattern with a shorter range of motion. They are useful for beginners, high-rep conditioning, and improving leg drive for everyday activities and sport.
What is the most common mistake in a half squat?
The most common mistake is letting the knees cave inward or shifting weight onto the toes. Keep your knees tracking with your toes and stay balanced over the mid-foot with controlled depth and tempo.
Are half squats safe for my knees?
Half squats are often tolerated well when done with good alignment and a pain-free range of motion. If you feel sharp pain, swelling, or instability, reduce depth, slow down, and consider professional guidance before continuing.
How is a half squat different from a full squat?
A half squat uses a shorter depth, which can be easier to control and allows higher-quality reps when full depth is not available yet. A full squat uses a deeper range, generally increasing overall difficulty and mobility demands.
How many sets and reps should I do for half squats?
For general fitness, start with 2 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps using strict form and steady tempo. For endurance or conditioning, use 15 to 25 reps per set while keeping technique consistent.
Can I do half squats every day at home?
You can perform half squats frequently if volume and intensity are appropriate and you recover well. Keep some days lighter (fewer reps or slower tempo) and stop if fatigue causes your form to break down.