Bodyweight Squat

Muscles worked by the Bodyweight Squat

Primary

GlutesGluteus MaximusQuadsQuadriceps Femoris

Secondary

Lower BackErector SpinaeGlute MediusGluteus MediusHamstringsHamstring Muscles

Also called: glute, glutes, gluteus maximus, buttocks, butt, quad.

Equipment

No equipment — this is a bodyweight exercise.

How to do the Bodyweight Squat

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms extended forward.
2. Sit back and down by bending your hips and knees.
3. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Drive through your heels to return to standing.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Form tips

• Keep your weight spread across your whole foot.
• Track your knees in line with your toes.
• Keep your chest up to avoid rounding the upper back.

At a glance

Bodyweight Squat in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Barbell Back Squat
• Box Squat
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Dumbbell Front Squat
• Dumbbell Split Squat
• Front Squat
• Goblet Squat
• Hack Squat

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "bodyweight-squat",
  "name_en": "Bodyweight Squat",
  "name_de": "Bodyweight Kniebeuge",
  "name_es": "Sentadilla con Peso Corporal",
  "description_en": "A foundational lower-body exercise squatting with body weight only, developing the quadriceps, glutes, and basic movement mechanics.",
  "description_de": "Eine grundlegende Kniebeuge ohne Zusatzgewicht, die Beine und Gesäß kräftigt und das Bewegungsmuster für belastete Varianten schult.",
  "description_es": "Una sentadilla con el propio peso corporal, apta para principiantes, que desarrolla los glúteos y los cuádriceps.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "push",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "beginner",
  "body_part": "upper_legs",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_maximus",
    "quadriceps"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "erector_spinae",
    "gluteus_medius",
    "hamstrings"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "hypertrophy",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "shoulder_safe",
    "lower_back_safe",
    "no_axial_load",
    "knee_safe"
  ],
  "variation_group": "squat",
  "is_unilateral": false,
  "is_bodyweight": true,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms extended forward.",
    "Sit back and down by bending your hips and knees.",
    "Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.",
    "Drive through your heels to return to standing.",
    "Repeat for the desired number of reps."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Steh schulterbreit mit nach vorne gestreckten Armen.",
    "Setz dich zurück und nach unten, indem du Hüften und Knie beugst.",
    "Senke dich, bis die Oberschenkel parallel zum Boden sind.",
    "Drücke durch die Fersen, um wieder aufzustehen.",
    "Wiederhole die gewünschte Anzahl an Wiederholungen."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Colócate de pie con los pies separados al ancho de los hombros y los brazos extendidos al frente.",
    "Siéntate hacia atrás y hacia abajo flexionando caderas y rodillas.",
    "Baja hasta que los muslos queden paralelos al suelo.",
    "Empuja con los talones para volver a la posición de pie.",
    "Repite el número deseado de repeticiones."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Keep your weight spread across your whole foot.",
    "Track your knees in line with your toes.",
    "Keep your chest up to avoid rounding the upper back."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Lass die Knie nicht nach innen kippen.",
    "Halte die Fersen während der gesamten Bewegung am Boden.",
    "Bleib mit dem Oberkörper aufrecht, statt mit der Brust nach vorn zu fallen."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Empuja las rodillas hacia afuera en línea con los pies.",
    "Mantén el pecho erguido y la mirada al frente.",
    "Evita que los talones se despeguen del suelo al bajar."
  ],
  "met": 6.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/bodyweight-squat-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/bodyweight-squat-peak.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "bodyweight-squat");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.