How to Perform the Perfect Squat: 10 Cues That Work

The back squat is arguably the most demanding exercise in the weight room. It requires hip mobility, ankle mobility, thoracic extension, core stability, and full-body coordination — all at once, under a heavy barbell. Most people can squat adequately with basic coaching. Squatting well, with consistent depth, a neutral spine, and efficient bar path, takes deliberate practice and the right cues.

The 10 cues in this guide address the most common technique breakdowns in sequence from setup to lockout. You do not need to think about all 10 at once — identify your weakest point and focus there.

Cue 1: "Big chest before you unrack"

Upper back tension is the foundation of a safe squat. Before you unrack the bar, drive your chest upward by retracting and depressing your shoulder blades, creating a muscular shelf for the bar to sit on.

A caved upper back under load causes the torso to fold forward during the descent, shifting the squat into a good morning and placing excessive load on the lower back. Start every set by building full upper back tension before the bar leaves the hooks.

Cue 2: "Crack a walnut with your elbows"

Driving the elbows down and slightly forward (rather than letting them flare behind you) activates the lats and creates a rigid torso. This is the upper back brace cue. Think about trying to crack a walnut in your elbow pit by driving the elbows into your lats.

Cue 3: "Screw your feet into the floor"

Before descending, create external rotation torque by attempting to rotate your feet outward against the floor (without actually moving them). This activates the glutes, creates knee tracking alignment, and increases hip stability throughout the descent.

Cue 4: "Hips back and down, not just down"

The squat is not a knee bend. Initiating the descent by pushing the hips back while simultaneously bending the knees distributes the load across the entire posterior chain rather than loading the knees exclusively. Think about sitting back slightly while descending, not sitting straight down.

Cue 5: "Knees over toes"

Allowing the knees to track in line with the toes throughout the descent and ascent is essential. Knee valgus (caving inward) is a sign of insufficient hip abductor strength or external rotation torque. Use the "screw your feet into the floor" cue to prevent valgus collapse.

Contrary to old advice, the knees can and should travel forward over the toes — especially in a high-bar or front squat. Forcing the knees back is not safer; it simply shifts load to the hips and back.

Cue 6: "Reach depth — crease below the knee cap"

Full squat depth requires the hip crease to drop below the top of the knee. This is the parallel standard that provides the full range of motion for quad, hamstring, and glute development. Partial squats bias the quads but underload the glutes and hamstrings.

If you cannot reach depth, address ankle and hip mobility before increasing squat weight.

Cue 7: "Maintain your chest angle out of the hole"

The most common squat breakdown is forward torso lean as you drive out of the bottom. The hips rise faster than the shoulders, converting the squat into a good morning. The cue is to maintain the same chest-up angle you had at the bottom as you begin the ascent — hips and shoulders should rise at the same rate.

Cue 8: "Drive your back into the bar"

On the ascent, actively drive your upper back into the bar (not away from it). This reinforces the lat tension established in the setup and prevents the torso from collapsing forward under heavy load.

Cue 9: "Push the floor away"

A simple force cue for the concentric: instead of thinking about standing up, think about pushing the floor away from you. This cue produces a more aggressive leg drive in most lifters and keeps the force vector appropriate.

Cue 10: "Lock out fully"

Complete each rep with full hip and knee extension at the top. Partial lockouts are common when lifting near maximum effort, but they leave the glutes and quads incompletely trained and can accumulate fatigue in the knees over time.

Addressing Common Squat Problems

**Butt wink at the bottom:** Posterior pelvic tilt at the bottom of the squat is primarily caused by limited hip flexion mobility or overly narrow stance. Try widening the stance and turning the toes out more before assuming the problem is spinal flexibility.

**Heels rising:** A sign of limited ankle dorsiflexion mobility. Try elevating the heels on weight plates or wear squat shoes with a raised heel. Work on ankle mobility over time.

**Knee caving during heavy sets:** Often a strength-endurance limitation in the hip abductors. Add lateral band walks and clamshells as warm-up work before squatting.

Programming the Squat

For most intermediate lifters, the back squat should be trained 2x per week — once as the primary strength movement (3–5 rep range) and once at moderate intensity for volume (4–5 sets of 6–10 reps). Beginners can squat 3x per week in a full-body program.

For a structured strength program built around the squat, see [the 5/3/1 program guide](/blog/5-3-1-program-guide).

Frequently Asked Questions

**Is it safe to squat with lower back pain?** It depends on the source of the pain. Most lower back discomfort during squatting traces back to technique issues (torso collapse, insufficient bracing) rather than the exercise itself. Work with a coach or physiotherapist to identify the cause before loading aggressively.

**High bar vs low bar squat — which is better?** Neither is objectively better. High bar squats require more ankle and hip mobility, produce a more upright torso, and emphasise the quads slightly more. Low bar squats allow more weight due to a shorter moment arm but require more hip mobility and thoracic extension. Both build muscle and strength effectively — choose based on comfort and goals.

**How deep should I squat?** The minimum effective depth for full lower body development is parallel (hip crease level with the top of the knee). Below parallel (ass to grass) is achievable for those with sufficient mobility and adds a small amount of additional glute activation at the bottom, but is not necessary for most training goals.