Exercise Guide

Banded Squat

A bodyweight squat with a band above the knees. The band punishes the knees caving in, which is exactly the fault most people squat with.

BeginnerStrengthPushCompound
Form
Banded Squat - Start position
Start
Banded Squat - Mid position
Mid
Banded Squat - End position
End

Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Details

Primary Muscle

Quads

Equipment

Bands

Difficulty

Beginner

Category

Strength

Force

Push

Mechanic

Compound

Secondary Muscles

GlutesHamstringsCore
How to Perform
  1. 1

    Loop a band above your knees and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

  2. 2

    Press your knees out against the band to set your stance.

  3. 3

    Squat down until your thighs are at least parallel, keeping the knees pressed out.

  4. 4

    Drive back up without letting them collapse inward.

Tips
  • ★The band is feedback, not load - if it is dragging your knees in, use a lighter one.
  • ★A useful warm-up before heavy squatting for the same reason.
Explore by Muscle
QuadsGlutesHamstringsCore