Dumbbell Squat

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, toes turned out slightly, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Lift your chest, set your shoulders back, and brace your core.
3. Bend your knees and hips together and sit down, keeping your torso as upright as you can.
4. Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes as you descend.
5. Squat until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, keeping your heels flat.
6. Drive through your whole foot to stand back up, pushing your knees out on the way up.
7. Stand fully tall at the top and re-brace before the next rep.

Common Mistakes

• Stopping high: shallow squats skip the range where the glutes and quads do the most work. Lower the weight if needed and sit until your thighs reach at least parallel.
• Knees collapsing inward: letting the knees cave toward each other under fatigue stresses the knee joint. Actively push them out over your toes on every rep.
• Leaning far forward: tipping the chest toward the floor shifts load to the lower back and off the legs. Keep the torso upright and the dumbbells hanging by your sides.
• Rising onto the toes: heels lifting off the floor pushes your balance forward and cheats the depth. Spread your weight across the full foot and drive through mid-foot and heel.