Chair Squats
BWBodyweightStrength
Chair Squats are a bodyweight exercise where you stand in front of a chair, lower your hips as if sitting down without fully contacting the seat, then drive back up to standing, primarily building lower body strength and improving squat mechanics for beginners. They target the quads as the main muscles, with secondary engagement of the glutes and posterior thighs (hamstrings). Ideal for novices, seniors, or those rehabbing injuries, this accessible move requires only a sturdy chair and enhances mobility and balance with minimal equipment.
How to Perform Chair Squats
- 1Stand in front of a sturdy chair with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out, arms extended forward for balance.
- 2Engage your core and keep chest up, gaze forward.
- 3Inhale as you bend knees and hips to lower your body toward the chair, pushing hips back like sitting down.
- 4Lightly tap glutes on the chair seat without fully sitting or resting weight.
- 5Exhale as you drive through heels to stand up, fully extending hips and knees at the top.
- 6Repeat for desired reps, maintaining control throughout.
- 7Key form tips: Keep knees tracking over toes, avoid rounding back, use arms for counterbalance; common mistakes: squatting too low beyond chair touch or letting knees cave inward.