How to do air squats

Tightens the lower body — the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and inner thighs — in a powerful way, because the range of motion is much deeper than with the typical squat. It also tightens the core, especially the lower abs, and raises the heart rate.

When it comes to how many squats you should do in a day, there’s no magic number — it really depends on your individual goals. If you’re new to doing squats, aim for 3 sets of 12-15 reps of at least one type of squat. Practicing a few days a week is a great place to start.

Next, it’s time to shift your focus to your breath: “Squatting is also hard because it requires you to breathe, relax, and sink lower into the movement with each breath,” Niren tells me. When you squat, you want to grip the bar as hard as possible and pull your elbows under the bar.

However, depending on your goals, squatting to parallel may make more sense. If you’re struggling hitting depth there could be many causes – you could have poor ankle mobility, tight hip flexors and/or hamstrings, weak glutes, or poor pelvic alignment (among many other things).

“People hate squats for the same reason they are a great exercise: they are uncomfortable and hard to do, and cause the body to adapt. … The body is under immediate and constant pressure because it is carrying the weight from setup to racking.”

“Squats are more balanced than lunges and lunges need more coordination which is why squats are better for beginners. When you do a lunge, the front foot takes more load, so the muscle activation is different. As a beginner, start off with squats and progress to lunges when you have confidence in your strength.