Deep Squat Hold
The deep squat hold is a mobility exercise where you stay in the bottom position of a squat with the heels flat, to build range in the ankles, hips and adductors.
ADDUCTORS · ABDUCTORS · LOWER BODY
How it is executed
- Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder width and your toes turned slightly out.
- Sit your hips straight down into the deepest squat you can control, keeping your heels flat and your chest tall.
- Use your elbows to gently push your knees outward, opening through the hips and ankles while you hold the bottom position.
- Breathe deeply and stay relaxed, letting your body settle into the stretch through the adductors, hips, and ankles.
- Primary muscle
- AdductorsAbductors
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Movement pattern
- Lower body
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- What it is for
- StrengthStability
Common mistakes
- Letting the heels lift off the floor. Without the heels down the ankle stops working through its range and the weight shifts to the toes, which is the opposite of what the exercise is for. Put a plate under the heels if needed and reduce the height over the weeks.
- Rounding the back completely to get lower. The extra depth comes from the spine, not the hips, and the chest ends up facing the floor. Keep the chest tall and only go as low as the back stays long.
- Holding your breath through the whole hold. With the air trapped the body tenses and the hips will not open. Breathe deep and slow, and use each exhale to push the knees a little further out with the elbows.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should you hold the deep squat?
- A common starting point is 30 to 60 seconds per set, two or three times, breathing deeply and letting the body settle. It accumulates over time: many coaches build up to a couple of total minutes in the warm-up before squats or deadlifts. If the heels lift or the back rounds completely, shorten the hold and repeat more often.
- What should you do if your heels lift in the deep squat?
- Heels that lift point to limited ankle or hip range, which is exactly what the exercise trains. Put a small plate or wedge under the heels so you can hold the position, and reduce the height over the weeks. Widening the stance and turning the toes out slightly also helps. Holding onto a rack lets you sink down without falling backward.
- Which muscles does the deep squat hold stretch and which does it work?
- It stretches the adductors, glutes, the posterior hip and the calves through ankle dorsiflexion. At the same time, the quads, glutes and abs work isometrically to hold the position with the chest tall. Pushing the knees out with the elbows engages the hip rotators, which is what opens up the range.
- When in the session should you do the deep squat hold?
- It works best in the warm-up of a leg day, right before the squat warm-up sets, because it prepares the range the loaded squat will use. It also serves as active rest between sets or at the end of the session for relaxed mobility work. Holding a light load in front, goblet style, makes balance easier.
