SIGN IN
3 common squat mistakes (and how to fix them)
Squats are often called the king of all exercises - for good reason. They’re a full-body movement that builds strength, improves mobility, and fires up the nervous system like almost nothing else. But because they’re so powerful, they’re also easy to get wrong.
Here are three of the most common squat mistakes we see, why they happen, and exactly how to fix them.
1. Not Getting Low Enough
The magic of the squat happens when your glutes at least reach knee level - and ideally a little deeper (a position often called “below parallel”). If your range of motion stops short, you’re missing out on the full recruitment of your posterior chain - especially your glutes and hamstrings.
Why does this happen? For most people, it comes down to either ego (lifting too heavy) or lack of mobility. If your hips or ankles are tight, or if your body isn’t used to accessing a deep squat, you’ll unconsciously stop where it feels "safe"- but this cheats your body out of the benefits.
Fix it:
Drop the weight. Train your body to hit proper depth with control, not load. Think of it like this: a lighter, deeper squat is more effective (and safer) than a heavy half-rep. If mobility is an issue, spend time daily on deep squat holds, ankle mobility drills, and opening up the hips. Consistency here pays off in strength gains later.
2. Knees Falling In
A telltale sign of an unstable squat: your knees cave inward as you rise. This is called knee valgus, and it usually signals a problem with hip mobility and glute activation, especially in the abductors - the muscles that pull your legs out to the side.
When the hips don’t move well, or the outer glutes are weak, your knees naturally drift inward to compensate. Over time, this puts unnecessary stress on the knees and increases your risk of injury.
Fix it:
Start by improving hip mobility with movements like the 90/90 hip flow (See our Squat Video for what we mean) a simple but effective drill that wakes up the deep stabilisers of the hip joint. Then build strength in the glute medius and surrounding muscles with abductor-focused exercises - think banded lateral walks, clamshells, and single-leg glute bridges. The goal is to teach your knees to track in line with your toes every single rep.
3. One Hip Drops Lower Than the Other
If you notice that one side of your pelvis drops lower during a squat, or your hips shift to one side as you descend, chances are you’ve got a muscle imbalance between your legs. This isn’t uncommon - most of us are naturally stronger on one side. But left unchecked, it can lead to inefficient movement patterns and overuse injuries.
Fix it:
Incorporate unilateral training into your routine, especially split squats and Bulgarian split squats. Start with your weaker leg, perform as many controlled reps as possible, and then match that number on your stronger side (even if you could do more). This should make the weaker side stronger and maintain the strength of the stronger leg, so that they eventually even out.
Creating equal strength across the body is important for injury prevention so worth doing if you notice them. And as for your squat, equalising strength and control on both sides will also make it smoother, safer, and stronger.
So, ready to fix your lift?
If you're squatting regularly but not seeing the results you want - or worse, you're feeling niggles or pain - we hope that these small adjustments can help. Fixing your squat isn't just about looking better in the gym; it's about moving better for life.
At ATTIKA, we believe in building strong, resilient bodies with thoughtful movement and proper technique. If you're unsure where to start, we’re always here to help you get back to the basics and move with confidence.
Squats are often called the king of all exercises - for good reason. They’re a full-body movement that builds strength, improves mobility, and fires up the nervous system like almost nothing else. But because they’re so powerful, they’re also easy to get wrong.
Here are three of the most common squat mistakes we see, why they happen, and exactly how to fix them.
1. Not Getting Low Enough
The magic of the squat happens when your glutes at least reach knee level - and ideally a little deeper (a position often called “below parallel”). If your range of motion stops short, you’re missing out on the full recruitment of your posterior chain - especially your glutes and hamstrings.
Why does this happen? For most people, it comes down to either ego (lifting too heavy) or lack of mobility. If your hips or ankles are tight, or if your body isn’t used to accessing a deep squat, you’ll unconsciously stop where it feels "safe"- but this cheats your body out of the benefits.
Fix it:
Drop the weight. Train your body to hit proper depth with control, not load. Think of it like this: a lighter, deeper squat is more effective (and safer) than a heavy half-rep. If mobility is an issue, spend time daily on deep squat holds, ankle mobility drills, and opening up the hips. Consistency here pays off in strength gains later.
2. Knees Falling In
A telltale sign of an unstable squat: your knees cave inward as you rise. This is called knee valgus, and it usually signals a problem with hip mobility and glute activation, especially in the abductors - the muscles that pull your legs out to the side.
When the hips don’t move well, or the outer glutes are weak, your knees naturally drift inward to compensate. Over time, this puts unnecessary stress on the knees and increases your risk of injury.
Fix it:
Start by improving hip mobility with movements like the 90/90 hip flow (See our Squat Video for what we mean) a simple but effective drill that wakes up the deep stabilisers of the hip joint. Then build strength in the glute medius and surrounding muscles with abductor-focused exercises - think banded lateral walks, clamshells, and single-leg glute bridges. The goal is to teach your knees to track in line with your toes every single rep.
3. One Hip Drops Lower Than the Other
If you notice that one side of your pelvis drops lower during a squat, or your hips shift to one side as you descend, chances are you’ve got a muscle imbalance between your legs. This isn’t uncommon - most of us are naturally stronger on one side. But left unchecked, it can lead to inefficient movement patterns and overuse injuries.
Fix it:
Incorporate unilateral training into your routine, especially split squats and Bulgarian split squats. Start with your weaker leg, perform as many controlled reps as possible, and then match that number on your stronger side (even if you could do more). This should make the weaker side stronger and maintain the strength of the stronger leg, so that they eventually even out.
Creating equal strength across the body is important for injury prevention so worth doing if you notice them. And as for your squat, equalising strength and control on both sides will also make it smoother, safer, and stronger.
So, ready to fix your lift?
If you're squatting regularly but not seeing the results you want - or worse, you're feeling niggles or pain - we hope that these small adjustments can help. Fixing your squat isn't just about looking better in the gym; it's about moving better for life.
At ATTIKA, we believe in building strong, resilient bodies with thoughtful movement and proper technique. If you're unsure where to start, we’re always here to help you get back to the basics and move with confidence.
