8 Best Squat Variations for Beginners

The squat is considered a fundamental exercise to strengthen, shape and tone the lower body and the core muscles. The old school philosophy is that if you don’t do the back squat, you are not serious about your fitness goals, you will not reach your full potential to build muscle or get stronger, you are not one of the cool (strong) kids at the gym, and so on.

The standard way to squat and the ideal for maximum strength and muscle gains is done with a barbell placed high across the trapezoid muscles or across the mid trapezoids. This is causing the trunk to lean forward in different degrees and the hips to move backwards in different degrees to maintain balance. It depends on which part of the lower body you want to focus on and whether your structure is quad or glute dominant.

Either way, this is not an easy body position for beginners, because it requires good mobility in the ankle, knee, hip and shoulder joints. Additionally, it requires strong core muscles to stabilise the torso. Squatting with sloppy form can lead to serious injuries, so learning to squat with correct form is key.

Common problems and mistakes when doing squats

Most people who can’t squat correctly face the following problems at different parts of the movement, because of poor mobility or because of their body structure:

Their heels pop off the floor, which causes a balance problem and puts excessive stress on the balls of the feet.
Their knees extend too far past their toes, which puts excessive stress on the kneecaps.
They can’t keep their chest up and their back straight. Rounding your back when lifting weights is not the best for the long-term health of your spine.

When you are a beginner, all this can happen and you have to work on your technique and mobility to do squats with perfect form.

The good news is there are many variations of this exercise to choose from, each one with a different goal in mind, to focus on specific muscles, or at different difficulty levels. In this article, we go through a list of the best squat variations for beginners to learn how to squat with perfect form and be able to progress to more challenging variations. You can do most of them at home.

The best squat variations for beginners

1. Stability Ball Wall Squat

You will need a Swiss ball for this one, but the ‘physio’ ball is both affordable and versatile. This is the easiest and safest squat variation for complete beginners, for many reasons:

The stability ball provides support to the lower back, which makes it easier for those with weak core muscles or poor hip mobility.
The feet are in front of the body, which makes it rather unlikely that your knees will extend past your toes.
You can go as low as you can and reverse the movement halfway through. Start with partial squats, working at the top half of the movement, and go lower as you get stronger.
Once you can do a parallel squat, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest to chin level to increase the intensity, or progress to the box squat.
The stability ball wall squat is a great option for older people or for those recovering from an injury.
Bonus points for this exercise because it is a great alternative to the Smith machine squat with the legs slightly in front of the body – unless you want to lift super heavy.

Exercise Ball / Swiss Ball / Physio Ball

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2. Plié Squat

Although inspired by the plié ballet move, this exercise comes with some advantages:

Because the trunk naturally remains upright, it is easier on the lower back. There is minimal to no forward leaning and you don’t need a super strong core to maintain your balance.
Adjusting the width of your stance can prevent your knees from extending past your toes in the bottom position.
Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell between your legs or at chest level as you get stronger, to increase the intensity.

Woman demonstrating the plié squat. — **Plie Squat Bottom Position**

3. Box Squat

For this exercise, you will need a chair, bench, plyometric box or an adjustable height platform. Let’s just call it a box for practical reasons.

The box squat is a good starting point to learn how to do the standard back squat. Naturally, you will drop your hips back and lean your trunk forward to sit back in a smooth, controlled motion. As you would normally do with the free weights back squat.
You can start with your bodyweight and a box at about knee height. If this is too low, begin with a higher box.
The worst that could happen is to sit on the box.

Bodyweight Box Squat — **Box Squat Bottom Position**

4. Air Squat

This is a simple bodyweight free squat.

Most probably, it means that you already have the basic strength and mobility to do a parallel squat.
It is better suited to build endurance with high repetitions, to work on your technique and practice going into a full depth squat.

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5. Elevated Heels Squat

For this exercise, you will need a low platform like a weight plate, board, wedge, or wedge trainers.

Using a wedge helps to prevent your heels from popping off the floor when you squat and “forces” you to power up through the heels to stand up. Start with a higher board, and as your mobility increases, lower the height of the board until you don’t need to elevate your heels at all to squat.
Elevating the heels puts the trunk in a more upright position, which makes it easier on the lower back too.

Elevated Heels Squat — **Squat on non-slip wedges**

Non Slip Squat Wedge and Calf Raise Block

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6. Goblet Squat

After you can do the parallel air squat, the next step is the goblet squat.

With the goblet squat, you hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your body at about chin level. This makes it easier to maintain your balance and sit back in a smooth, controlled motion.
Also, it is easier to keep the knees from caving inwards.

7. Isometric Wall Squat

Although it will not teach you how to do the back squat, let’s focus on what makes it a good exercise for beginners:

With the trunk against the wall, there is no need to stabilise the torso or lean forward.
You can start with a partial squat and progress to a parallel squat as you get stronger. The goal is to hold the position as long as you can. Isometric training builds strength, muscle, and endurance. Try doing a few sets and feel your muscles burning and trembling.

Isometric Hold Wall Squat — **Partial Wall Squat**

8. Smith Machine Squat

The only drawback is that you need a gym subscription or a Smith Machine.

Because the barbell moves smoothly on a vertical plane, there is no effort to maintain your balance.
At any point, you can turn your wrists and ‘lock’ the barbell in place. Additionally, good Smith machines have stops that limit the range of motion (ROM) adding extra safety. Sounds pretty safe.

Now take action and do squats

Start experimenting with the different variations, starting with the easiest for your fitness level and progressively increasing the difficulty. Naturally, when you begin exercising, your mobility and flexibility increases to some degree. If your body doesn’t seem to adapt easily, you will also have to work on your mobility.

We are all built differently and listening to our body is crucial. No matter if the squat is considered a fundamental exercise, or some expert tells you that the x, y, z variation (of any exercise) is the best, if an exercise causes pain while you do it, change it. Try adjusting your body position, and if this doesn’t fix it, then stop it. There are many alternatives and you have to pick the best for your body structure. You can always go back and try again as your fitness level and experience increases.

Some of the exercises above can also be used as workarounds when recovering from injuries, when getting back on track after a long break from your normal routine, when you are travelling, or just because you love them.