5 Best Ways to Do Squats At Home Without Weights

Squats are the fundamental workout for your lower body. They strengthen your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, abdominals, and calves.

There are many different types of squats but today we are going to focus on how to do squats at home without weights.

Benefits of Squats

Squats are an extremely versatile workout training for your legs and all your lower body.

They are so simple to perform, perfect for at-home fitness enthusiasts, making them the equivalent of pushups for your legs and lower body. 

Doing squats will help you achieve those perfect toned glutes and thighs you’ve been wanting. Plus, if you add weights, you’ll get the best way to strengthen your legs and core. 

Here are all of the benefits of doing squats:

• Non-weight squats are the total workout for toning your lower body. They engage the following muscles: the three parts of the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, adductor, hip flexors, and calves. 
• They are ideal for improving your athletic performance. You can combine this workout with any type of training for better results. 
• Squats are simple to perform and are excellent for beginners.
• They will straighten your core.
• Depending on the form, squats can also target muscles of your upper body, making it a highly-versatile workout.
• Squats can help you reduce the chance of injuries. They will strengthen your tendons and give you proper form, which is fundamental for more advanced workouts. 
• They are a good way of burning calories. 
• You can do squats anywhere you want.
• There are so many ways of doing squats that you won’t have to repeat the same workout every day. This is great if you tend to lose motivation for fitness because of the monotony and routine.

If done right, squats can also improve your bones’ health and increase your lower body’s mobility. 

Difference Between Bodyweight Squats and Weighted Squats

Both types of squats will target the same muscles and will give you toned legs and glutes. However, there’s the main difference in their purpose.

Squats with weight will help you increase your muscles’ size, while bodyweight (or non-weighted) squats will help you strengthen your lower body. 

Squats without weight won’t put on as much stress on your body as squats with weight, so they are better for beginners. Another difference is that squats with weights are riskier than those without weights. The use of weights increases the possibility of injuries if not done correctly. 

How to Do a Proper Squat Without Weights

The fundamental aspect of every workout is the form.

If you don’t use the correct form, you risk an injury that could put your health in danger. That’s why knowing how to perform a proper workout is so important. 

Here are the steps to follow to achieve a proper squat without weights position: 

1. Stand firmly on the ground. The distance between your feet should be slightly wider than that of the shoulders. Keep the feet parallel. 
2. Your head should be looking straight ahead, and you should stand tall. 
3. Go down. Do not put tension on your knees. Instead, pretend you are sitting on an imaginary chair. Remember only to go down as much as you possibly can and not an inch more. It will help you get better results. 
4. Make sure your knees are not bent in as you go down. Place them directly above your feet. 
5. Do not hunch your back. Keep your head looking straight ahead and relax the shoulders. 
6. Do not lift your heels off the ground. If you do, you won’t engage the right muscles, and you’ll put additional stress on your joints and tendons.
7. Hold in there and then go back to the start position. 
8. Remember to inhale as you go down and to exhale as you go up. 

Tips for Safety

Every workout presents a different set of safety tips, and squats are no exception. Here’s everything to keep in mind for a better workout experience: 

• How low is too low? The answer is to go as low as you feel comfortable with. If you start feeling pain or tension in your body, stop.
• Pay attention to your stance: A correct posture and base will make squats a lot more efficient and safer. 
• Keep your eyes looking forward: It is an excellent way of making sure your neck is in the correct form. 
• Posture is vital: Squats are supposed to put tension over your legs and heels, not on your back or knees. If you feel stress over your back or knees, it means you are not doing them correctly. 
• Engage your core: You must remember to t engage your core in every exercise. So, engage your core in every workout, and you’ll notice better results. 

5 Ways to Squat Without Weights

1. Bodyweight Standard Squats

This is the basic squat. It uses your weight to engage the most muscles possible. It will give you the best athletic and aesthetic benefits you can imagine if you do it right. 

Here’s what you have to do: 

1. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Your arms should be resting down your side.
2. Keep your chest facing up and your neck in a neutral position. 
3. Proceed to bend your knees as you push your hips back. Think about a sitting position. Raise your arms as you go down, keep them parallel to the floor. 
4. Hold there for a second and then go back up.
5. Repeat. 

2. Sumo Squats

Sumo squats are another excellent option for home squats without weights. They engage the adductors, which will help you increase your lower body flexibility. It is the best squat variation for your inner thighs, and it still offers the same benefits as regular squats. 

Follow these steps to perform a correct sumo squat:

1. Start by placing your feet wider than hip-width apart. Turn your feet out to rotate your hips. 
2. Clasp your hands at your chest. 
3. Push your hips back as if you were sitting. 
4. Time to go down. Remember that the knees should be right above the feet. 
5. Keep your back straight. You should not feel the tension on your back or knees. 
6. Make sure you are engaging your inner thighs as you push through your heels. 

Sumo squats are also excellent for prenatal workouts. Many experts recommend them to help reduce pain during the last trimester.  

Note: You can perform this particular squat variation with or without weights. But make sure you are ready to add weights to your routine.

3. Curtsy Squat

This is a more advanced squat variation that will engage all the muscles of your legs. It works like a lunge but focuses on engaging more muscles of the lower body.

Here’s what you need to do to perform a proper curtsy squat: 

1. Start by standing up with your arms facing out.
2. Lower your body, but as you go down, pick one foot off the floor. Cross that foot behind the other leg. 
3. Maintain your arms facing out.
4. Go down until your hips are in a regular squat position.
5. Raise to the starting position and repeat. 

4. Pulse Squats

This type of squat is perfect for glutes, adductors, quads, and calves. Pulse squats use your body weight to apply tension on the muscles, and that way, engage your lower body. 

Here’s what you have to do:

1. Start with your feet hip-width apart. 
2. Stretch your arms out in front of you.
3. Perform a regular squat, but once you are as down as you can, start pulsing a few inches up and down. The movement will engage your muscles and burn more calories.
4. Go back up and repeat. 

5. Jump Squats

Jump squats are perfect for engaging your lower body muscles and burning calories effectively and in a fun way. They are simple to perform, and they are a great way to warm up before training for Crossfit or martial arts. 

Follow these steps to perform a proper jump squat: 

1. Place your feet hip-width apart.
2. Push your buttocks back as you go down. Stop once your thighs are parallel to the floor. 
3. Proceed to press your feet down before jumping. Then, jump as high as possible.
4. Allow the knees to bend up to 45° degrees as you land on the ground. 
5. As soon as you land, go down again and repeat. 

Conclusion

Squats are some of the most versatile workouts you can practice to strengthen your lower body.

They will engage the most muscles possible, and many experts consider them alongside pushups and pullups as the fundamentals of fitness. 

If you want to perform squats at home, then bodyweight squats will be your go-to option.

You can do sumo squats, standard squats, jump squats, curtsy squats, or pulse squats. Each one will give you excellent results if done correctly, and you can alternate between them to make your routine more enjoyable.

Overall, squats without weights are perfect for beginners and are simple to perform. Try them and be constant, and you’ll notice results in no time.