Common Form Mistakes In Squats (And How To Actually Fix Them)

Knees caving inward

Usually a sign of weak hip abductor and glute muscles not controlling the knee position properly. Consciously pushing the knees outward in line with your toes, and adding banded lateral walks to your warm-up, helps address this directly.

Heels lifting off the ground

Often comes down to limited ankle mobility, which forces the body to compensate by shifting weight forward onto the toes. Ankle mobility drills, or elevated-heel shoes/small plates under the heels, can help while mobility improves.

Excessive lower back rounding at the bottom

Frequently a sign of squatting deeper than current hip mobility allows, or insufficient core bracing. Reducing depth slightly while working on hip mobility, and actively bracing the core before descending, both help.

Leaning too far forward

Can indicate weak quads relative to hips, or a bar path issue. Front squats (which naturally encourage a more upright torso) can help retrain the movement pattern alongside targeted quad strengthening.