How deep is a quarter squat?

About a quarter of the way down to a full squat. Definitions vary, but the knees usually bend somewhere around 40 to 70 degrees, and your thighs stay well above parallel to the floor throughout.

Are quarter squats bad for your knees?

No, not for most people. A shallow squat keeps the knee out of deep bending, where the load behind the kneecap is highest, which is why this depth is common in early knee rehabilitation. Stop and reduce the depth if it causes sharp pain.

Should I hold on to something while I do them?

Holding the back of a sturdy chair or a kitchen counter is a good way to start if your balance is uncertain. Use it for balance only, not to pull yourself up, and let go once the movement feels controlled.

Can quarter squats replace full squats?

Not entirely, because strength gained in a short range carries over mostly to that range. Once quarter squats feel easy and pain-free, work toward more depth with the Bodyweight Box Squat or the Bodyweight Squat.

How many reps should I do?

Start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 slow, controlled reps. When 20 reps feel easy, make it harder with a slower lowering phase, a short pause at the bottom or a little more depth.

Bodyweight Quarter Squat

What Is the Bodyweight Quarter Squat?

Bodyweight Quarter Squat is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and also engages the glutes, adductors and calves. It is a beginner-level movement that uses only the top quarter of the squat: the hips and knees bend a short way, the thighs stay well above parallel, and you stand straight back up.

The short range is the point of the exercise. It trains the legs through the top part of the range used for standing up from a chair, climbing stairs and stepping in and out of a car, while keeping the knees and hips out of deep bending. Because it needs no equipment and little space, it works as a warm-up before deeper squats, as high-repetition leg work, or as a first strength exercise for people who are new to training or returning after time off. In a small 12-week trial, older adults who did home-based shallow squats down to a 60 cm cushion improved their 30-second sit-to-stand and leg press results about as much as a group squatting to a lower chair, although thigh muscle thickness did not change in either group.

With so little knee bend, most of the work falls on the quadriceps. The glutes and hamstrings contribute less than in a deeper squat because the hips flex only a little, and the slight forward lean of the torso asks the lower back muscles to hold a steady position. Slowing the lowering phase, pausing at the bottom or adding more repetitions makes the same depth harder, while lowering further turns the exercise into a Bodyweight Box Squat or a full Bodyweight Squat.

The quarter squat suits beginners, older adults and anyone whose knees or hips do not yet tolerate a deep squat. The main requirement is being able to stand steadily on both feet. If balance is uncertain, holding the back of a sturdy chair or a kitchen counter makes it safe to learn, and the support can be dropped once the movement feels controlled.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Rectus Femoris: Primary
Vastus Lateralis: Primary
Vastus Medialis: Primary
Gluteus Maximus: Medium
Adductor Magnus: Low
Erector Spinae: Low
Gluteus Medius: Low
Soleus: Low
Biceps Femoris: Minimal
Gastrocnemius (Lateral Head): Minimal

Instructions

Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
Place your hands on your hips and look straight ahead.
Brace your midsection lightly and breathe in.
Push your hips back and bend your knees at the same time to start lowering.
Let your chest tilt slightly forward as your hips move back, keeping your back straight.
Stop about a quarter of the way down, with your thighs still well above parallel to the floor.
Keep your knees in line with your toes and your whole foot flat on the floor.
Press through your feet and breathe out as you stand back up.
Finish standing tall without snapping your knees back, then repeat.

Common Mistakes

Knees caving inward
Letting the knees drift toward each other as you lower or stand puts the knee in an unstable position, so keep them pointing the same way as your toes.
Heels lifting
Rising onto the balls of the feet shifts your weight forward onto the knees and costs balance, so keep the whole foot flat on the floor.
Bending only at the knees
Pushing the knees straight forward without sending the hips back loads the front of the knee more and tips your weight onto your toes.
Rounding or arching the back
Letting the chest collapse or the lower back sag takes away the steady, neutral spine the forward lean depends on.
Dropping too deep or too fast
Sinking well past a quarter of the way down or bouncing out of the bottom turns a controlled partial squat into a rushed full one.

Injuries

Bodyweight Quarter Squat is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. There is no external load and the knees bend only a short way, which keeps the stress on the joints modest. In a lab study of 20 healthy young adults, a two-leg squat stopped at 60 degrees of knee bend loaded the joint behind the kneecap with about 2.5 times body weight at its peak, against about 4.5 times for a full-depth squat, placing it in the same low-loading group as walking and most stepping exercises.

The usual strain points are the front of the knee and the lower back. Knee discomfort tends to come from the knees caving inward, the heels lifting or the knees shooting forward without the hips moving back. Back discomfort comes from rounding or overarching the spine. Keeping the knees in line with the toes, the feet flat and the chest steady prevents most of these problems.

To make it easier, reduce the depth or hold the back of a sturdy chair or a counter for balance. To progress, slow the tempo, add a pause at the bottom, or work toward the deeper range of the Bodyweight Box Squat and Bodyweight Squat.

Stop if you feel sharp or pinching pain in the knee, hip or back, if you feel dizzy, or if you lose your balance. Anyone recovering from a recent injury or joint surgery should follow the depth and repetitions their clinician sets.

Overview

Primary Focus: Quads
Equipment: Body weight
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Bodyweight Quarter Squat

The Bodyweight Quarter Squat is also known as:

Mini Squat

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How deep is a quarter squat?: About a quarter of the way down to a full squat. Definitions vary, but the knees usually bend somewhere around 40 to 70 degrees, and your thighs stay well above parallel to the floor throughout.
Q: Are quarter squats bad for your knees?: No, not for most people. A shallow squat keeps the knee out of deep bending, where the load behind the kneecap is highest, which is why this depth is common in early knee rehabilitation. Stop and reduce the depth if it causes sharp pain.
Q: Should I hold on to something while I do them?: Holding the back of a sturdy chair or a kitchen counter is a good way to start if your balance is uncertain. Use it for balance only, not to pull yourself up, and let go once the movement feels controlled.
Q: Can quarter squats replace full squats?: Not entirely, because strength gained in a short range carries over mostly to that range. Once quarter squats feel easy and pain-free, work toward more depth with the Bodyweight Box Squat or the Bodyweight Squat.
Q: How many reps should I do?: Start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 slow, controlled reps. When 20 reps feel easy, make it harder with a slower lowering phase, a short pause at the bottom or a little more depth.