The squat – why it remains the foundation of strength, performance, and injury prevention.
The squat isn't just for lifters; it's a performance essential. Learn how proper squat mechanics boost strength, unlock mobility, and reduce injury risk in sport and everyday life.
30 JUNE 2025
Long before gyms or workout apps existed, humans squatted. Whether to cook, rest, lift, hunt, or hide, the squat is a movement hardwired into us. Yet modern lifestyles and poor training habits mean that nowadays many of us struggle to squat properly.
Today the squat isn't just a relic of primal movement; it's one of the most effective ways to support athletic performance and prevent injury. From elite athletes to everyday lifters, mastering the squat pays dividends far beyond the gym floor.
In this article, we'll unpack why the squat is still the foundation of strength, how it benefits your strength, posture, mobility, and injury resilience, and why reclaiming this fundamental movement pattern could be one of the smartest moves you make for your long-term health and performance.
The squat – a forgotten fundamental human movement
In the hierarchy of human movement, the squat ranks as one of seven essential patterns we rely on every day. These patterns – squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull, rotate, and gait – form the foundation of both athletic performance and basic function.
In many ways the squat is the cornerstone of the group. It challenges multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously, testing the entire kinetic chain, requiring coordination, mobility, stability, and strength to perform correctly. At its core, a squat involves lowering the body by flexing the hips, knees, and ankles together, while maintaining a neutral, stable spine and an upright torso. The glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and core muscles all contribute to controlling the descent and powering the return to standing.
Whether simply standing up from a chair, lifting a weight, or jumping for a header, squatting underpins countless daily and athletic tasks. It's this total-body demand that makes the squat an excellent measure of functional capacity - it exposes areas of tightness, weakness, or instability in a way that few other movements can.
The issue is that modern life has made us bad at squatting. Hours spent in chairs, limited ankle mobility from restrictive footwear, and neglect of lower-body training have turned what should be a natural movement into something that feels foreign for many. Foundational movements like the squat are essential for maintaining long-term musculoskeletal health and reducing injury risk [1], not just for athletes, but for anyone hoping to move well as they age.
What muscles do squats work, and why does that matter for performance?
Squats are often hailed as the king of lower-body exercises, and for good reason. No other movement recruits as many muscles while also challenging balance, stability, and coordination to the same extent as the squat [2].
At the heart of the squat are the quadriceps, responsible for extending the knee and controlling both the descent and ascent phases. Working alongside them are the glutes, which drive hip extension, and the hamstrings, which assist with hip and knee control. Supporting muscles like the calves, adductors, and abductors work to stabilise the lower limbs, while the core and erector spinae keep the trunk braced and the spine neutral under load.
This level of full-body integration is essential for developing strength that translates beyond the gym. Squats aren't just about muscle bulk, they train the entire kinetic chain, building neuromuscular coordination, proprioception, and joint stability through compound movement.
For anyone serious about building durable, functional strength, few exercises offer the same return on investment as the squat. Recent research [3] has highlighted how free-weight squats demand greater activation of stabilising muscles and improve synergy between hip, knee, and ankle movements when compared to isolated or machine-based movements. This is a crucial factor in developing transferable and real-world strength.
Why squatting isn't just for strength athletes
It's easy to associate squats with strength athletes piling plates onto a barbell chasing gains power and muscle mass, but the reality is that squatting well benefits just about everyone. Squats are essential because they build strength through multiple joints while demanding balance, mobility, and coordination.
Many non-strength athletes undervalue lower-body training, but the transfer of squat strength reaches far beyond the gym. Runners improve stride efficiency and injury resilience with stronger hips and hamstrings [4]. Team sport players benefit from increased stability and control in multi-directional movements [5].
Everyday tasks like carrying shopping or climbing the stairs also become easier and safer with a stronger lower body. Squatting supports mobility, prevents lower back issues, and helps retain functional independence into later life [1]. Building strength through the squat is one of the simplest ways to future-proof your movement capacity and build a resilient body capable of handling the demands of both sport and everyday living.
How squats improve posture, mobility, and joint health
Squats are often celebrated for their strength-building potential, but their benefits stretch far beyond muscle growth and gym floor bravado.
Improved posture and spinal stability
Squatting isn't just about your legs, it demands a strong and stable trunk to support the spine under load. Each repetition reinforces postural muscles, including the erector spinae and core stabilisers [6], helping counteract the poor postural habits of modern life. Regular squatting encourages better alignment and reduces compensatory movement patterns that often lead to lower back or hip issues.
Enhanced mobility
A well-executed squat takes the hips, knees, and ankles through a full range of motion all while under control. This builds flexibility and dynamic function, allowing joints to move freely under load. Many athletes rely on heel elevation, including products like the Ultraform Lift, which has been shown to improve squat depth and limit the impact of reduced ankle mobility or tightness in the hips [7].
Injury resilience and joint health
Strong, balanced musculature around the hips, knees, and ankles supports against instability, giving better joint tracking and limiting movement asymmetry, both key contributors to common issues like knee pain and lower back strains [8]. By enhancing neuromuscular coordination and promoting balanced muscle recruitment, the squat supports efficiency and control across the kinetic chain, reducing imbalances that predispose people to injury.
Longevity of functional movement
Perhaps most importantly, squatting supports a person's ability to perform essential daily tasks, from getting up off the floor to carrying shopping or playing with kids. Retaining lower-body strength and mobility through squatting supports independence and reduces fall risk in later life [1], making it one of the most functional and effective exercises to future-proof your body against the physical demands of life.
Why every athlete should squat – transfer strength from the gym to the pitch
It's one thing to be strong in the gym, but the value of any exercise lies in how well it translates to real-world movement and athletic performance. Squats are a foundational tool in building the transferable strength and control that athletes need to perform in dynamic and unpredictable environments.
The demands of squatting, combining strength, mobility, coordination, and stability, mirror the multi-joint and full-body actions required in most athletic situations. Whether it's exploding off the line in a sprint, holding balance in a tackle, or landing safely from a jump, athletes regularly rely on the lower body power and control that well-trained squats develop.
Improved lower body power
Squatting improves an athlete's ability to generate force quickly in the lower body, a critical factor in sprint speed, jump height, and change of direction ability [2]. This capacity, often referred to as rate of force development (RFD), is one of the strongest predictors of athletic performance [9].
Neuromuscular coordination
Squats work to develop the prime mover muscles (quads, glutes, and hamstrings) as well as the stabilisers around the hips, knees, and ankles, actively promoting coordination and symmetry between muscles. This is essential for effective multi-directional movement in team sports - cutting, accelerating, and decelerating under control [5], as well as improving movement mechanics and load distribution during repetitive actions like running or cycling [4].
Reduced injury risk
The rapid accelerations, decelerations, and changes in direction that dynamic sport demands place substantial stress on the hips, knees, and ankles. By strengthening the prime movers and stabiliser muscles around these joints, squatting improves an athlete's ability to control and absorb forces under load [3]. This can reduce the risk of injuries such as ACL tears or hamstring strains, particularly when under fatigue, helping athletes stay resilient across a long season.
Squat smarter, not just harder - why squat depth and mechanics matter
Ask any strength coach and they'll tell you – a poorly performed squat can do more harm than good. Effective squatting isn't about the number on the bar, it's about quality of movement, control, and appropriate depth.
Technically sound squats taken through an appropriate depth don't just build strength through the positions athletes need most, they promote mobility, balance, and joint health. Research consistently shows that squatting to a depth where the hips drop below the knees improves muscle activation in the quads and glutes while enhancing joint range of motion [10].
Yet for many, restrictions in ankle or hip mobility prevent them from achieving these positions safely. That's where simple tools like Stonarke's Ultraform Lift can have a huge impact. By elevating the heels athletes can access greater squat depth, maintain a more upright torso, and improve knee and hip tracking to avoid compensatory movement patterns that place strain on the lower back or knees.
Rather than chasing heavier weights, prioritising squat mechanics (and using products that help optimise technique) ensures the movement remains safe, effective, and beneficial in the long run. If your goal is to move well, stay resilient, and build strength that actually transfers to the real world, prioritising quality movement and using the right tools to support it isn't optional, it's essential.
Conclusion – take control of your squat
The squat remains one of the most valuable exercises for building real-world strength, athletic performance, and long-term movement health. But only if it's done well. Whether you're lifting for power, training for sport, or simply looking to move better as a human being, the squat belongs in your plan.
Before your next lower-body session, take a moment to check your form. Are you achieving the depth you need? Is your technique breaking down under load? Prioritising mechanics over numbers will pay off over time in both performance and injury prevention.
Next time we'll explore the squat technique in more detail, discussing how form impacts strength gains and injury prevention.
References
[1] Vecchio, L, Daewoud, H, & Green, S. (2018). The health and performance benefits of the squat, deadlift, and bench press. MOJ Yoga & Physical Therapy, 3(40-47), 105–106.
[2] Stone, M.H, Hornsby, G, et al. (2024). The use of free weight squats in sports: A narrative review - Squatting movements, adaptation, and sports performance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 38(8), 1494–1508.
[3] Charlton, J.M, Hammond, C.A, et al. (2017). The effects of a heel wedge on hip, pelvis, and trunk biomechanics during squatting in resistance-trained individuals. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 31(6), 1678–1687.
[4] Monteiro, P, Marcori, A.J, & Nascimento, V. (2022). Comparing the kinematics of back squats performed with different heel elevations. Human Movement, 23(2), 97–103.
[5] Duan, L, Fekete, G, et al. (2025). The influence of different heel heights on squatting stability: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. Advances in the Biomechanics of Sports, 15(5), 2471.
[6] Pangan, A.M, & Leineweber, M. (2021). Footwear and elevated heel influence on barbell back squat: A review. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 143(9), 090801.
[7] Sriwarno, A.B, Shimomura, Y, & Iwanaga, K. (2008). The effects of heel elevation on postural adjustment and activity of lower-extremity muscles during deep squatting-to-standing movement in normal subjects. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 20(1), 31–38.
[8] Papadakis, Z, Stamatis, A, et al. (2024). Addressing biomechanical errors in the back squat for older adults: A clinical perspective for maintaining neutral spine and knee alignment. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 9(4), 224.
[9] Suchomel, T.J, Nimphius, S, et al. (2016). The importance of muscular strength in athletic performance. Sports Medicine, 46(10), 1419–1449.
[10] Pierce, M. (2023). The effects of heel elevation on back squat performance. The William Paterson University of New Jersey. (Postgraduate thesis).