Wide Air Squat
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Body part
- Hips
- Type
- Strength
The wide air squat is a bodyweight squat variation performed with a wider-than-shoulder-width stance that places greater emphasis on the hips and inner thighs compared to a standard air squat. It requires no equipment, making it accessible anywhere, and suits beginners learning squat mechanics as well as anyone looking to add hip-focused volume to a training session.
How to do the Wide Air Squat
- 1Stand with your feet set wider than shoulder-width apart and toes turned out 30–45 degrees.
- 2Stand tall with your chest up, shoulders back, and arms extended in front of you at chest height for balance.
- 3Brace your core and begin to lower yourself by pushing your knees out in line with your toes while sending your hips back and down.
- 4Descend until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, keeping your chest upright and your heels flat on the ground.
- 5Pause briefly at the bottom without collapsing your knees inward or rounding your lower back.
- 6Drive through your entire foot to press the floor away, extending your hips and knees simultaneously as you rise.
- 7Stand fully upright at the top, squeezing your glutes, before beginning the next rep.
Form tips
- Track your knees over your second and third toes throughout the movement — they should never cave inward on the way down or the way up.
- Keep your torso as upright as possible; a forward lean is often a sign that hip flexibility needs work or your stance is too narrow.
- Point your toes out at an angle that feels natural for your hips — forcing too much external rotation will stress your knees.
- Use your arms as a counterbalance by extending them forward; this helps you stay upright and control your descent.
Common mistakes
- Letting the knees cave inward at the bottom or on the way up, which places harmful stress on the knee joints and reduces hip engagement.
- Rising onto the toes during the descent, which shifts weight forward and destabilizes the squat — keep your heels planted throughout.
- Rounding the lower back at the bottom of the rep, which compresses the lumbar spine; maintain a neutral spine by keeping your chest up.
- Not reaching parallel depth, which limits the range of motion and reduces the stimulus to the hips and surrounding musculature.
- Dropping into the squat too quickly without control, which takes tension off the muscles and increases injury risk — lower with a deliberate tempo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a wide air squat and a regular air squat?
The main difference is stance width. A wide air squat places your feet outside shoulder-width with toes angled out, which shifts more of the work onto the hips and inner thighs. A standard air squat uses a narrower, more forward-facing stance and distributes the load more evenly through the quads.
How wide should my feet be for a wide air squat?
Start with your feet roughly 1.5 times shoulder-width apart and toes turned out about 30–45 degrees. Adjust based on what allows you to reach parallel depth comfortably without your heels lifting or your knees caving.
Is the wide air squat good for beginners?
Yes. Because it requires no equipment and the wide stance can make it easier to reach depth for people with limited ankle mobility, it is a practical starting point for learning squat mechanics. Focus on controlled movement and full range of motion before adding volume.
How many reps should I do?
For general strength and conditioning, sets of 10–20 reps work well. Since this is a bodyweight exercise, higher rep ranges are common when using it for endurance or as part of a warm-up. Adjust volume based on your training goals.
Can the wide air squat replace the sumo squat?
They are similar movements and the wide air squat is essentially the bodyweight version of a sumo squat. If you have access to a barbell or dumbbell, loading the sumo pattern will produce greater strength adaptations over time; the wide air squat is ideal when training without equipment or as a warm-up movement.
