1. Set up the right filming spot

Choose a space with enough room to step back so your whole body stays in frame from feet to head. A hallway, living room, or open garage usually works well. Use natural light or turn on bright front-facing light so your knees, hips, and feet are easy to see.

Place your phone on a stable surface at about hip height for most squat checks. A stack of books, a shelf, or a tripod works. Avoid holding the phone in your hand, since that usually creates shaky footage and a poor angle.

2. Use the best camera angles for squats

Start with a side view. Stand the phone about 6 to 10 feet away so your full body stays visible during the entire rep. This angle helps you check depth, torso lean, bar or dumbbell path if you are using load, and whether your hips rise faster than your shoulders.

Then film one set from the front or slightly front-diagonal. This angle is useful for spotting knee collapse, foot pressure shifts, hip shifting, and asymmetry between sides. If you only have time for one angle, side view is usually the most informative for beginners.

Keep the lens level with your hips or mid-thigh, not pointed sharply upward or downward. An extreme angle can make a squat look deeper or more upright than it really is.

3. Make the video useful before you hit record

Use a consistent stance and do a few warm-up squats before recording. Then perform 3 to 5 reps at a normal pace. If you rush the set, it becomes harder to see what is happening at the bottom and on the way up.

Wear clothing that shows your knee, hip, and ankle position clearly. Loose pants can hide knee tracking, and very dark clothing can make it harder to see whether your heels stay planted.

If your phone supports it, use the rear camera rather than the selfie camera. Rear cameras usually produce better detail and less distortion.

4. Review your squat like a coach would

Watch the clip once at full speed, then again in slow motion if possible. Look for a few key checkpoints: feet stay flat, knees track in line with toes, hips lower under control, chest stays controlled, and the bottom position looks balanced rather than collapsed.

Common mistakes to watch for include heels lifting, knees caving inward, shifting to one side, bouncing out of the bottom, or cutting depth short because of position or control. If your torso folds dramatically, your stance, bracing, or mobility may need work.

Use one change at a time. For example, if your knees cave, do not also change your foot width and stance angle in the same session. Simple comparisons make progress much easier to see.

5. Turn the footage into better reps next time

Pick one correction, repeat the same filming setup, and re-test it in your next session. That makes it much easier to tell whether the cue actually helped. Keep the same camera angle and distance so the comparison is fair.

If you train at home often, it can help to track the same movement over time. Fitnit can analyze squat reps from your phone camera and count them automatically, which makes it easier to review technique without extra equipment.

Tips

• Film from the side first, then from the front if you want a second check.
• Keep the whole body in frame, including feet and knees.
• Use slow motion only after you have a normal-speed clip.
• Match your filming setup each time so you can compare sessions accurately.
• If your form changes a lot when you add weight, film both bodyweight and loaded squats.