1. Set up a simple home squat check

Place your phone on a stable surface and film from two angles: one from the side and one from the front. The side view helps you check depth, torso angle, and back position. The front view helps you check knee tracking and weight shift.

Stand a few feet back so your whole body stays in frame from feet to head. Use good lighting, wear fitted clothes, and do 3 to 5 slow bodyweight squats first. If you have a chair or box, place it behind you as a depth target, but do not sit fully unless you are using it as a light touch point.

2. Check the key positions on every rep

Start by looking at your stance. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, with toes turned out a little if that feels natural. Before you descend, brace your core, keep your chest tall, and set your weight through the middle of the foot and heel rather than the toes.

As you squat, watch whether your knees track in line with your toes instead of caving inward. At the bottom, your heels should stay down, your back should stay neutral, and your torso should lean forward only as much as your body shape requires. Stand up by pushing the floor away and keeping the same foot pressure on the way up.

3. Use a quick video checklist to judge form

In the side video, pause at the bottom and ask: Is my back rounding? Are my heels lifting? Am I sinking so low that my pelvis tucks under hard? A small forward lean is normal, especially in deeper squats, but you should still look controlled and balanced.

In the front video, pause and ask: Are my knees moving inward? Is one hip dropping more than the other? Does my weight shift to one foot? If you notice asymmetry, slow the rep down and shorten the range until you can keep both sides even.

If you want an easy at-home second opinion, an AI form checker like Fitnit can flag common errors while also counting reps, which is useful when you are practicing alone.

4. Fix the most common squat mistakes

If your heels lift, try widening your stance slightly and reducing depth until you can keep the whole foot planted. If your knees cave inward, think about gently pushing them out in line with your toes and slowing the lowering phase.

If your lower back rounds, stop at a higher depth and focus on bracing before you descend. If you are tipping too far forward, check that your hips are moving back at the same time your knees bend, not after them. If you feel pain, especially in the knees, hips, or lower back, stop and reassess rather than pushing through.

Tips

• Film one set from the side and one from the front before changing anything.
• Use a chair as a depth guide if you are learning, but do not collapse onto it.
• Squat slowly at first so you can see mistakes clearly in the video.
• Keep your whole foot on the floor and avoid rocking onto the toes.
• If a rep looks different from side to side, shorten the range and rebuild control.