Wide Air Squat

Master the wide air squat to strengthen your glutes, inner thighs, and quads. This bodyweight exercise improves lower body stability and mobility with a

IntermediateHips Body weight

Movement: Compound
Force: Push
Per set: 45s
Rest: 1 min

Get Ellim — Free

Free · iPhone only · Available on the App Store

Variations of Wide Air Squat

Compound

Side to Wide Squat

Hips · Body weight

Intermediate

Compound

Sumo Air Squat

Hips · Body weight

Intermediate

Description

A squat exercise performed with a wide stance and no weights, focusing on lower body strength.

Save Wide Air Squat to a routine

Log sets, reps, and weight as you train — free in the Ellim app.

Get Ellim — Free

How to do Wide Air Squat

01
Setup
Stand with your feet significantly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointed out slightly between 15-30 degrees.
02
Setup
Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and engage your core, maintaining a neutral spine throughout your torso.
03
Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, as if sitting into a low chair behind you.
04
Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as deep as your mobility allows, ensuring your knees track directly in line with your toes.
05
Drive through your heels and the outer edges of your feet to return to the starting standing position, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Tips

Focus on pushing your knees outward throughout the entire movement to activate your glutes and inner thighs more effectively and prevent knee collapse.
Maintain a proud chest and avoid rounding your back by keeping your gaze forward and slightly upward, maintaining a neutral neck position.
To maximize glute activation, consciously squeeze your glutes at the peak of the movement, but avoid hyperextending your lower back by stopping at a neutral upright position.
Control your descent and avoid letting gravity drop you too quickly; a slower, controlled negative phase enhances muscle engagement and improves stability.

Common mistakes

Knees caving inward: Actively push your knees out, aligning them over your second and third toes to engage the glutes and protect the knee joint.
Rounding the back: Keep your chest lifted and core braced throughout the squat to maintain a neutral spine and prevent lower back strain.
Not going deep enough: Work on hip and ankle mobility to achieve at least parallel depth, ensuring full range of motion and optimal muscle engagement.

In the Ellim app, Wide Air Squat unlocks

Free — no subscription needed

Log sets, reps, and weight
Track every set as you train
See your strength curve
Performance graphs across all sessions
Add to a routine
Save into a custom workout in one tap
Rest timer with Live Activity
Dynamic Island countdown between sets
HealthKit sync
Workouts flow to Apple Health
3,500+ exercise library
Search, filter, and pick variations offline

Ready to train wide air squat?

Get Ellim — Free

Questions

Is Wide Air Squat good for beginners?

Wide Air Squat is rated intermediate. Beginners can still attempt it with lighter weight and careful form, but it's best to master easier variations first.

What equipment do I need for Wide Air Squat?

You need Body weight to perform Wide Air Squat. If you don't have this equipment, look for variations that target the same muscles with what you have available.

What are the best tips for Wide Air Squat?

Focus on pushing your knees outward throughout the entire movement to activate your glutes and inner thighs more effectively and prevent knee collapse. Maintain a proud chest and avoid rounding your back by keeping your gaze forward and slightly upward, maintaining a neutral neck position. To maximize glute activation, consciously squeeze your glutes at the peak of the movement, but avoid hyperextending your lower back by stopping at a neutral upright position. Control your descent and avoid letting gravity drop you too quickly; a slower, controlled negative phase enhances muscle engagement and improves stability.

What are common mistakes when doing Wide Air Squat?

Knees caving inward: Actively push your knees out, aligning them over your second and third toes to engage the glutes and protect the knee joint. Rounding the back: Keep your chest lifted and core braced throughout the squat to maintain a neutral spine and prevent lower back strain. Not going deep enough: Work on hip and ankle mobility to achieve at least parallel depth, ensuring full range of motion and optimal muscle engagement.