Teaching a beginner how to squat well can be challenging. There are many moving parts that can derail our best efforts. I won’t attempt a full breakdown here; for a comprehensive guide, check Greg Nuckols’ How to Squat: The Definitive Guide.
Today I want to highlight a few practical points when working with beginners on their squatting technique.
First, “beginners” can be anyone—from a 13-year-old never lifted a weight to a 57-year-old returning after years away, and everyone in between. And this includes all genders and athletic backgrounds.
The squat is a basic human movement. Yet many people don’t move much in daily life, and even those who train may not squat through a good range of motion. The idea that “if you don’t use it, you lose it” applies. That doesn’t mean everyone must squat deeply, or that depth equals improvement. Everyone is different in leverages and body proportions, so there’s no universal depth requirement.
As a coach, when I work with a beginner or someone coming off an injury, I focus on teaching a solid squat pattern first—not loading with a barbell on day one.
Why? Because many lack the thoracic spine extension and shoulder mobility to hold a back-squat position without it feeling off. Many also lack the kinesthetic awareness to sit back and down like a proper squat. There’s no rule that you have to load immediately. The goal is correct position.
That emphasis on position is a game changer. Many people sit in a state of excessive extension with the pelvis tilting forward—an anterior pelvic tilt. APT isn’t inherently bad; it’s normal in small amounts. But when excessive, it strains the spine and disrupts diaphragm and pelvic-floor alignment.
In Postural Restoration Institute circles this is known as the “Scissor” position. What we want is the “Canister” position, with the diaphragm and pelvic floor aligned. A simple way to visualize it is to imagine the pelvis as a ring and the rib cage as several rings stacked on top of it.
Mike Robertson supports this approach and emphasizes reaching. By reaching a bit, you encourage a bit more posterior pelvic tilt toward neutral and improved diaphragm/pelvic-floor alignment. This improves overall positioning. When you’re ready to move to barbell variations, you’ll already have a solid foundation to perform better with less injury risk.
If you’d like a quick way to see these ideas in action, there’s a short video referenced in the article.
Plate-loaded front squats have become my go-to progression for beginners. I use them for a few reasons:
1) The plate acts as a counterbalance, helping learners find the right torso position and balance as they squat down.
2) Holding the plate out front better engages the front core muscles. I’ve heard instructors tell people they’re “too tight” for a long time, but often that isn’t the whole story. In many cases people are weak and unstable, and the nervous system slows them down for safety. With the plate out front, the core must engage, which helps people squat deeper.
Robertson also notes that the reach helps with diaphragmatic and pelvic-floor alignment, teaching the canister position and preventing ribs from flaring. This approach gives people context and makes transitioning to barbell squats more effective and safer, helping them stay healthy longer and perform better over time.
If you want more of Robertson’s programming insights, his Physical Preparation 101 program is on sale now. It distills his approach to program design into twelve DVDs. The investment can pay for itself many times over through client retention and results.
If you’re curious, check it out and, as I said, thank me later.
