Chair Squats
The chair squat uses a seat as a depth gauge: squat until your glutes brush the chair, then stand — no sitting, no resting, just a tap and drive. It teaches the two things beginners most often miss in a free squat: sitting back into the hips, and hitting the same depth every single rep. Coached by Maddy (NASM-CPT) — these are the exact form cues he gives on every client's first week.
Muscles worked
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 × 3–6 (3 s descent, pause at touch) | 90 s |
| Muscle | 3–4 × 9–12 | 60–90 s |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 18–27 | 45–60 s |
Rep ranges per Helms 2014 · Schoenfeld 2016.
Level — Beginner
Beginner-friendly with a built-in coach — the chair gives feedback no mirror can.
Proper form — 5 cues
- Stand with your heels a hand's length in front of the chair, feet shoulder-width.
- Push the hips back first, as if reaching for the seat with your glutes.
- Lower under control until you feel the lightest touch on the chair.
- Do not sit — the touch is the signal, not a rest stop.
- Drive through mid-foot to stand tall, squeezing the glutes at the top.
Breathing: Inhale sitting back toward the chair, exhale driving up to stand.
The 3 mistakes Maddy corrects most
Common questions
What is the point of the chair if I never sit on it?
Consistency and confidence. The chair keeps every rep at identical depth — the thing beginners' free squats never manage — and it removes the fear of the bottom position, because the worst case is simply sitting down. Those two fixes alone transform most people's squat pattern within a couple of weeks.
How is this different from the modified chair squat?
The modified version sits fully down and stands back up, with hand support available — it is for building the basic ability. This version only touches the seat and keeps tension the whole time, which makes it a true squat with a depth gauge. Graduate from the modified version to this one, then to free squats.
When can I ditch the chair and squat freely?
When three things happen on every rep without thinking: hips lead the descent, heels stay down at the touch, and depth feels identical rep to rep. Test by removing the chair for one set — if your depth suddenly varies or shrinks, return to the gauge for another week or two. Most people need two to six weeks.
Related exercises
Easier: Chair Squat (Modified) · Harder: Squats
Browse: All back exercises · All glutes exercises · All quads exercises · All bodyweight exercises · Chair Squats standards — men · Chair Squats standards — women · Full exercise library
This is one exercise. Your plan is the other 99%.
Maddy hand-builds training around your exact body — schedule, recovery, injuries, food culture. It starts with a 3-minute scan.
Start My Body Scan → 11 questions · 3 min · free · no card yet