Squats and lunges
Prisoner squat
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- quads · glutes
- Also
- hamstrings · upper back · calves · core
The prisoner squat is a bodyweight squat done with your hands laced behind your head and elbows wide. Taking your arms out of the equation forces your upper back to stay tall, so your legs do the work instead of your torso leaning forward. It suits anyone who can already squat to depth comfortably and wants more from the same movement without adding weight.
Form
How to do prisoner squat
- 1Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward or turned out slightly. Lace your fingers behind your head and pull your elbows wide so your chest opens.
- 2Take a breath, brace your middle, then push your hips back and bend your knees to lower.
- 3Go down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, or as low as you can with your heels flat and your chest still tall.
- 4Drive through the whole foot to stand, pushing your knees out over your toes as you rise. Breathe out through the top half.
- 5Stand tall without locking hard or letting your elbows collapse forward, then go straight into the next descent and keep a steady rhythm for the effort.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Elbows drift forward and the chest folds down.
Fix: Think about squeezing your shoulder blades together and keeping your elbows in your peripheral vision the whole way.
Heels lift and the weight shifts onto the toes.
Fix: Shorten the range to where your heels stay down, or set your feet slightly wider and turn the toes out a little.
Knees fall inward on the way up.
Fix: Press your knees out toward your little toes as you drive up, and slow the descent so you can control the line.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions
Put it in a workout
None of the fixed workouts uses it. Pick a workout for your kit, or start today's session on /gym.