Note: originally published 6/29/2017 on my old website
Try these body weight squat variations to strengthen your leg muscles and improve your balance.
Prerequisite: Make sure you feel comfortable performing the basic body weight squat, pushing your knees out and weight in your heels:
Prisoner Squat: Forces you to keep your torso upright
Split Squat: Challenges your balance
Prisoner split squat:
Reverse lunge:
Walking lunge: Make sure your front knee doesn’t jut forward in front of your toes
Lateral lunge: Sit butt down and back instead of jamming your knee forward.
Curtsy lunge: Stepping back and out slightly (don’t step out so far that it tweaks your knee).
Offset squat: One leg is primarily working; other foot’s toe is in alignment with heel and acts as a “kickstand” without weight in it.
Skater squat: Front leg is working, back leg barely touches ground
Pistol squat:
Which variations did you try?