It’s hard to think of a part of the body that isn’t worked during squats. Arms, you might say? But there are so many combination exercises you can create around the humble squat, grabbing a pair of dumbbells or a resistance band to incorporate bicep curls or tricep extensions. For the purposes of this post, I’m sticking to squat variations that primarily engage the muscles of your legs – glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves. Low- or high-impact, squats work the biggest muscles in your body and therefore help you hit the calorie-burning jackpot. They also create balance in the lower body – working the fronts and backs of your legs equally so you avoid common weaknesses like “lazy glutes”, and the chunky thighs and flat bum that can result from imbalances.

It’s time to get your glutes in gear. Work your way through the following 10 squat variations, and try pairing them with these plank exercises to complement your new toned tush with a slim, strong midsection.

Basic squat

Assume a shoulder-width stance and lower your hips back and down while your arms float in front of you for balance. Try to keep your shoulder blades pulling back – this will prevent any rounding of the spine and keep your chest facing up and forwards. Aim to get your thighs parallel with the floor, then pause at the bottom for a moment before slowly returning to a standing position. Think about contracting your glutes and hamstrings throughout to get the most bang for your buck!

Wall squat

To feel the heat in your thighs, take your squat to the wall and hold an isometric position for as long as possible. I love wall squats because they’re great for partner work – one person can perform tricep dips off the other’s thighs, then you can switch as part of a great bodyweight circuit routine. To start out, simply stand with your back against a wall and your feet about a foot from the skirting board. Sink down into your hips until your thighs are completely parallel with the floor. Engage your core and hold tight. 30 seconds is ideal for beginners, while more advanced exercisers should aim to surpass the minute mark!

Dumbbell overhead squat

Grab a pair of light dumbbells and hold them in an extended shoulder press position straight above your head. Sink into your basic squat without bending at the elbows. Remind yourself to pull your shoulders down your back throughout. The extra lever of your arms in the air will increase the challenge on your core – so you strengthen your tum while sculpting your bum.

Single leg stability squat

Another take on the isometric squat, this move activates more of the stabilising muscles around your knees and hips. It’s great for athletes who need to build up resilience to quick changes of direction and prevent injury from overtraining. Drop into a basic squat and pull your bellybutton into your spine as you hover your right leg off the floor. Extend the lifted foot to the back, then out to the side. Repeat all your reps on one side before switching over to even out your glutes!

Walking burpee squat

A great alternative to the high-impact burpee, the walking burpee squat will elevate your heartrate for a cardio burst that won’t put stress on your knees or shake the floorboards for those of us who live in creaky flats. Lower into a basic squat and plant your hands on the floor between your feet, then step one leg at a time into a plank position. Walk the legs back in and reverse the squat until you’re standing. That’s one rep.

Sumo squat

To work deeper into your adductors (those inner thigh muscles everyone stresses over during bikini season), heel-toe your starting stance until your feet are just wider than your shoulders. Make sure your toes are pointing out to 45 degrees, then drop into a squat and keep your knees tracking over your toes. The temptation will be to let your knees fall backwards, but by squeezing your adductors and resisting this temptation you’ll get a beautiful streamlining contraction through your thighs.

Deep side squat

Assume the same wide stance as above, but drop your butt back and to the side so your hip falls over your ankle on the same side. Plant your elbow inside the knee and let the other toe come off the floor. As well as building up tons of strength in the working glute, you’ll stretch and lengthen the inner thigh.

Calf-activating squat

Preparing for your basic squat, lift your heels, tuck your pelvis and squeeze your lower abdominals to stabilise your body from top to toe. Keeping your back flat, lower your hips back and down into a parallel squat. Complete 10-15 full reps on your tip toes, then get an extra ‘burn’ in your calves by pausing at the bottom of the position and lower and lift your heels. You may need to shake out your legs after this one.

Touch down squat jumps

Watch out for creaky floorboards on this one. Combine your cardio with conditioning and take your basic squat up a notch with a bit of explosive lift-off. Lower into a squat and touch your fingertips to the floor on either side of your ankles before pushing upwards with maximum force. Gently bend your knees as you land and lower straight into your next rep. Keep this one smooth and steady. Warning: your breath will want to race ahead – that’s a sign you’re working hard.

Frog squat shuffle

Time to take that dynamic squat jump one step further – or forward. From the back of your mat or workout space, lower into a deep squat and explode up and ahead by a few feet. Land in a soft squat and maintain that position as you ‘shuffle’ your feet to the start position. Don’t stop moving. Just know that your fitness is skyrocketing with every rep.

Want to see variations of more of your favourite exercises? I always take suggestions on board, so please let me know how I can help to inspire your workouts! 

Chiara Pellegrino is one to watch on the London fitness scene. With a professional dance background and a teaching presence in two of the city’s top studios, barrecore and Psycle London, she instils every class with high energy and precise effective movements. She also helps to spread her wisdom at the online home of her personal blog, 4fitnessake.co.uk. And lucky for Fit Brit Collective readers, she’s agreed to share five of her favourite barre-inspired exercises that you don’t need a barre for. Which means you can start incorporating them into your regime today – right now, wherever you are… 

When I say that I teach at barrecore I’m often asked, “Oh so you teach ballet?”…Well, not exactly.

Yes, the barre workout includes some typical positions derived from ballet, but they are revised and refined to provide a holistic fitness workout. No “port the bras” or “grand jeté’ (split jump), but lots of painful isometric contractions.

Painful yes, but definitely results-oriented.

And this is why I would wholeheartedly recommend giving these five barre-based moves a go – whether you are a barrecore addict or have yet to experience it.

Lunge

The lunge is a very popular movement in any kind of workout as the exercise has many toning, strengthening and flexibility benefits.

You can hold a bench or a surface in your kitchen for more stability, otherwise simply prepare for your lunge with your hands on the hips. Step your left leg back and make sure the right knee is in line with the right ankle. The back knee should hover just above the floor.

To give the position a “barre twist” add little isometric pulses, dropping the back knee a little lower. At all time keep the spine strong and vertical. Rolling the shoulders down the back, you want to engage also your lats and abdominal muscles.

Lunge is a great position to work on the quads, glutes, hamstrings and hip flexors.

The isometric contractions will further help in burning the fat around your muscles, and breaking down muscle fibre only to rebuild it so it’s leaner and stronger.

After a few reps, flush out the lactic acid with the full-range movement, then come back to the starting position and pulse in the low stance. For an extra tough challenge, lift the front heel off the floor as you pulse – bringing the calf and ankle stabiliser muscles into play.

Wide Second

The classic ballet “grand pliè” is very common in a barre workout.

The benefits of the position include: working your adductor (inner thighs) muscles, as well as your glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves.

To set up the position, step your feet wider than your shoulders with a natural turn out of the hips. Then lower the tailbone in line with the knees, making sure the knees are tracking over the middle toes.

Get your hands in prayer or in a high V – this will increase your heart rate by pumping blood against gravity, therefore burning even more calories.

You can use isometric pulses in this position or wrap the knees out towards the pinky toes – adding to the tension on your abductors (outer thighs).

To challenge your core stability, peel your heels off the floor and continue with the same exercise.

After lots of isometric holds, it is best to release the lactic acid with a full range of motion. For a cardio burst that will leave you a little sweaty, accelerate the movement – make sure there’s a solid surface nearby for extra stability at speed.

Plank

Plank is one of my favorite positions in barre workouts as it’s a full body exercise, engaging core, back, legs and shoulders for the isometric hold.

To start, get into a kneeling position and place your elbows in line with your shoulders. Tuck your toes under and fully extend your legs, keeping lots of tension through your hamstrings so there’s a nice straight line down your back.

There are lots of choreographic options that you can perform while in a plank: twists, legs lifts, shifts of the weight forward and back, circles …

The side plank is a great option to work particularly on the obliques.

Keeping your body in a straight line, and shoulders and hips stacked on top of each other, try to lift the top leg a couple of inches or as high as you can. Squeeze it up and down for an extra glute contraction, or simply hold it and breathe through the shaking.

Bridge

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One of the very best booty builders, the bridge is a great way to focus on your glutes.

Lie on your back with the arms along the side of your body and the knees bent. Draw the heels as close as possible to the pubic bone and hover the tailbone off the floor. Make sure the spine is nice and neutral and engage the abdominals to avoid any arch or strain in the lumbar spine.

Press your hips towards the ceiling, tucking the tailbone and squeezing the glutes. Lift one leg up to tabletop or straight to the sky for a more advanced option. Lower the leg (straight or bent) to hover over the floor, then lift it back up for a full range of motion.

Abdominal Curl

This is the best position for building a rock hard abdominal wall.

Sit down with your knees bent and place your hands on the back of the thighs. Squeeze the belly button into the spine, tuck your tailbone towards your chest and hinge back, coming into a C shape with the spine.

Holding this position should feel challenging, even before you progress the movement. Once you’re comfortable in the C shape, start drawing the abdominals in to your knees without adjusting your spinal alignment. See if you can release your hands from your thighs to keep the work in your core.

Finally, to increase the work even more, lift your legs off the floor in table top or straight out to 45 degrees.

For more workout inspiration from Chiara, visit 4fitnessake.co.uk or join one of her popular classes at barrecore and Psycle London. 

I was so excited when several of you told me last week’s workout helped you overcome obstacles to exercising at home. Many of you said you’d either skipped workouts because you didn’t want to disturb your neighbours, or you’d wasted money on noise-absorbing mats that didn’t do the trick. In this second instalment, I give you a 20 minute circuit that uses only your bodyweight for resistance and makes you sweat by working multiple muscle groups across a wide range of motion. As it requires zero equipment and minimal space, it’s a great option for keeping fit over Christmas. Do it alone or pair it with the no-noise dumbbell workout from last week for a longer, more intense training session (you know, when the guilt sets in after devouring an entire box of truffles…).

How it’s done 

Perform each move in the full-body circuit below for 45 seconds, and leave no rest between exercises. When you’ve completed the circuit, rest for 30 seconds and repeat twice more.

Single leg squat and reach 

Ready. Steady. (I mean really steady). Go! Hover your right leg over the floor and stay strong through the core as you squat very low and reach down in front of your standing left leg. Don’t allow your right foot to touch the ground. Pause at the bottom, then return to standing and shoot your arms above your head. Perform a full 45 seconds on one side before switching legs.

Sliding single leg bridge 

Come down to the floor and lie on your back with your feet close to your bottom. Press through your heels to come into a full bridge position – the front to your body should look like a 45-degree ski jump (no bumps or dips to trip anyone up!). Taking the weight out of your left leg while maintaining level hips, slide your left heel along the floor and slowly slide it back to the start. Repeat all your reps on one side before switching over. Your glutes and hamstrings should feel hot and heavy after the full 1.5 minutes!

Single leg tricep dips 

Time to give your legs a rest. Resume the bridge position but place your hands on the floor behind you. Make sure your elbows are pointing straight back as you press away from the floor. Switch legs around the 20 second mark, or make this move slightly easier by placing both feet on the ground.

Lateral press-ups 

Turn over and place your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Make sure you have a bit of space either side of you – you’re going to cover a lot of ground with this press-up. Take your right hand as far out to the right as possible and lower your chest until it’s hovering just about the floor. Press back to the start then plant your left hand as far out to the left as possible and lower to the floor. By covering a greater distance, your heart has to pump faster to keep up and your back and core muscles work extra hard to stabilise you.

Two-way forearm plank 

Now those abs are warmed up, let’s crank up the challenge. From a high plank position, lift your right leg behind you and crunch it in to your left elbow. Extend it behind you then bring it up to the outside of your right elbow – you should feel a very intense contraction in your obliques. Perform a full 45 seconds on this side before repeating the sequence on the left.

Alternating crunch and V-up 

Almost done! This one is a great for retaining (or recovering) a flat stomach over the holidays. Contract your abdominals and gently lift your shoulders off the floor. Slowly lower, then explode off the floor and simultaneously lift your legs. Think about coming down to the floor with as much control as you come up – that’s where you’ll feel (and see) the change.

You’ve done it! Take a 30 second break, then run through the whole thing twice more.

Thank you for following this short workout series! I’m always open to suggestions and happy to take requests, so do let me know if there are any particular workouts you’d like to see on Fit Brit Collective!