4 Tips to a Better Squat

Ask any coach at Foundry, and they’ll tell you—squats are non-negotiable. Whether you’re new to training or deep into your fitness journey, developing a better squat should always be on your radar. It’s not just a leg exercise. It’s a full-body movement that builds strength, control, and resilience.

At Foundry, we don’t just train people to lift heavier, we help them lift better. A well-executed squat does more than load up the bar. It reinforces posture, builds stability, and improves the way you move in and out of the gym. From everyday tasks to high-level performance, strength built through squatting carries over everywhere.

That’s why this article isn’t about smashing records for the sake of it. It’s about refining the basics. If you can get your squat moving well, you’re setting yourself up to get stronger, safer, and more consistent for the long haul.

Here are four simple but powerful tips to help you improve your squat, regardless of where you’re starting from.

Tip 1: Improve Your Mobility

Mobility is the foundation of every good squat. Without it, your technique, power and comfort in the movement will always be limited—no matter how strong you are. Think of mobility as your access to movement. The more access you have, the better you can position your body to squat safely and effectively.

Three areas that influence your squat are your ankles, hips, and thoracic spine (your upper back). Tightness or restrictions in any of these can throw off your alignment, reduce your depth, and increase the risk of compensation elsewhere, usually your knees or lower back.

Working through a full range of motion doesn’t just look better, it builds better. You’ll activate more muscle, strengthen more tissue, and keep your joints healthier for longer. A deeper, well-controlled squat means more glute involvement, better posture, and a stronger base of support.

Here are a few effective mobility drills we regularly use at Foundry to unlock range and reinforce good movement:

Goblet squat holds – Sit deep with a weight in front to encourage a natural spine position and open the hips

Ankle rocks or knee-to-wall drills – Improve dorsiflexion and allow the knees to track properly over the toes

Wall thoracic openers – Target the upper back to help maintain a tall chest and upright posture under the bar

The key here is consistency. Mobility isn’t something you do once or twice before a tough session. It’s a habit that pays off over time. Incorporate these drills into your warm-up, your cool-down, or even on rest days. The better you move, the stronger you’ll squat.

Tip 2: Create Upper Back Tension

When it comes to squatting safely and effectively, what your upper back is doing matters more than most people realise. Posture and spinal alignment under load aren’t just about looking good; they’re essential for protecting your spine and transferring force efficiently through your body.

A strong squat starts with a strong setup. Before you even begin the descent, your upper body should be locked in tight, stable and ready to support the bar. Here’s how to do it:

Pull your shoulder blades together to create a solid shelf for the bar to sit on. This tightens the upper back and sets the tone for the lift.
Engage your lats by pulling the bar into your back, as if trying to bend it across your shoulders. This stabilises the mid-back and helps you stay upright.
Position your elbows under or slightly forward, rather than flaring them back. This encourages a better bar path and reinforces control.
Brace your core, not just your abs, but your entire trunk. Think of creating 360 degrees of tension around your spine. It’s not about sucking your stomach in, but rather pushing out and holding strong.

This setup helps keep your spine in a neutral, supported position throughout the lift. It reduces the chance of forward flexion (rounding), protects your lower back, and allows you to generate more power from the ground up.

Here are a few cues we use at Foundry to help lifters lock it all in:

“Crush the bar” – to engage the lats and upper back
“Chest proud” – to maintain an open, upright posture
“Brace like you’re going to get punched” – to engage the core fully

Upper back tightness isn’t just for heavy lifts. It’s a habit that should be built into every rep, no matter the weight. Get this right, and your squat will instantly feel stronger and more stable.

Tip 3: Feel the Floor Through Your Feet

One of the most overlooked elements of a strong squat is what’s happening at your feet. It might sound simple, but where and how you apply pressure through the floor has a massive impact on the rest of the movement.

When we say “keep the weight on your heels”, we don’t mean lifting your toes off the ground. What we’re really talking about is grounding through the rear of the foot—from the ball of the big toe backwards, including the heel and outer edge. This creates a stable base and allows for better balance, force transfer, and muscle recruitment.

Foot pressure directly affects which muscles you engage. If you shift forward onto your toes, you’ll tend to rely more heavily on your quads. But when your weight stays back and grounded through the mid-rear foot, you’ll activate your glutes and hamstrings more effectively. That’s exactly what we want in a squat, especially if your goal includes building strength or developing your posterior chain.

To help you dial into this, try these cues during your setup:

“Screw your feet into the floor” – creates external rotation and tension through the hips
“Feel the tripod” – imagine three points of contact: heel, ball of the big toe, and outer edge of the foot
“Push the floor away” – encourages full-foot pressure and power through the lift

The goal is to feel connected to the ground, anchored, stable, and ready to move with control. If your feet shift around, or if your heels lift as you descend, it’s a sign that your mechanics (or mobility) may need work. Start by getting your feet right, and you’ll be surprised how much more solid your entire squat becomes.

Tip 4: Train With Control, Not Just Weight

There’s a big difference between lifting the heaviest weight you can and lifting the heaviest weight you should. At Foundry, we draw a clear line between a true max and a technical max.

A true max is the absolute most you can lift, regardless of how it looks. The form might break down, the bar path might drift, and your back might round, but you just about get it up. It’s a test of grit, not necessarily good movement.

A technical max, on the other hand, is the heaviest load you can lift with perfect form. It’s controlled, consistent, and replicable. And that’s the number we care about most.

While testing a true max occasionally can have its place, constantly lifting at or near that level puts unnecessary strain on your body. It increases the risk of injury, and worse still, it teaches poor movement patterns that are hard to unlearn.

Training with your technical max in mind builds strength that lasts. It reinforces good habits, protects your joints, and makes progress more sustainable. Over time, your technical max will naturally increase, and you’ll be lifting heavier without compromising on form.

Here’s what we tell our members:

Prioritise clean, consistent reps over chasing numbers
Drop the load slightly if your form starts to falter
Use technical maxes to calculate training percentages for your programme

The ego might want the biggest number on the bar. But your body will thank you for training with control. In the long run, the strongest athletes aren’t just the ones who lift the most—they’re the ones who move the best, recover well, and stay in the game longest.

Train With Purpose

Every time you step into the gym, your squat session should have a clear focus. It might be improving your depth, dialling in your control, building speed out of the bottom, or adding a bit more load. Whatever it is, having a specific intention helps guide your effort and makes your training more effective.

Purposeful training builds awareness. You start to notice how you’re moving, not just what you’re lifting. And that kind of attention to detail is where real, long-term progress lives.

Don’t Chase Perfection, Just Progress

Let’s be clear: no squat is ever truly perfect. Even experienced lifters continue to refine their technique. What matters more is that you’re moving better than you were last month—or even last week.

It’s the small, consistent improvements that add up over time. Better mobility. Smoother depth. Cleaner reps. They might seem minor in the moment, but they’re all part of building strength that lasts.

Give yourself permission to improve gradually. Progress, not perfection, is what we’re after.

Strong Starts Here

The squat is more than just a lift, it’s a skill. And like any skill, it takes time, practice and the right approach to develop.

Put these tips into action. Revisit them often. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your form, the principles stay the same: move well, train with intent, and remain consistent.

At Foundry, we believe in building strength that supports your life, not just for today, but for the long run. Our approach is grounded in quality coaching, smart training and a focus on the things that make a difference.

If you’re ready to take your squat and your training to the next level, get in touch about our small group personal training sessions. We’ll help you move better, feel stronger, and train with confidence.