Your squat doesn't need to look like mine

Good news, and it is going to make your squats feel so much better: your squat is meant to look like you. Not like me, not like the woman in the video. Yours.

Last week a woman in one of my sessions kept stopping halfway down, resetting, trying again. She said, "It just doesn't feel like yours." And I loved that she said it out loud, because so many of us are quietly thinking it. So here is what I told her, and what I want to tell you: it is not meant to feel like mine. You are built differently to me, you move differently to me, and your strong squat is going to look like you. That is a good thing.

The idea that there's one perfect squat form is nonsense. There's a strong squat that works for your body, and that's what we're after.

What actually makes a squat work

The basics are simple. Feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Weight through your whole foot, not just your toes. Chest stays lifted. You sit back like you're aiming for a chair, knees track over your toes, and you stand back up.

That's it. The rest is just your body doing what it does.

Some women will squat wide because their hips are built that way. Some will barely get to parallel because their ankle mobility won't allow more. Some will keep their torso more upright, some will hinge forward a bit more. All of that can be right.

The question isn't "does this look like the squat in the video?" The question is: can you control the movement, do you feel stable, and can you stand back up without your knees caving in or your back rounding?

If yes, you're doing it right.

The practical test

I don't care if your squat looks textbook. I care if it makes you stronger for real life.

Can you pick something up off the floor without bracing for pain? Can you get up off the sofa without using your hands? Can you carry shopping bags up the stairs without your legs shaking?

That's what we're training for. Not Instagram angles. Not matching someone else's depth. Real, usable strength.

And here's the thing about strength training as you move through your 40s and into perimenopause: it's the single most practical thing you can do for your body. Bone density. Muscle mass. Metabolism. Balance. All of it improves when you load your body and ask it to get stronger.

You don't need a gym. You don't need equipment. You just need to show up and move with intention.

How to make your squat feel better

Start with what you can control. Feet flat. Core engaged. Sit back like there's a chair behind you, even if it's only a small sit. Stand back up. Do that ten times and notice what feels stable and what doesn't.

If your knees cave in, think about pressing them out slightly as you squat. If you feel like you're going to tip forward, try widening your stance a bit or turning your toes out a few degrees.

If you can't get very deep, that's fine. Strength builds at any depth. A controlled half squat where you feel your glutes and quads working is worth more than a wobbly deep squat where you're just folding in half and hoping for the best.

Add reps before you add depth. Add consistency before you add weight. Build confidence in the movement your body can actually do, then let it evolve from there.

What I'd rather you focus on

Forget perfect. Focus on strong.

Can you do ten squats in a row without stopping? Can you do them tomorrow, and the day after? Can you feel your legs working, not your lower back compensating?

That's progress. That's what builds the kind of strength that makes your life easier. That's the version of fitness that doesn't require you to look like anyone else or move like anyone else.

Your body is different. Your squat will be different. And that's exactly how it should be.

If you want to feel strong and move well in your own body, come and train with me. The live sessions are small and real-time, and honestly it just feels good doing it together. Come and try one and see how it feels. Candice 💜