It's no secret that I am a huge advocate of the bodyweight squat - and for good reason. Bodyweight squats engage a lot of muscle - those being the muscles of the hips and legs along with the lower back and abdomen. Bodyweight squats, when done properly, (read as "with good form and control") can offer the same benefits of squatting with a barbell, dumbbell or any other piece of resistance. One of the main benefits however is that bodyweight squats offer very low compressive force on the soft tissue (tendons and ligaments) as well as the joints. Another bonus to bodyweight squats - especially when performed for high repetitions is that builds muscular endurance and elevates the heart rate significantly. Here's a little secret: The body does not know what is causing it to work, it just responds accordingly so if one were to do high repetition bodyweight squats versus say a stair climber, would the body know? I'm gonna go out on a limb and say no. Another perk to bodyweight squats is they can be done anywhere so there's no need for a gym membership or an excuse.
The photo above is what I would consider "picture perfect" form (no pun intended). - Fred Fornicola
