Why People Get Stuck at the Bottom of a Squat (And How to Fix It)
Every week, I see the same thing happen.
Someone lowers into a squat and then—right at the bottom—everything falls apart. They hesitate. Their weight shifts. Their knees do one thing, their hips do another, and the stand-up turns into a grind… or worse, a bail.
This is not a flexibility issue.
It’s not an age issue.
And it’s rarely a “bad knees” problem.
It’s a movement problem.
Back in 2012, I recorded this video with Paul Carter talking about this exact issue. The footage is old, but the mistake hasn’t changed—and neither has the fix.
The Real Problem: Fear and Poor Sequencing
What I noticed then—and still notice now—is trepidation.
People get into the bottom of a squat and panic. Especially those who haven’t trained that position in years. The body doesn’t trust its strength, so it tries to protect itself by staying too upright or shifting forward.
That’s when you see:
Knees shooting forward without the hips rising
Hips lagging behind
Loss of balance
A stalled or unstable stand-up
When this happens, the body isn’t moving as one unit. It’s breaking the movement into pieces—and that’s where pain and inefficiency creep in.
How a Proper Squat Should Come Up
A strong squat isn’t about muscling your way up. It’s about coordination.
When you stand up from the bottom:
Your hips and knees should rise together
Your hips and knees should lock out at the same time
Your glutes should fire hard to finish the movement
If your knees lock first and your hips lag behind, that’s a problem.
If your hips snap up and your knees trail, that’s also a problem.
The goal is simultaneous extension—hips and knees working together.
The Simple Drill That Fixes This
Paul explained this perfectly in that original clip, and it’s still one of my favorite coaching tools because of how simple it is.
The “Press Out of the Hole” Drill
You can do this at home, in the gym, or during warm-ups.
Drop into the bottom of a squat
Place your hands out in front of you—or have a partner hold theirs there
From the bottom, press your hips straight up into the hands
Squeeze your glutes hard
Stand up smoothly
This drill teaches your body how to initiate the stand-up with the hips while keeping the knees involved. It removes hesitation and reinforces the correct sequence.
Think of it as retraining your nervous system to trust the movement.
Why Glutes Matter More Than You Think
One of the most overlooked pieces of this conversation is glute engagement.
Your glutes are the engine that get you out of the bottom safely. When they don’t fire:
The knees take more stress
The lower back compensates
The movement feels unstable and weak
When you squeeze your glutes and drive up properly, you “pop” out of the hole—not explosively, but confidently.
That confidence matters.
This Isn’t About Lifting Heavy
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a powerlifting lesson.
This is about:
Getting off the ground safely
Picking up kids or groceries
Training without pain
Moving well as you age
Staying strong and capable in real life
People don’t avoid squats because they’re dangerous.
They avoid squats because they’ve never been taught how to come out of the bottom correctly.
Old Footage. Timeless Lesson.
That 2012 clip may look dated, but the movement principles are exactly the same today.
Master how you come out of the hole, and:
Your squat improves
Your confidence improves
Your risk of injury drops
Your overall movement gets stronger
If squats have ever felt scary, unstable, or painful—this is where to start.
Train the sequence.
Trust the movement.
Squeeze your glutes and stand up strong.
Want Help Fixing This?
If you want coaching on this—or want to make sure you’re moving correctly—we do this every day in our training programs. Proper movement always comes before intensity.
Strong movement lasts. Bad movement doesn’t.