Daily Squat Challenge: Off-Season WLC Skill Practice

The Off-Season WLC Skill Practices are mini-challenges intended to help you fine-tune different aspects of your health and wellness. Offered between Challenges, these weekly practices address fitness, nutrition, stress reduction, productivity, and personal connection — because health is about far more than food and the gym (and we could all use a little practice).

Do Squats Every Day This Week

Simple Instructions:

1. Each day this week, you will do 20 bodyweight squats. That means a squat with no additional weight added.
2. You may pick a higher daily goal if your fitness allows. Pick a number of squats that will challenge you: 20, 50, 100, 200, etc. If you don’t exercise regularly or are new to squats, then stick with 20 per day or a number or your choice.
3. Whatever number you choose, commit to that same number for all seven days.
4. You can do your squats all in one set, or spread them out over the course of your day.

How to Perform a Bodyweight Squat:

1. Start standing with your feet at shoulder width.
2. Your weight should be slightly biased toward your heels throughout the movement.
3. To begin, sit back as if you’re sitting in a chair, pushing your butt back and down.
4. As you sit back, push your knees outward (without moving your feet). This will create room for your hips.
5. Keep your eyes level and chest up. This will help you keep your spine long and flat. Do not let it round.
6. Sit back until your upper leg is just below parallel with the floor.
7. Return to standing.

It’s important to do your squats properly to gain the most benefit and avoid injury. As with all exercise, if you experience pain, it’s a signal from your body to back off or slow down. Don’t let your ego pick your daily goal number — listen to what your body is telling you. And remember, you can spread your squats out throughout your day, so plan accordingly.

Why Is This Practice Important?

This simple bodyweight movement builds leg strength and burns fat. More importantly, doing this daily squat challenge now will get you in the habit of regular exercise, preparing you for the upcoming Whole Life Challenge.

Through this practice, you’ll learn that lack of equipment or space is never an obstacle to getting a workout. A set of squats only requires a few square feet and nothing else. The same can be said for many other bodyweight movements. As regular exercise becomes a habit for you, you might incorporate push-ups, sit-ups, planks, and sprinting into your routine — all without needing a gym or a room full of machines.

Even better, a set of squats takes very little time. So no schedule is ever so full that you cannot get in a workout. Learning to set aside this time and make your daily movement practice happen will not only build your physical muscles, but your mental strength, as well. You’ll be learning a valuable skill that you can apply to different forms of exercise as well as other habits that will contribute to your overall health and happiness.

Becca Borawski Jenkins

Becca earned her MFA in Cinema-Television Production at USC’s famed film school, and her first career was as a music editor. Becca found her way to career number two through martial arts. She trained in BJJ and muay Thai and worked with professional MMA fighters, building websites, organizing fight promotions, and producing videos.

In 2005, she became a student at CrossFit Los Angeles where she met WLC co-founders Andy Petranek and Michael Stanwyck. In only a couple years, she became CrossFit Level III Certified, left her entertainment career, and dedicated herself full time to coaching, serving as the Program Director of CFLA and founder of the CFLA CrossFit Kids program. After seven years as a music editor and then eight years as fitness instructor, Becca segued to her current career — full-time editor and writer.