Why am I falling back when I am squatting?

Asked by: Sarah Ellerkamp

What’s happening is that as you get deeper, your hips need to move farther back. Your center of gravity will go backwards, and you’ll tend to fall backwards. For unweighted bodyweight squats, putting your arms out in front of you is often sufficient counter-balance.

Why do I feel like Im going to fall back when I squat?

Your Back Is Too Upright



Generally, everyone will need to lean to some degree when squatting down, especially if you aren’t extremely mobile. This mistake will cause you to load the weight over your heels rather than midfoot, where it is meant to be and will cause you to fall back.

How do you keep from falling back when squatting?

So it's an easy tool to use a counterweight. You may have to start with a heavier weight this is a ten pound. You may have to start with like maybe a 15 pound dumbbell or a 20-pound dumbbell.

Why can’t I keep my balance when I squat?

You may have the right mobility for a squat but if you are not positioned in the right way that may be what is limiting you and causing you to lose balance. If the base of the squat (i.e. your feet, centre of balance) are not solid and consistent, your squat most definitely won’t be either.

Why can’t I keep my back upright when squatting?

If you can’t stay upright in the squat because you always feel like you’re falling forward/losing balance, then you need to ‘activate your feet’ before squatting. To ensure you’re balanced while you squat, you need to find the 3-point contact with your feet: Feel your pinky toe. Feel your big toe.

Why can’t I squat without lifting my heels?

Heels rise in the squat because you lack ankle mobility or flexibility in your calves, you’re wearing the wrong shoes for squats, or you have an improper bar path when descending into the bottom. To fix, you need ankle mobility drills, proper squat shoes, and a bar path that keeps you centered over your mid-foot.

Why do I lean to one side when I squat?

There are many reasons why you might be shifting to one side at the bottom of your squat. These include: An ankle or hip mobility limitation on one leg, which will cause you to shift to the non-affected side. One leg is stronger than the other, so you naturally shift to the stronger side.

Should your back be straight when squatting?

When sitting back in a squat, you can feel tempting to lean forward. However, rounding your back is no good for squats at all, you should keep your back straight. This is especially important if you add weights to your squat as you’ll put unnecessary pressure on your neck and spine.