Owning the butt isn’t about a 20-minute warm-up in rehabilitation purgatory. The point is to have enough ankle dorsiflexion, hip rotation, adductor length, and positional control to stay balanced and ready for strength training. Factor in these factors and you’ll not only squat deeper, you’ll come out of the hole faster, stronger, and with more control. With the help of strength coach Dean Somerset, these moves will give you access to the mobility you need.
Can you own the bottom of your squat?
This test takes 30 seconds and tells you at the bottom if you have a problem. Here’s what I want you to do before you read on. Sit at the bottom of a bodyweight squat, hold it in front of a mirror for 20-30 seconds, and check for these four things.
Heels flat on the floor: If your heels lift or you feel stuck as you rock back, your ankles are the limiting factor.
Torso stays long: If your chest sags forward or you have to lean to balance, you’ll miss out on your ankle’s useful range of motion and control of the bottom position.
Knees run forward and slightly outward over the toes: If your knees buckle, you stall early, or feel “locked,” your hip rotators and adductors need work.
No shifting, collapsing or sideways movement: If you shift to one side or lose tension, you will have asymmetrical hip rotation and poor bottom position.
If you can’t control the bottom of a bodyweight squat, adding weight won’t fix it. The exercises that follow will help you better control the bottom position.
The top 5 best mobility moves to speed up your new squat workout
When you have a problem with exercise performance, the best way to make it a non-problem is to spend time in the positions that cause problems.
Rolling Cossack
The adductor rockback is a basic exercise for mobilizing the adductor muscles, but the Rolling Cossack, offered by Somerset, takes it one step further. “This puts a little more pressure into the internal and external hip rotation as you go through flexion and extension,” Somerset explains.
Why lifters need it: “Squatters tend to overlook how important hip rotation is to their squat performance,” Somerset explains. “If one side of your squat always feels tighter, weaker, or less stable—and this is evidenced by a subtle shift or collapse of the gap—this exercise addresses the cause.”
- Trains adductors dynamically
- Improves control of hip abduction/adduction through increased range of motion
- Clears up asymmetric hip depth, adductor stiffness and side shift at the bottom of the squat
How to do it
- Start in a four-legged position (on your hands and knees) with one leg extended out to the side, the same setup as the adductor rock-back demonstrated in the video.
- Keep your spine neutral and your hips square on the floor.
- Roll onto your toes on the straight leg and then roll back until your toes are pointing up.
- Move smoothly back and forth and feel the adductor muscles lengthen.
- Switch sides after you complete your reps.
Programming suggestions: Perform 1-2 sets of 6-8 slow rolls per side during your warm-up, or combine them with curious squats on your recovery days to strengthen hip control.
Weighted ankle rocker
Limited ankle dorsiflexion (knees over toes) is a major reason why lifters lose depth, lean forward excessively, or drop their heels at the bottom of the squat. If your ankles don’t allow your knees to move forward, your body compensates by moving somewhere else, usually your hips, knees, or lower back.
Why lifters need it: At the bottom of the squat, the knee should move over the toes while the heel remains on the floor. If that range of motion isn’t there, your squat from the ground will be limited.
- Improves ankle ROM under load
- Reinforces proper knee tracking
How to do it
- Sit in a half-kneeling position with your front foot flat on the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell on the front knee to apply gentle downward pressure.
- Keeping your heel glued to the floor, slowly move your knee forward over your toes.
- Pause briefly at the end range and then return to the start in a controlled manner.
Programming suggestions: Perform 2 sets of 6-8 slow reps as part of your warm-up, or 6 reps per side, supplemented with your barbell squat.
Goblet curious squat
If your hips feel unstable and you’re having trouble in the hole, it’s likely due to poor awareness of bottom position and an inability to stay tall and balanced at full depth. If you can reach the desired depth but can’t control it, add this exercise to your rotation.
Why lifters need it: The cup-wrenching squat does something most mobility exercises don’t: it teaches you how to own the bottom of the squat while actively creating the space to do so. This exercise
- Strengthens proper squat mechanics
- Improves hip external rotation
- Builds tension and control in the deepest position
How to do it
- Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell close to your chest in a goblet position.
- Lower into a deep squat with your heels flat and your chest up.
- Once at the bottom, gently pry your knees out with your elbows.
- Shift slightly back and forth while maintaining tension.
- Stay tall and keep your feet rooted to the ground.
Programming suggestions: 1-2 sets of 20-30 seconds as part of your squat warm-up will work wonders.
90/90 hip rotation with forward lean
Limited internal and external rotation of the hip is the hidden reason why many lifters shift, twist, or feel stuck at the bottom of the squat. If you find yourself always favoring one side or feeling uneven in depth, this exercise will explain why.
Why lifters need it: The bottom of a squat isn’t just about hip flexion. It also requires rotation, especially internal rotation of the femur and pelvis, so that you can sit between the hips and not over them.
The 90/90 with a forward slope:
- Restores usable hip rotation
- Reduces lateral asymmetries
- Improves bottom comfort and control
How to do it
- Sit on the floor with both legs bent at 90 degrees, one in front, one to the side.
- Keep your chest high and your pelvis neutral.
- Slowly hinge forward over the front leg while maintaining a flat back.
- Pause briefly at the end range and then return to the start.
- Reset and repeat for desired reps on both sides.
Programming suggestions: 2 sets of 4-6 slow reps per side as part of your warm-up or between your squat warm-up sets.
Raised Knees to Toes Split Squat
A common problem with the bottom of the squat is not only that you go down there, but you also feel unstable or sluggish when you get up. That’s a weakness or lack of control in a deep knee and ankle flexion position, which the split squat with elevated knees over the toes aims to remedy.
Why lifters need it: Mobility without power is borrowed range. It disappears as soon as the load becomes heavy or you become tired. The elevated knees-over-toes split squat:
- Builds strength and muscular endurance during deep knee and ankle flexion
- Strengthens the controlled knee movement over the toes
- Trains the quads and adductors in the same range as required at the bottom of a squat
How to do it
- Raise the front foot onto a small board, platform or wedge.
- Set up in a split position, shifting the weight to the front leg.
- Keep your heel down and slowly push the front knee forward as you descend.
- Lower it under control until you reach the end of your comfort range.
- Push through the entire foot to return to an upright position, keeping the torso elevated.
Programming suggestions: 2 sets of 5–6 reps per side, unloaded as part of your warm-up, or 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps with light to moderate loads as part of your workout.
Wrap-up: Depth is earned, not forced
If the bottom of your squat doesn’t feel right, the answer isn’t lighter weight or more stretch, but better positional possession. The five exercises here are not random mobility exercises. They target the limitations that rob depth, balance, and strength: ankles that prevent the knees from moving, hips that lose rotation under load, and adductors that collapse instead of stabilizing.
Own the bottom and the rest of the lift will take care of itself.
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