You may think of squats as booty-builders, but their benefits go far beyond your peach. They strengthen pretty much every muscle in your lower body, including your quads, hamstrings, and calves. They also fire up your core (yep, abs).
Another perk of the classic move? You'll appreciate this one, runners: squats strengthen the muscles around your knees, stabilizing and protecting the joints from injury.
Of course, you'll only reap the benefits of whatever types of squats you do if you perform 'em properly. A few important pointers to keep in mind: press your knees outward (don't let them cave in) throughout the movement, keep your core tight and torso upright, and squeeze your glutes at the top. With these tips in mind, you can add a whole slew of different types of squats to your workouts. Every squat listed below works your muscles in different ways for max lower-body benefits.