How many deck squats should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Three sets of 5 to 8 unhurried reps on a mat, treating them as a skill and mobility piece rather than a conditioning finisher. Build to three sets of 10 linked together, then stop using the fingertip catch on the way up. After that, cross the arms on the chest, or slow the whole thing down so momentum does less of the work.

How do I make the deck squat easier if I cannot stand up out of the roll?

Easier: roll on a thick mat, catch the floor lightly with the fingertips on the way up, hold a light plate or ball out in front as a counterweight, or set up with the feet slightly downhill on a low slope. Harder: cross the arms on the chest, slow the roll until no momentum carries you, stand up on one leg, or add a jump at the top of each rep.

What is the deck squat good for, and when is it a poor choice?

It links leg strength with core control and hip mobility, and it trains getting off the floor fast, which pays off in grappling, parkour, and general athleticism. It is a poor choice for building leg strength, since there is no load to speak of, and it should not be done on a hard floor. Anyone whose neck or low back objects to rolling under load is better served by a goblet squat and a separate core drill.

Intermediate

Deck Squat

The deck squat blends leg strength with core control: from a deep squat you roll backward onto your back, then rock forward and drive up to standing without using your hands. The abs and hip flexors pull you out of the roll while the quads and glutes finish the stand, making it a fun, athletic full-body drill. It sharpens the coordination and hip mobility that carry over to getting off the floor quickly.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs, Quads
Type: Balance, Strength
Browse by muscle: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Browse by movement: Core Brace, Squat

How to do it

1
Stand with feet about shoulder-width and lower into a deep squat.
2
Tuck the chin and roll backward onto your back, keeping the knees bent.
3
Let the momentum load as the hips lift briefly off the floor toward the shoulders.
4
Rock forward hard and plant both feet flat as the torso comes up.
5
Drive through the heels to stand tall without pushing off the floor with your hands.
6
Flow straight into the next rep or reset as needed.

Tips

Time the forward rock so your feet land flat under you just as the torso rises.
Keep the spine rounded and roll smoothly rather than slamming onto the mid-back.
If you cannot stand up at first, catch the ground lightly with the fingertips until the timing clicks.

Variations

Common mistakes

The feet land out in front of the hips instead of underneath them, so your weight sits behind your base and you rock straight back down; pull the heels toward your seat as you come forward.
The knees straighten during the roll back, which turns the rep into a candlestick and sends your weight too far over the shoulders to come back from.
Every failed attempt gets answered with a harder rock rather than an earlier foot plant, so the reps get more violent without getting any closer to a stand.
Landing on the toes and the balls of the feet leaves no heel to drive through, and the stand stalls halfway up in a deep squat you then have to grind out of.
Ankles that will not let you sit in a deep squat with the heels down will not suddenly manage it at the end of a roll; sort the bottom position out on its own first.

Frequently asked

How many deck squats should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Three sets of 5 to 8 unhurried reps on a mat, treating them as a skill and mobility piece rather than a conditioning finisher. Build to three sets of 10 linked together, then stop using the fingertip catch on the way up. After that, cross the arms on the chest, or slow the whole thing down so momentum does less of the work.
How do I make the deck squat easier if I cannot stand up out of the roll?: Easier: roll on a thick mat, catch the floor lightly with the fingertips on the way up, hold a light plate or ball out in front as a counterweight, or set up with the feet slightly downhill on a low slope. Harder: cross the arms on the chest, slow the roll until no momentum carries you, stand up on one leg, or add a jump at the top of each rep.
What is the deck squat good for, and when is it a poor choice?: It links leg strength with core control and hip mobility, and it trains getting off the floor fast, which pays off in grappling, parkour, and general athleticism. It is a poor choice for building leg strength, since there is no load to speak of, and it should not be done on a hard floor. Anyone whose neck or low back objects to rolling under load is better served by a goblet squat and a separate core drill.

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