1Knees move inward
What you see: As the legs tire, the knees drift toward each other.
The fix: "Knees out." A small ball or pillow between them is a good reminder to keep them apart, not squeezed.
Form guides · Legs and hips
The wall sit: a squat that holds still.
No equipment, no rep counting, just you, a wall and a clock.
What good looks like.
A wall sit is a squat held still with your back against a wall. It builds strength in the thighs and teaches the knees to stay on track under a long load, which is why trainers use it for knees that cave and for people working up to squats.
- Back and head flat against the wall.
- Slide down until your thighs are as close to level as you can hold.
- Knees over your ankles, not past your toes.
- Knees in line with your feet, not caving in.
- Breathe. Stop when the knees start to wander, not just when it burns.
- Head back on the wall
- Low back on the wall
- Knees over the ankles
- Whole foot down
The faults a trainer sees most
What goes wrong, and the cue that fixes it.
The cues in quotes are the words Brad Glaser uses with his own clients.
2Feet too close to the wall
What you see: The knees push forward past the toes.
The fix: Walk your feet out until your knees sit over your ankles.
3Back peels off the wall
What you see: The low back and head come away from the wall.
The fix: "Tuck it", head back. Keep your whole back on the wall.
4Holding your breath
What you see: The face goes red and the jaw clenches.
The fix: Breathe out steadily. Short holds are fine.
Make it easier, make it harder.
Easier
- A higher position, less knee bend.
- Shorter holds, more of them.
- Hands resting on your thighs.
Harder
- A deeper position.
- One foot lifted off the floor.
- A weight held on your thighs.
Move within a range that feels comfortable, and stop any exercise that hurts. Have a health condition, or been inactive a while? Ask your doctor what is right for you first. VeraForma is coaching, not medicine. It does not diagnose, treat or cure anything, and it does not replace your doctor or physio.
Let your phone hold the clock.
Planks and wall sits are timed for you, with the countdown called out and shown on screen, so all you do is hold.
Not sure which of these faults you carry? Your free movement screen: one squat on camera, and the faults a trainer would name, with the angle drawn on your body.
Scan to open it on your phone.
Free: your movement screen, Phase 1 of your programme and all of nutrition.
More form guides
Built by Brad Glaser · NASM Master Trainer · NASM-CPT, CES, PES · 20+ years · has certified 100+ personal trainers.
He owns a personal-training studio in Southern California. The same method he uses standing next to a client, built into the app.
Train it right, free.
Scan to open it on your phone.
Free account, no card. Brad's questions. One squat on camera. Then your results.