The Air Squat is one of the most essential and foundational movements in CrossFit. It’s a bodyweight squat that trains your ability to sit down and stand up with control, stability, and strength—without the need for added load.
Often used in warm-ups, movement assessments, and metabolic conditioning workouts, the air squat teaches proper squat mechanics and lays the groundwork for more advanced lifts like front squats, overhead squats, and cleans.
Despite its simplicity, the air squat is incredibly valuable. It improves hip and ankle mobility, strengthens your posterior chain, and builds muscular endurance in the lower body. Whether you're a beginner or elite athlete, this movement is a core component of functional fitness.
air squat workout, burpee over box workout, d-ball over box workout, for time workout, wall walk workout
For time
5-4-3-2-1
Wall walks
D-ball over box + burpee over box
50-40-30-20-10
Air Squats
abmat sit-up workout, air squat workout, Deadlift workout, Hang Power Clean workout, pull-up workout, push-up workout, ring row workout, row workout, shoulder to overhead workout, the hateful eight crossfit
8 Rounds for time
8 Push ups
8 Ab mat sit up / GHD sit up
8 Air squat
8 Ring rows/pull ups
8 Deadlift
8 Hang power clean
8 Shoulder to overhead
8 cal row
air squat workout, burpee over dumbbell workout, Devils press workout, dumbbell clean workout, dumbbell deadlift workout, dumbbell hang clean workout, dumbbell squat workout
4 x EMOM 4
A: EMOM 4
3 Devils press
6 DB deadlift
10 Air squats
2 min pause
B: EMOM 4
6 DB Hang cleans
6 DB squats
6 Burpee over DB
2 min pause
air squat workout, AMRAP workout, double under workout, push-up workout, reaction drill workout, single under workout, toes to bar workout
AMRAP 8
80 Single unders/40 Double unders
25 Air squats
20 Push ups
15 Toes to bar
10 Reaction drill
Rest 1 min
AMRAP 6
80 Single unders/40 Double unders
25 Air squats
20 Push ups
15 Toes to bar
Rest 1 min
AMRAP 4
80 Single unders/40 Double unders
25 Air squats
20 Push ups
air squat workout, assault bike workout, Deadlift workout, interval workout, ski erg workout
1 min on / 1 min off until 60 deadlift is completed
Cal ski
Max reps deadlift the rest of the minute
Rest 3 min
1 min on / 1 min off until 100 Air squats is completed
Cal bike
Max reps Air squats the rest of the minute
air squat workout, bike erg workout, Deadlift workout, interval crossfit workout, ski erg workout
1 ON/1 OFF
6/10 / Intermediate: 8/12 / RX: 10/14 Cal ski
Then: Max Deadlifts in remaining time - @35/50 Intermediate: @45/60 RX: @60/80
Complete 60 total deadlifts
3 min pause
1 ON/1 OFF
8/12 / Intermediate: 10/14 / RX: 12/16 cal bike
Then: Max Air Squats in remaining time
Complete 100 Air Squats
air squat workout, atomic sit-up workout, chest to bar workout, e2mom workout, one-arm devil’s press workout, pull-up workout, ring row workout, v-up workout, wall ball workout
E2MOM
5 Ring rows/Pull ups/Chest to bar
10 Air squats
10 Atomic situps/V-ups
5 Wall balls @14/20 lbs
Max reps OA devils press
abmat sit-up workout, air squat workout, Burpee Box Jump workout, double under workout, for time workout, power clean workout, pull-up workout, ring row workout, single under workout, thruster workout, wall ball workout
For time
50 Air squats
40 Wall balls 14/10 lbs
40 Ab mat sit ups
30 Power cleans
30 Ring rows/pull ups
20 Thrusters
20 Burpee box jump over
200 Single unders/100 double unders
air squat workout, assault bike workout, EMOM workout, pull-up workout, push-up workout, ring row workout, row workout
EMOM 20
1: 10-18 cal bike
2: 1 round of Cindy
3: 10-18 cal row
4: Rest
air squat workout, bar muscle up workout, bike erg workout, kettlebell push press workout, pull-up workout
5 rounds:
2 Burpee (banded) pull up / Banded bar muscle up/ Bar muscle up
12/15 cal Bike
16 KB Push press
25 Air squats
The Air Squat primarily targets the muscles of the lower body and the core. It works:
Done correctly, the air squat strengthens all the muscles you use in everyday movements, from walking upstairs to lifting heavy objects.
Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your toes can point slightly outward, depending on your hip mobility.
Engage your core, keep your chest tall, and begin the movement by pushing your hips back and bending your knees simultaneously—like you’re sitting into a chair.
Lower down until your hips are below the crease of your knees (below parallel), keeping your heels planted and your knees tracking over your toes.
At the bottom, your weight should be evenly distributed, your back flat, and your chest upright. From there, press through your heels and stand back up to full extension.
Common cues to keep in mind:
• Knees out
• Chest up
• Weight in your heels
• Full hip extension at the top
Absolutely. Air squats are one of the most effective exercises for building a strong foundation of fitness. They improve strength, mobility, balance, and muscular control—without requiring any equipment.
In CrossFit, air squats often appear in high-rep metcons, EMOMs, or as part of skill-building drills. Over time, this consistent repetition trains your body to move more efficiently under fatigue, increasing both stamina and recovery between harder movements.
Whether your goal is to get stronger, move better, or build endurance, air squats work. And because they’re so simple and accessible, they belong in every athlete’s toolbox—regardless of skill level.
There are plenty of reasons to include air squats in your CrossFit workouts:
First, they build lower body strength and endurance using nothing but your bodyweight. This makes them ideal for beginners, high-rep conditioning, or even rehabilitation.
Second, air squats enhance joint mobility—particularly in the hips, knees, and ankles—which helps prevent injury and increases range of motion for barbell lifts.
Third, they reinforce functional movement. Practicing squats helps you move better in everyday life and creates a stronger base for compound lifts like thrusters, cleans, and snatches.
Finally, air squats are infinitely scalable. You can add tempo, volume, or jump variations to increase the challenge as your fitness improves.
