If I were new to exercise, I’d nail this one move over all the others to build total-body strength and stability

Man in a turquoise tshirt and grey shorts squatting indoors with a bed and lamp behind him facing sideways to the camera.

Whenever I start training a new client there’s one move I always include in their program—the squat.

Often known as the king of exercises, the squat is a compound move meaning it works multiple muscle groups at one. It targets some of the biggest muscles in the body: the quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings, as well as the core, calves, adductors (inner thighs) and hip flexors.