The exercise in which you lower your hips from standing and then rise again is called a squat.
A squat combines bending and straightening at the hips and knees while the ankles also move to help maintain balance. The movement primarily trains the quadriceps, gluteus maximus, and adductor magnus, while the trunk muscles work to stabilize the body. Squats can be performed with body weight or with equipment such as a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells.
The squat is one of powerlifting’s three competition lifts, alongside the bench press and deadlift. In a competitive back squat, the lifter lowers until the crease of the hip is below the top of the knee. Everyday fitness programs use many variations, including the air squat, goblet squat, front squat, and split squat.
A squat is not the same as a lunge: a lunge generally uses a staggered stance and emphasizes one leg at a time. A press moves a weight away from the body, while a deadlift lifts it from the floor without the same repeated hip-and-knee descent.