Barbell Squat
The barbell back squat — the king of lower-body strength training and the standard measure of leg strength.
How to do it
- Set the bar in the rack at about chest height and step under it to lock it onto your upper back.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than your shoulders, brace your core, and walk it out of the rack.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, and chest up.
- Send your hips back and down as you bend your knees, and squat until your hips drop below your knees.
- Drive through your whole foot to stand back up, keeping your chest up and the bar path straight.
- Lock out your hips and knees at the top, reset your breath and brace, and repeat cleanly.
Key technique cue
Knees track over the toes, lower back stays flat; stand up pressing through the whole foot.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Letting the knees cave inward on the way up, which stresses the knees and weakens the lift.
- ✕ Cutting depth and failing to reach at least parallel, which misses the full quad and glute work.
- ✕ Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which puts the spine at risk under heavy load.
- ✕ Shifting the bar's weight onto the toes, which throws off balance and loads the lower back.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds total lower-body strength, led by the quads and glutes.
- ✓ Trains core bracing and full-body stability under heavy load.
- ✓ Reinforces a squat pattern that carries over to sports and everyday life.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 3 You are here - Barbell Squat
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About the exercise
The Barbell Squat is the most recognizable lower-body exercise in the world. The bar sits on the upper back, and the athlete squats to at least parallel before standing up, training the quads, glutes, and entire trunk under a heavy load. It's a competition lift in powerlifting and the foundation of every serious strength program ever written. The squat is non-negotiable in every leg day, every strength program and at every level from beginner to advanced, and it's the standard reference for learning the squat pattern.
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