What is the Barbell Squat?
The Barbell Squat is a lower-body exercise where you hold a barbell across your upper back, sit down into a squat and stand back up. It mainly trains your quadriceps and glutes. Your inner thighs and lower back also work hard to control the bar.
Quick facts
- Level: Intermediate
- Equipment: Barbell and squat rack
- Movement pattern: Squat
- Force: Push
- Type: Compound
- Sides: Both legs together
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
- Quadriceps
- Gluteus maximus
Secondary muscles
- Adductors (inner thigh)
- Lower back (erector spinae)
- Hamstrings
Your hamstrings work less in a squat than many people expect. They lengthen at the hip as they shorten at the knee, so their overall length changes little.
How to do the Barbell Squat
- Setup: Stand under the bar and rest it across your upper back. Grip it firmly and pull your shoulder blades together.
- Setup: Lift the bar out of the rack and take a few steps back. Place your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Start: Brace your core and lift your chest.
- Move: Bend your hips and knees to sit down into the squat. Keep your knees in line with your toes.
- Move: Lower until your thighs are about parallel to the floor, or as deep as you can with control.
- Return: Drive through your midfoot to stand back up. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
- Finish: Walk the bar back into the rack when you finish the set.
Coaching cues
- Brace before you bend.
- Push your knees out over your toes.
- Drive the floor away through your midfoot.
Common mistakes
- Knees caving in. Push your knees out so they stay in line with your toes as you go down and come up.
- Heels lifting off the floor. Keep your weight over your midfoot. Try a slightly wider stance or turn your toes out a little.
- Chest dropping forward out of the bottom. Brace hard and lead with your chest as you stand. Lower the weight if your hips shoot up first.
- Losing tension at the bottom. Stay braced through the whole rep. Do not relax or bounce in the bottom position.
Easier and harder options
- Easier: Kettlebell Box Front Squat. You hold a lighter weight at your chest and sit to a box, which sets a clear depth.
Training focus and energy demand
The barbell squat is mostly used to build lower-body strength and muscle size. Heavier loads with fewer reps lean toward strength. Moderate loads with more reps lean toward muscle size.
Your body uses several energy systems at once, and the share of each changes with load, speed, set length and rest. Short, heavy sets rely more on fast energy stored in the muscle. Longer sets with short rests rely more on aerobic energy, and you will notice your breathing climb. Hard efforts that last from several seconds to a few minutes also rely heavily on energy your muscles make quickly from carbohydrate.
FAQs
How deep should I squat?
Go as deep as you can while keeping your heels down, your back flat and your knees in line with your toes. For many people that is thighs parallel to the floor or a little lower.
Should I use safety arms?
Yes, when you train alone. Set the safety arms just below your lowest squat depth so you can set the bar down if you get stuck.