Back Squat
A foundational barbell squat for the quadriceps and glutes.
Also called Barbell Squat, Barbell Back Squat.
This page is a working draft. A coach has not reviewed it, so read it as a starting point, not as checked instruction.
- Pattern
- Squat
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Laterality
- Bilateral
- Impact
- Low
- Trains where
- Gym
- At home
- No
How to do it
Set up
- Bar on your upper back, feet shoulder-width, toes slightly out.
Do the rep
- Brace, then sit your hips back and down until they break parallel.
- Drive up through your whole foot to a full stand.
What counts as a rep
A rep counts when the hip crease drops below the top of the knee and you return to a full stand.
One rep starts standing with the bar racked on the upper back, descends until the hips break parallel, and ends at a full stand with hips and knees extended.
Breathing
Breathe in and brace before the descent; exhale as you complete the rep.
Common mistakes
Hips shoot up first
What you seeThe hips rise faster than the bar out of the bottom and the lift turns into a good morning.
FixKeep your chest and hips rising together.
The rep standard is a squat, not a hip hinge.
Stop the set if
- Sharp pain
- Losing balance or bar position
- You cannot complete the rep with control
General educational content, not individual coaching or medical advice.
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