Barbell Squat
Also works: Calves · Glutes · Hamstrings · Lower Back
The back squat loads a bar across your upper back and asks your legs and trunk to move it through a full range. It builds the quads, glutes and spinal erectors at once and carries more total load than any other leg movement, which is why almost every serious program is built around it.
Own the movement
Set up first, then execute. Every cue below is something you can check on your next set.
Before the first rep
- Set the rack hooks at roughly mid-chest height, so you have to dip slightly to get under the bar rather than tiptoe up to it.
- Put the bar on the shelf of muscle across your rear delts, not on your neck. Pull your elbows down and squeeze the bar into your back.
- Take the bar out with two steps, not five. Every extra step is wasted energy before the set has started.
- Set your feet a little wider than your shoulders with toes turned out roughly 20-30 degrees.
- Take a big breath into your belly and brace as if you were about to be punched — then start descending.
Every rep
Breathing & tempo — Breathe in and brace at the top, hold through the descent and the drive, exhale only once you are standing. Two to three seconds down, up as fast as you can control.
Before you load it
- Always squat in a rack with the safety pins set just below your bottom position. They cost nothing and catch the rep you cannot finish.
- Learn to bail: if the rep dies, drop the bar backwards and step forward. Practise it with a light weight once so it is not new when it happens.
Sets, reps & load
Where to start, and what to change when it stops being hard.
Start with the empty bar regardless of your training history — the pattern needs grooving before the load matters. Squatting bodyweight for 5 reps is a solid intermediate marker; 1.5x bodyweight is genuinely strong for a non-competitor. Add 2.5-5 kg once every rep of every set hits depth cleanly.
What goes wrong
The errors that show up most often, and the cue that fixes each one.
Drop the weight by 20% and squat to real depth. Set a box or bench at the right height for a few sessions so you get honest feedback on every rep.
Actively push the knees out through the whole rep. If they still cave under load, the weight is above what your hips can currently control.
Lighten the load and cue your chest to stay proud out of the hole. This is usually weak trunk bracing, not weak legs.
One breath per rep, held through the whole rep, released at the top. Breathing at the bottom is where backs get hurt.
Why bother
Nothing else trains the lower body with as much load. A leg press can move more absolute weight, but the squat also demands that your trunk stay rigid under that load — you are training bracing and leg drive in the same rep. That is why squat numbers track general strength so closely.
Depth decides which muscles get paid. Stopping above parallel biases the quads and lets you handle far more weight than you have actually earned. Breaking parallel — hip crease below the top of the knee — brings the glutes and adductors in and is the standard worth holding yourself to.
Where it fits
Squat first on a lower-body day, when your trunk is fresh. Two sessions a week works well for most people: one heavy in the 3-5 range, one moderate in the 6-10 range. Trying to squat heavy three or more times a week is how most people end up stalling and sore rather than strong.
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Asked and answered
How deep should I squat?
Hip crease below the top of the knee, at minimum. Go deeper if your ankles and hips allow it and your lower back stays neutral. A squat that stops above parallel is a partial — train it if you choose, but log it as what it is.
Are my knees allowed to travel past my toes?
Yes. This is one of the most persistent gym myths. Knees travelling forward is normal and necessary, particularly if you have long femurs or you front squat. Pain is a signal; forward knee travel on its own is not.
Should I wear a belt?
Not until you are squatting a meaningful multiple of bodyweight and have a reliable brace without one. A belt gives your abs something to push against — it does not replace bracing. Learn to brace first, then add the belt for your top sets.
My lower back rounds at the bottom. What do I do?
That is usually ankle or hip mobility limiting your depth, and your spine making up the difference. Squat to just above the point where it rounds, work on ankle mobility, and let depth come back gradually. Do not load through the round.