Legs / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Barbell Squat

A barbell exercise for the quads, with the calves, glutes and hamstrings assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Quads

Secondary

Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower back (erectors)

Equipment

Barbell

Movement pattern

Squat

Level

Beginner

Type

Legs, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the knee. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes. To begin, first set the bar on a rack to just below shoulder level. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, step under the bar and place the back of your shoulders (slightly below the neck) across it.
2. Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.
3. Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head up at all times and also maintain a straight back. This will be your starting position. (Note: For the purposes of this discussion we will use the medium stance described above which targets overall development; however you can choose any of the three stances discussed in the foot stances section).
4. Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees and hips as you maintain a straight posture with the head up. Continue down until the angle between the upper leg and the calves becomes slightly less than 90-degrees. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: If you performed the exercise correctly, the front of the knees should make an imaginary straight line with the toes that is perpendicular to the front. If your knees are past that imaginary line (if they are past your toes) then you are placing undue stress on the knee and the exercise has been performed incorrectly.
5. Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the heel of your foot as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Knees cave inward on the way up.

  Why it hurts: Knee valgus twists the knee under load and strains the inner knee ligaments (MCL) and the kneecap tendon.

  ✓ Instead: Push the knees out in line with the second and third toe and "spread the floor" with your feet. Lighten the load until you can keep it.

• ✗ Lower back rounds at the bottom ("butt wink") under a heavy bar.

  Why it hurts: Flexing the lumbar spine while it carries the bar shifts load onto the discs and can aggravate a disc bulge.

  ✓ Instead: Brace before each rep, squat only as deep as you can keep a neutral spine, and work on ankle and hip mobility to earn more depth.

• ✗ Heels lift and weight shifts onto the toes.

  Why it hurts: The knees travel far forward with the load on the forefoot, overloading the patellar tendon and making the lift unstable.

  ✓ Instead: Keep the whole foot planted with pressure through mid-foot and heel. Limited ankle mobility? Use small heel plates or squat shoes while you work on it.

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