Barbell Squat
Description
The barbell back squat is the foundational lower-body strength exercise — sometimes called the king of all lifts. With the bar racked across the upper back, you squat down to depth and stand back up. It builds the entire lower body — quads, glutes, hamstrings — along with the core and lower back. It is the cornerstone of nearly every serious strength program.
Muscle Group
Equipment Required
Barbell Squat Instructions
- Set a barbell in a squat rack at roughly upper-chest height. Step under the bar and rack it across your upper traps (high bar) or across your rear delts (low bar).
- Grip the bar tight with hands just outside shoulder-width. Step back from the rack with a controlled walkout.
- Set your stance shoulder-width apart with toes slightly turned out.
- Brace your core hard. Take a deep breath and hold it.
- Sit back and down by hinging at the hips and bending the knees together. Push your knees out over your toes.
- Descend until the crease of your hip is below the top of your knee (parallel or below).
- Drive through your full foot to stand back up. Maintain a tight back and braced core throughout.
- Re-rack carefully on the final rep with a controlled walk-in.
Barbell Squat Form & Visual
Barbell Squat Benefits
- Foundational lower-body strength exercise
- Builds quads, glutes, hamstrings, and entire lower body
- Trains the core and lower back heavily
- Develops total-body strength and athleticism
- Allows progressive overload over years of training
- The cornerstone of nearly every strength program
Barbell Squat Muscles Worked
- Quadriceps
- Gluteus maximus and medius
- Hamstrings
- Adductors
- Erector spinae
- Core (entire trunk)
- Calves (stabilizer)
