Legs · Barbell · Compound · Intermediate
Barbell Back Squat
A squat with the barbell resting across the upper back, taken to at least parallel and stood back up. Quads, glutes and adductors work through a long range under heavy load, and the trunk has to hold that load the whole way.
How to do it
- Set the bar in the rack at about mid-chest height. Duck under it and place it either on top of the traps (high-bar) or a few centimetres lower, across the rear delts (low-bar).
- Grip the bar evenly, a little outside shoulder width, and pull your elbows down to tighten the upper back into a shelf for the bar.
- Stand up to unrack it, then take two or three short steps back. Set your feet about shoulder width or slightly wider, toes turned out around 15–30°.
- Breathe into your belly and brace before each rep. Keep the whole foot on the floor.
- Bend at the hips and knees together and sit down between your feet, with your knees travelling in the same direction as your toes.
- Go down until your hip crease is below the top of your knee, or as deep as you can go without your lower back rounding.
- Push through the middle of the foot and stand up with hips and shoulders rising at the same rate. Breathe out at the top and re-brace before the next rep.
Cues
Short phrases to think during a set.
- “Knees follow the toes”
- “Brace before you bend”
- “Whole foot down, weight over midfoot”
- “Hips and chest rise together”
Common mistakes
- Knees caving inward as you stand up. Push them out over the toes, and if they still cave, take weight off until they track.
- Heels lifting or weight drifting onto the toes. Keep pressure over the midfoot; flat shoes or weightlifting shoes with a raised heel both help, as does ankle mobility work.
- Hips shooting up first so the lift turns into a good morning. Drive the upper back into the bar and keep the chest and hips rising together.
- Stopping high and calling it a rep. Lower the weight until you can hit the same depth every time; a box set to parallel gives you something to aim for.
- Pushing deeper than your hips allow, so the pelvis tucks under and the lower back rounds at the bottom. Under a heavy bar, stop just above that point and work on hip and ankle range separately.
The short version
Most strength programs for beginners are built around this lift, and it is easy to see why. You can add a small amount of weight every session for months, and it loads the legs far more heavily than dumbbell or single-leg exercises can. The argument among coaches is about how to squat, not whether to.
The longest-running disagreement is bar position. Low-bar puts the bar lower on the back, which tips the torso further forward and usually allows a heavier load; powerlifters tend to use it. High-bar keeps the torso more upright and works the quads harder, and weightlifters and most general lifters use it. Coaches disagree on which suits beginners better, and either is a reasonable place to start.
Expect a learning period. Depth, bracing and knee tracking take a few weeks to feel consistent, heavy sessions leave you tired for a day or two, and lifters with long thighs will lean further forward than a video demo suggests. That lean is anatomy, not a fault.
Why people do it
- Easy to add weight in small steps, which is why linear beginner programs use it as their main lower-body lift
- Trains the quads, glutes and adductors together through a long range of motion
- Teaches you to brace your trunk under real load, which carries over to the deadlift and overhead press
- Scales from an empty bar to whatever you can eventually lift, so it stays useful for years
- Needs only a bar, plates and a rack, with no machine to adjust to your height
Drawbacks
- You need a power rack with safety pins or spotter arms set just below your bottom position, or a spotter, to fail a rep safely
- Heavy sets are tiring and recovery takes longer than for most leg exercises, which can affect the rest of your training week
- The bar sits uncomfortably on the back until you get used to it, and low-bar can bother the wrists, elbows or shoulders of lifters with tight shoulders
- Lifters with limited ankle or hip mobility often struggle to reach depth without their lower back rounding
- Hard to train around a sore lower back or knee, where a leg press or split squat can still be done
Sources
- PowerliftingToWin: Powerlifting Squat Technique · PowerliftingToWin
- Stronglifts: How to Squat with Proper Form — The Definitive Guide · Stronglifts
Questions
How low should I squat?+
The usual target is hip crease just below the top of the knee, which is the powerlifting standard for depth. Going deeper is fine for healthy knees if your lower back stays in position. If your pelvis tucks under before you get there, stop above that point under heavy load.
Should I squat high-bar or low-bar?+
High-bar is more upright and quad-heavy; low-bar leans further forward, uses more hip and usually lets you lift a bit more. Coaches disagree on whether one is better for beginners. Pick the one that feels comfortable on your shoulders and stick with it long enough to learn it.
Is it bad if my knees go past my toes?+
No. Most people's knees travel past their toes in a full squat, and forcing the shins vertical just pushes more of the work onto the hips and lower back. What matters is that the knees point the same way as the toes and the heels stay down.
Why do my knees cave in on heavy squats?+
Usually the load is close to your limit and the hips are not holding the knees out. Cue knees out, take some weight off, and add hip abductor and glute work if it keeps happening.
Do I need a belt to squat?+
Not to start. Learn to brace without one first, then add a belt for your heaviest sets if you like; it gives the abs something to push against.
Why does my lower back hurt after squats?+
Common causes are losing your brace at the bottom, letting the pelvis tuck under at depth, or the hips rising faster than the chest on the way up. Film a set from the side to see which. Sharp pain, pain that runs down a leg, or pain that lasts more than a few days should be seen by a clinician before you load the bar again.
Swaps on other equipment
Each has the quads as its main muscle and is also a push, on a different piece of equipment.
Variations
Front Squat · Box Squat · Pause Squat · Safety Bar Squat
Other quad exercises
- All Fours Quad Stretch · Bodyweight
- Alternate Leg Diagonal Bound · Bodyweight
- Backward Drag · Other
- Barbell Full Squat · Barbell
- Barbell Hack Squat · Barbell
- Barbell Lunge · Barbell
Written for this site from the sources listed above. Last reviewed October 20, 2026. How this site is put together · Report a mistake