Squat

Back squat

The foundational lower-body lift. Builds leg and glute strength and teaches you to brace under load.

Back squat — exercise illustration

Squat · Intermediate

Back squat

Barbell · AI visualisation, illustrative only

Equipment
Barbell
Level
Intermediate
Primary muscles
Quadriceps, Gluteus maximus
Secondary muscles
Adductors, Spinal erectors, Abdominals
Working range
4–8 reps · RIR 2

Step by step

Movement diagram: Back squat
A movement diagram, not a photograph. It shows the sequence of joint angles and the path of the load — body proportions are schematic. If you have reduced motion enabled, you will see both positions side by side.
  1. 1Set the bar in the rack at mid-chest height. Any higher and you will be on your toes to unrack it.
  2. 2Grip the bar wider than your shoulders, step under it and rest it on your traps — never on your neck.
  3. 3Pull your shoulder blades together, brace your abs as if about to take a punch, unrack and take two steps back.
  4. 4Feet hip-width or slightly wider, toes turned out a little, so your knees track over your feet.
  5. 5Take a breath, hold it, and descend by sending your hips back and bending your knees together.
  6. 6Go at least until your hips reach knee height — as far as your mobility allows.
  7. 7Drive back up through the floor, keeping your torso at the same angle as on the way down. Exhale only after clearing the hardest point.

What makes the biggest difference

Common mistakes

Knees cave inward on the way up

Think about spreading the floor apart with your feet. If that does not fix it, the weight is too heavy — drop 10-15% and rebuild the pattern.

Lower back rounds at the bottom

Usually limited ankle or hip mobility, not a weak back. Stop at the depth where your back stays flat and work on range separately.

Hips shoot up faster than the chest

The squat turns into a good morning with the bar on your back. Start the ascent thinking "chest up", not "hips up".

Bouncing out of the bottom

Bouncing shifts load onto the knee ligaments. Take two seconds down and pause briefly at the bottom.

What to do instead

Lower back pain

Leg press →

The back support removes axial load from the spine while the legs still work through full range.

Shoulder pain prevents holding the bar

Bulgarian split squat with dumbbells →

Dumbbells held at your sides need no shoulder external rotation, and single-leg work lets you use far less load.

No squat rack available

Goblet squat

A dumbbell held at the chest can be picked up off the floor, and it forces a more upright torso as a bonus.

Contraindications

  • A recent knee or hip injury — clear your return with a physiotherapist before getting back under the bar.
  • Uncontrolled hypertension — holding your breath under load raises arterial pressure.
  • An acute disc herniation — avoid axial loading until a doctor clears you.

This is not medical advice. If any of these apply to you, or the exercise causes pain, talk to a doctor or physiotherapist before returning to training.

Similar exercises

Leg press

Log your sets and watch the progression

You enter weight, reps and RIR — the app computes your estimated 1RM, plots the strength curve and suggests the next session’s load along with the reasoning.

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