Your Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering the Barbell Squat
Ton your legs, abs, back and glutes with this super-effective workout move.
Squats have all kinds of benefits, from strengthening muscles to increasing endurance and helping with weight loss, but even some of the most seasoned gym rats may be used to only one kind of squat. Fitness trainers agree there are plenty of different ways to (properly) do squats—from the traditional kind to squats with added resistance. If you're interested in adding more variety to your workouts (and your squat types), learning how to do a barbell squat—and others like the front squat and back squat—could be beneficial to your exercise routine.
Parade consulted top trainers to break down the barbell squat step-by-step. Keep reading for squat how-to's, plus answers to frequently-asked squatting questions.
What Is a Barbell Squat?
A barbell squat is exactly what it sounds like—a squat done with weight in the form of a barbell that rests on the traps and shoulders.
According to Dr. Nathan Kadlecek, PT, DPT, CEO of Kadalyst Wellness and Physical Therapy in Monterrey, CA, this exercise is also known as a barbell back squat.
Barbell squats are widely considered a workout for your glutes, but they actually work out a whole lot more than just your bum muscles.
Related: How Many Squats You Need to Do to Actually See Results
"The barbell back squat primarily works the glute muscles, quads, hamstrings and adductor (inner thigh) muscle groups," Kadlecek adds.
What Are the Benefits of Barbell Squats?
If you're new to barbell squats, you may be wondering what's so great about them or what their benefits are.
"It’s beneficial to do barbell squats because as we get older, we lose muscle mass and strength," Dr. Kadlecek explains. "Barbell squats counteract that loss of muscle and strength and helps us to stay fit, active and strong throughout our entire life."
Related: Here's How Much Cardio You Need To Do Every Week To Lose Weight
Particularly for competitive lifters, Dr. Kadlecek adds that barbell squats help athletes "build explosive power." One advantage more seasoned athletes might have is a reduced risk of injury due to frequent training and increased strength.
Who Should Do Barbell Squats?
There are clearly a ton of advantages to integrating barbell squats into your fitness routine, but we all have different goals in the gym. How do you know if barbell squats are for you?
"Anyone who wants to build significant lower body strength, gain muscle mass, and improve their quality of life [can do barbell squats]," Kadlecek says. "This ranges from kids all the way to senior citizens, athletes and non-athletes alike."
That being said, lots of athletes and competitive lifters prioritize barbell squats, and other kinds of squats too.
Related: Workout Quotes to Keep You Motivated
However, Kadlecek also adds that barbell squats aren't necessarily appropriate for everyone. Most crucially, anyone with a lower-limb fracture or anyone non-weight-baring will want to avoid this exercise.
"Now, there are other variations of squats that I might have people do instead of barbell squats as they aren’t appropriate for everyone," Kadlecek explains. "If you have pain in your hip, back, knee, etc. with barbell squats, this doesn’t mean they are bad for you, it might just mean that you need to warm up better, start with a different variation of a squat, use less weight, change your range of motion or modify some other variable."
Related: Are You Making These Common Squats Mistakes?
A lack of range or mobility may also cause barbell squats to feel painful or more difficult. In that case, Kadlecek recommends a different kind of squat altogether.
"One other caveat is that if you have poor shoulder mobility, poor ankle mobility and poor hip mobility, it may be more difficult to get into a good position during the barbell squat," Kadlecek says. "I would start this individual with a bodyweight squat or goblet squat to get started."
How To Warm Up Before Barbell Squats
Any trainer will tell you that it's really important to warm up before engaging in any kind of exercise. Barbell squats are no exception!
"Warming up is important as it increases the internal temperature of the musculature as well as provides lubrication to the joints," Kadlecek says. "This allows the muscles to contract more efficiently allowing you to move more freely and with less discomfort."
Related: Break a Sweat With the Best Free Online Workouts
But a warm-up is just that—a way to get ready before the real-deal workout. As such, there is no need to go all-out in a warm-up.
"Keep it short and sweet," Kadlecek advises of your pre-squat warmup. "You should absolutely not be warming up for more than 10 minutes. It’s overkill after that."
If the max you can squat with a bar is 135 pounds, then warm up your muscles and get your heart rate up with Kadlecek's warm-up recommendation: "Start with bodyweight squats, three sets of 10-15 reps, do some calf raises, three sets of 15-20 reps, and then go into your first set with just the bar."
Related: Quiet the Mind and Get Your Zen on With These Quotes About Meditation
However, even a warm-up should be customized depending on your strength and endurance."If you can squat 315 pounds, then you can likely start with 135 pounds as a warm-up," Kadlecek adds.
How Low Should You Get During a Barbell Squat?
When squatting, the goal is usually to get down low so you're really building muscle and working those glutes. However, going too low can also be an issue.
"Unless otherwise impaired, you should be able to get the hips slightly lower than the knees for full depth," Dr. Bill Kelley DPT, ATC, CSCS, and owner of Aries Physical Therapy explains. "Different sports have different requirements such as powerlifting versus CrossFit, for example. Different sports have different demands as well that can also play a role."
As a general rule, Dr. Kelley recommends the depth of a baseball catcher's squat.
Related: Want to Get In Shape Without The Time Commitment? Try One Of These HIIT Workouts for Beginners
Kadlecek adds, "Generally, the larger the range of motion, the greater the muscle development. Ideally, you are getting to 90 degrees of knee flexion where your thighs are parallel to the floor. If you can go further than parallel and you feel comfortable doing this that is also acceptable."
But at the end of the day, the specifics of your individual barbell squat have everything to do with your individual fitness goals.
"If your primary goal is strength and longevity, I recommend going through a full range of motion with lighter weight to start with and then building up to heavier," Kadlecek advises. "If you are training for powerlifting, then there really isn’t a need to go that far below parallel."
How To Do a Barbell Back Squat
Below, Kadlecek explains how to properly do a barbell back squat.
Step 1: Make sure you have the safety pins set at the appropriate height. My recommendation is to place the barbell on your back and perform the squat first and see how far you go down. Ensure that the safety pins are set around one to two inches below that so that if you 'fail' the lift, you are safe. If this is a complete beginner, then they should start at step two and prior to adding weight return to step one).
Step 2: Set the squat rack height to the proper height. If you are performing the high bar back squat then this is generally around shoulder height. If you are performing the low back squat, this will be three to five inches below the height of the shoulder.
Related: The Best Free and Paid Workout Apps for Your Fitness Goals
Step 3: Facing the mirror or wall (wherever the squat rack is placed), step under the bar with both feet and place the bar on the 'shelf' of your shoulders. It should not be sitting on your neck, causing a large amount of discomfort.
Step 4: Once the bar is set on your back, take two medium-sized steps back and make sure that your feet are aligned with one another.
Step 5: For most people, having your feet a little bit wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly turned out is the most comfortable. If you have tight hips or ankles, sometimes taking a wider stance and using squat shoes can be beneficial as you are learning the movement.
Related: Get in the Best Shape Ever With These 51 Bodyweight Exercises That Require Zero Equipment
Step 6: Once your positioning is set, you are ready to begin the squat. Focus on keeping the pressure through your feet in the middle of the foot. If the pressure moves too far forward or too far backward, you’ll notice that you’re off balance.
Step 7: As you start to descend into the squat, you should first hinge your hips, try to keep your back flat (it’s okay to be bent forward a bit) and continue through the movement.
Step 8: Stand back up and repeat.
What Is a Front Squat?
The front squat is very similar to the barbell back squat in theory, however, it reverses the placement of both the hands and the bar itself.
Dr. Kelley explains, "The front squat is performed just like the back squat with the difference being hand placement is slightly closer and the bar rests forward on the chest just below the clavicle. The bar position will shift your stance slightly back as well. The front squat will shift the demand more toward the quads. It is important because movement variation is an excellent way to build well-rounded strength and body control."
Related: Should You Do Cardio Before or After Lifting Weights at the Gym?
Front squats are a meaningful exercise for all kinds of lifters—even amateur ones.
"This is a great movement to add some variation to your workouts," Dr. Kadlecek adds. "It helps keeps things fresh."That being said, Olympic lifters or otherwise professional lifters may need to focus more attention on their front squats.
"If you are an Olympic lifter then the front squat, of course, becomes more important as that is required for your sport therefore you should practice it more often," Kadlecek says.
How To Do a Front Squat, Step by Step
Below, Heather Jeffcoat, owner of Fusion Wellness and Physical Therapy in Los Angeles, California, breaks down the front squat step by step.
Step 1: Take a deep breath, tighten your abdominal muscles without bearing down, and pull your shoulders down and back.
Step 2: Sit backward with feet shoulder width apart while keeping your chest and elbows up, maintaining upper arms parallel to the floor.
Step 3: Continue downward until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Step 4: Push through the ground with your legs evenly distributing the weight through your feet.
Step 5: Maintain your lumbar spine at or close to neutral throughout the movement.
Next up, barbell exercises for strengthening and toning your entire body.
Sources
Dr. Nathan Kadlecek, PT, DPT, CEO of Kadalyst Wellness and Physical Therapy
Dr. Bill Kelley DPT, ATC, CSCS, and owner of Aries Physical Therapy
Heather Jeffcoat, owner of Fusion Wellness and Physical Therapy
