Back Squat

Introduction

The back squat is a fundamental exercise across a number of fitness domains, known for building lower body strength and enhancing overall athletic performance.

This guide covers everything you need to know about the back squat, including how to perform it correctly, variations, benefits, common rep schemes, and tips for getting the most out of this essential exercise.

How to Perform

Setup

1. Position the Barbell: Place the barbell at an appropriate height on the squat rack, just below shoulder level.
2. Grip the Bar: Grip the bar with your hands in a narrow(ish) grip, which helps engage your upper back.
3. Position Under the Bar: Step under the bar, positioning it across your upper back (traps). Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift your elbows slightly to create a shelf for the bar.
4. Unrack the Bar: Stand up to lift the bar off the rack, always walking out backwards.
5. Setup: Use a maximum of three steps for your setup, positioning your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart. This width may vary slightly for everyone.
6. Squeeze the Bar: Actively squeeze the bar into your back to maintain tension and control.

Execution

1. Starting Position: Stand tall with the barbell securely positioned on your upper back, chest up, and core engaged.
2. Lowering Phase: Inhale deeply, brace your core, and bend at the hips and knees to lower your body. Keep your chest up and back straight as you descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower.
3. Lifting Phase: Drive through your heels to extend your hips and knees, returning to the starting position. Exhale as you complete the lift.

Key Tips

• Maintain a Neutral Spine: Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your lower back.
• Engage Your Core: Tighten your core muscles throughout the lift to stabilize your spine.
• Drive Through Your Heels: Push through your heels to engage your glutes and quadriceps effectively.
• Proper Foot Placement: Ensure your feet are just wider than shoulder-width apart for stability (this varies slightly by person)
• Narrow Grip: A narrower grip helps engage your upper back muscles, providing better stability.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoiding common mistakes can help you get the most out of your back squat workouts and reduce the risk of injury. Here are some frequent pitfalls to watch out for.

1. Rounding the Back: Keep your back straight and avoid rounding it to prevent injury.
2. Knee Cave-In: Prevent your knees from caving inward by pushing them out as you squat.
3. Lifting Heels: Keep your heels flat on the ground to maintain stability and proper form.
4. Partial Range of Motion: Aim for full depth by lowering your hips below parallel to maximize muscle activation.

Benefits

The back squat offers numerous benefits that can enhance your overall strength, athletic performance, and functional fitness. Here are some key advantages of incorporating this exercise into your routine.

1. Total Lower Body Strength: The back squat is a compound exercise that works multiple muscle groups, including the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core.
2. Functional Strength: Enhances strength useful in daily activities and sports, particularly those involving lifting and carrying.
3. Improved Mobility: Performing squats regularly can improve hip, knee, and ankle mobility.
4. Increased Muscle Mass: Regularly performing back squats can lead to significant muscle growth, particularly in the lower body.
5. Enhanced Athletic Performance: Squats are a foundational movement in many sports, improving power, speed, and agility.

Common Rep Schemes

Different rep schemes can be used to achieve various fitness goals with the back squat. Here are some common rep schemes to consider.

1. Straight Strength Sets (1-6 Reps)
   • Description: Low reps with heavy weights.
   • Purpose: Maximize strength.
   • Example: 3-5 sets of 1-6 reps at 80-95% of your one-rep max (1RM).
   • Proximity to Failure: 2-4 ****Reps in Reserve (RIR)
2. Straight Hypertrophy Sets (6-12 Reps)
   • Description: Moderate reps with moderate weights.
   • Purpose: Promotes muscle growth through mechanical adaptations. ⬇️ Metabolic Fatigue
   • Example: 3-5 sets of 6-12 reps at 60-80% of your 1RM.
   • Proximity to failure: ≤ 3 Reps in Reserve (RIR)
3. Straight Hypertrophy / Muscular Endurance Sets (15-30 Reps)
   • Description: Higher reps with light-moderate weights.
   • Purpose: Promotes muscle growth through metabolic adaptation. ⬇️ Mechanical fatigue.
   • Example: 3-5 sets of 15-30 reps at 30-50% of your 1RM. ≤ 2 Reps in Reserve (RIR).
4. Rest Pause Sets (40-60 total reps)
   • Description: accumulate reps by performing a set to near failure, then continuing after a short rest.
   • Purpose: Maximizes muscle fiber recruitment and adds variation.
   • Example: Perform max reps at 60%, rest 30 seconds, perform another max rep set, rest 30 seconds. Repeat until you achieve the target total reps.
5. Drop Sets
   • Description: Performing a set to failure, then reducing the weight and continuing.
   • Purpose: Maximizes muscle fatigue and growth.
   • Example: Perform 8 reps at 80%, immediately drop to 60% and perform as many reps as possible.

Warm-Up Routine

A proper warm-up routine is crucial to prepare your muscles and joints for the back squat, reducing the risk of injury and improving performance. Here’s a 15-minute protocol to get you ready.

• Raise (2-4 Minutes)
  • Light Cardio: Perform 2-4 minutes of light cardio such as brisk walking, jogging, or cycling to increase your heart rate and blood flow.
• Activate (2-4 Minutes)
  • Bodyweight Squats: 2 sets of 10-12 reps (Perform regular squats without any weight to activate your leg muscles.)
  • Lunges: 2 sets of 6-8 reps per leg (Perform forward lunges to engage your glutes and thighs.)
• Mobilize (2-4 Minutes)
  • Hip Circles: 1 set of 10 reps per direction (Stand with your hands on your hips and make circles with your hips.)
  • Ankle Mobilizations: 1 set of 10 reps per side (Place your foot flat on the floor, bend your knee forward while keeping your heel on the ground to mobilize your ankle.)
• Potentiate (2-4 Minutes)
  • Back Squat Warm-Up Sets: 1-2 sets of 5-10 reps at approximately 50% of your intended working weight.

Advanced Techniques

Advanced techniques can help experienced lifters push past plateaus and achieve new levels of strength. Here are some methods to consider:

1. Pause Squats: Pause at the bottom of the squat to increase time under tension and build strength.
2. Tempo Squats: Slow down the eccentric phase to 3-5 seconds to increase time under tension.
3. Explosive Squats: Perform the concentric phase as quickly as possible to develop power.
4. Cluster Sets: Perform multiple mini-sets with short rest periods to increase volume and intensity without reaching failure.

Common Variations

Incorporating variations of the back squat can target different muscle fibers and add variety to your workout routine.

Here are some common variations to consider (quite a few to pick from!)

1. Front Squat
   • Target Muscles: Emphasizes the quadriceps and core.
   • Setup: Position the barbell in front of your shoulders, resting on your clavicles with elbows high.
   • Execution: Perform the squat with an upright torso, lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower, then stand back up.
2. Box Squat
   • Target Muscles: Focuses on the glutes and hamstrings.
   • Setup: Place a box behind you at the desired height, position the barbell on your traps as in a regular back squat.
   • Execution: Squat down to the box, sit back briefly, then stand back up.
3. Goblet Squat
   • Target Muscles: Targets the quadriceps, glutes, and core.
   • Setup: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest height, feet shoulder-width apart.
   • Execution: Perform the squat with an upright torso, lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower, then stand back up.
4. Overhead Squat
   • Target Muscles: Challenges the entire body, particularly the core and shoulders.
   • Setup: Hold the barbell overhead with a wide grip, feet shoulder-width apart.
   • Execution: Perform the squat while keeping the barbell overhead and your torso upright, lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower, then stand back up.
5. Quarter Squat
   • Target Muscles: Primarily targets the quadriceps.
   • Setup: Position the barbell on your traps as in a regular back squat, feet shoulder-width apart.
   • Execution: Lower your body about a quarter of the way down (45-degree knee bend), then stand back up.
6. Single-Leg Squat (Pistol Squat)
   • Target Muscles: Targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and improves balance.
   • Setup: Stand on one leg with the other leg extended forward.
   • Execution: Lower your body down on the standing leg until your thigh is parallel to the ground or lower, then stand back up. Repeat on the other leg.
7. High-Bar Back Squat
   • Target Muscles: Emphasizes the quadriceps and glutes.
   • Setup: Position the barbell higher on your traps, with feet shoulder-width apart.
   • Execution: Perform the squat with a more upright torso, lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower, then stand back up.
8. Low-Bar Back Squat
   • Target Muscles: Emphasizes the hamstrings and glutes.
   • Setup: Position the barbell lower on your traps, across your rear deltoids, with feet shoulder-width apart.
   • Execution: Perform the squat with a slight forward lean, lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower, then stand back up.
9. Safety Bar Squat
   • Target Muscles: Reduces shoulder strain and can help improve form, targeting the quadriceps and glutes.
   • Setup: Use a safety bar positioned on your traps, with handles held at the front.
   • Execution: Perform the squat with an upright torso, lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower, then stand back up.
10. Anderson Squat
    • Target Muscles: Builds explosive power and strength, targeting the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings.
    • Setup: Start from the bottom position with the barbell resting on safety pins or blocks at the bottom of your squat.
    • Execution: Drive up explosively from the bottom position to a standing position, then lower back down to the pins.
11. Zercher Squat
    • Target Muscles: Targets the quadriceps, glutes, and core.
    • Setup: Hold the barbell in the crook of your elbows, with feet shoulder-width apart.
    • Execution: Perform the squat with an upright torso, lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower, then stand back up.

Conclusion

The back squat is a cornerstone exercise across a number of fitness domains...and for good reason!

By consistently programming the back squat and incorporating its variations into your routine, you can build impressive lower body strength, enhance your athletic performance, and improve your overall functional fitness. Remember to maintain proper form, progressively challenge yourself, and focus on recovery to achieve the best possible outcomes.

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