How to Do a Barbell Squat
What is a barbell squat?
A barbell squat is a squat performed while holding a barbell (a long metal bar that can hold weight plates on either end). A standard barbell at the gym usually weighs 45 pounds; however, there are many different types of barbells with different weights, including hex bars, Olympic bars, short bars, and triceps bars. There are two main ways to do a barbell squat: with the barbell in front of your shoulders (called a front squat) or behind your shoulders (called a back squat).
What muscles do barbell squats work?
There are many different types of squats, and while they work the body in different ways, they work roughly the same muscle groups: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core. Jermaine says that front and back barbell squats work similar muscles, but in slightly different ways. Here are the differences.
Barbell front squats
According to the ACSM, barbell front squats primarily work the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and erector spinae (muscles on the spine). Compared to back squats, “barbell front squats focus more on the quadriceps and core,” Jermaine says. That’s because, when you do a front squat, your torso is naturally more vertical than when you do a back squat, allowing your quadriceps to do more work, Ronai explains. Front squats also work your erector spinae and core muscles because you’re trying to maintain an upright position throughout the movement. Your entire core has to fire up to stabilize your spine and hold the weight, Ronai says.
Barbell Back Squat
According to the ACSM, the barbell back squat primarily targets the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. The gluteus medius, lower back, and core are also engaged to help stabilize the torso and hips. The focus here is more on the muscles of the posterior chain (the back of the body), including the hamstrings and glutes. Holding the barbell behind your shoulders tends to tilt your torso forward, and the response is to activate more muscles in the back of the body, Ronai explains.
Benefits of doing barbell squats
Jermaine says barbell squats offer many of the same benefits as other types of weighted squats, including building lower body strength, promoting muscle growth, improving core stability, enhancing functional fitness, improving athletic performance, increasing bone density, and burning calories by engaging large muscle groups. Not to mention, squats can “help with injury prevention and rehabilitation by strengthening the muscles around the knees and hips, as well as improving joint stability and enhancing overall mobility,” he adds.
Reminder: “Squats mimic very basic movements we do every day, such as getting out of a car, getting up and down from a chair or toilet seat, getting up from the floor or ground when gardening, picking up grandchildren, picking up groceries, etc.—so it’s an important movement,” Ronai says. Squats are also essential for athletic performance, no matter what sport you play. “It’s an essential tool for improving abilities like jumping, vertical lifts, running, and sprinting,” he adds.
So what are the advantages of barbell squats over other types of squats? The biggest benefit, Jermaine says, is that barbell squats allow you to lift heavier weights, which can ultimately help you build strength and muscle. Since barbell squats are typically performed in a squat rack with the weight starting at shoulder height, you don’t have to worry about lifting the weight off the floor like you would with dumbbells or kettlebells. Many people are able to squat relatively heavy weights because the exercise uses some of the largest muscles in the body — but if your body can’t handle the weight for a squat, for example, then picking up a heavy dumbbell and lowering it into a goblet position could put you at risk for injury.
How to Perform Front and Back Barbell Squats
Barbell Front Squat Positions
When preparing for a barbell front squat, there are two ways to position the weight: the rack position (elbows forward, palms up, holding the bar directly over your shoulders) or the crossed arms position (holding the bar directly over your shoulders, arms crossed over your forearms, hands holding the bar in place), says Ronai. Which position is best for you depends on your personal anatomy, flexibility, comfort, and history of wrist or shoulder issues, though the rack position is more common, which we’ll cover in more detail below.
When performing a front squat, you need to keep your torso upright and still during the up and down motion of the squat, according to the ACSM.
How to Perform a Barbell Front Squat
- Set up a squat or power rack with the barbell at upper chest height. Stand underneath the barbell with it across your shoulders. Hold the barbell with your palms facing up, hands slightly wider than shoulder width, wrists bent, and the bar resting on your fingers. Lift your elbows so your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
- Bend your hips and knees slightly, then extend them to lift the barbell off the rack. Take two controlled steps back so you have room to squat. Keep your feet hip-width apart and slightly turned out.
- Looking forward, with your torso straight and tight, inhale, bend your hips and knees, sit down, and squat slightly backward. Pause when your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Exhale, forcefully straighten your hips and knees, and return to standing. That’s one rep.
Barbell Back Squat Position
The back squat puts your torso at a different angle than the front squat, but you still don’t want to lean forward: The ACSM recommends that your calves and torso remain parallel as you squat. Focus on keeping your knees apart and tracking your toes, and moving your torso and hips together as a unit. “You want your knees and hips to lift at the same time—not straighten your knees first, then your back,” says Ronet. ”
How to do a barbell back squat
- Set up a squat or power rack with a barbell approximately at shoulder height. Stand underneath the barbell so it lies across the center of your shoulders and the base of your neck, above your upper trapezius. Hold the barbell with your palms facing up, elbows down and parallel to your torso, and hands wider than shoulder width apart.
- Bending your hips and knees slightly, then extending, lift the barbell off the rack. Take two controlled steps back so you have room to squat. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder or hip width apart and your feet slightly out.
- Inhale, sit down, and squat slightly back until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep your torso as upright as possible and your eyes looking straight ahead.
- Exhale and forcefully straighten your hips and knees to return to standing. This is one repetition.
4 of the barbell back squat exercise Beginner Tips
Know When You’re Ready
What’s the most important thing you should know about barbell squats as a beginner? When you’re actually ready to do them. Make sure you’re completely pain-free (meaning no pain while squatting and no fussing or excessive soreness afterward) and that you’ve really mastered the movement pattern, Ronai says. Ideally, you’ll have a trainer or fitness professional check your squatting form and give you the green light. You can also do an internal check or video yourself to check your form: Are you balanced? Can you keep your torso upright? Are you looking forward throughout the movement? Do your ascent and descent feel smooth and comfortable?
Warm Up, Set Up, and Gear Correctly
“Always warm up thoroughly,” says Jermaine says. This includes dynamic stretching, flexibility exercises, and activation drills. He adds that you should always use a squat rack with safety bars (adjustable metal bars on either side of the rack that catch the bar if you can’t stand up from the bottom of the squat). It’s also a good idea to have an experienced lifter or coach to coach you.
Your shoes are important here, too. Wear flat, stable shoes with stiff soles, says Jermaine. This will give you a solid foundation for your squats. “Avoid squatting in running shoes, as this can make your feet unstable, reduce balance and proper form, and increase your risk of injury,” he says.
Proper Progression
Both Jermaine and Ronay agree that you should master the bodyweight squat before picking up any weight.
Next, Jermaine says, progress to the goblet squat with dumbbells or kettlebells. Ronay adds that the goblet squat is great for improving form and flexibility, and helping you practice an upright torso position. “Start with lighter weights to master form, and gradually increase as you gain strength,” says Jermaine. Ideally, you’ll squat to