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Barbell back squat

Gym (women) / Popular

Take the squat from goblet to barbell.

What coaches agree on

  • Set your feet a little wider than shoulder-width with your toes turned out, roughly 15 to 30 degrees.
  • Take a big breath and brace your core all the way around your midsection - sides and back, not just the front - before you descend, resetting that breath each rep.
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  • Drive your knees out so they track in the same direction as your toes all the way from the bottom of the squat back to standing.

Common mistakes

  • Lifters arch or overextend the lower back - to brace under a heavy bar or to start the descent - instead of keeping the ribs stacked over the pelvis in a neutral spine.
  • Setting the rack hooks too high forces you up onto your tiptoes to unrack the bar, which is unstable and especially dangerous under a heavy load.
Barbell Back Squat
Beginner

Barbell Back Squat

Coach's take: Good if you just need the basic step-by-step, less useful for troubleshooting.

3.2
Pain with Squats? (How to Help)
Advanced

Pain with Squats? (How to Help)

Coach's take: Excellent explanation of why your squat looks different from someone else's — just wish we saw the fixes.

2.6
Upright squat
Intermediate

Upright squat

Coach's take: Great self-check drill for a squat that's stuck in the quads or low back.

2.6