Fresh-faced gymgoers and world-class strength athletes don’t have much in common, but there’s one thing that matters — the squat is integral to both of them. Regardless of which camp you fall into or your fitness goals, only a few exercises, like the back squat, get you where you need to be.
Bodybuilders squat to build up their legs. Powerlifters squat because they have to. Runners, martial artists, and military personnel all squat as well, just for different reasons. No matter your “why,” the back squat deserves a seat at the table in your exercise routine.
There are different squat styles with varying mechanics that new and experienced lifters have to wrap their heads around.
However, the payoff for learning this movement — bigger quads, more power, and bragging rights to your gym buddies — is well worth the time spent mastering it.
How to Do the Back Squat
Before you step into the squat rack, know there’s more than one “style” of squatting. Powerlifters rely on the low bar squat — resting the barbell across their upper back and shoulders rather than on their traps — while the “standard” technique places the bar higher.
Step 1: Set Your Base
Start by stepping under a barbell (supported in a squat rack), setting a firm foundation by flexing your core, and preparing to lift the barbell out of the frame.
You will need to place your feet in your squat stance, or slightly narrower, so you can “squat” the load out of the rack rather than stepping in and out with one foot. This will help you maintain your balance and keep the weight evenly distributed.
Tip: Do not rush this process. Bend your knees and grip the bar with your hands, keeping your traps pressed firmly into the bar. Brace your core muscles so that your spine is in a neutral position.
Step 2: Get a Grip
Where to hold the barbell varies person-to-person — but not by much. There will be two rings on the knurling on most quality barbells, on either side of the bar, about six to eight inches from the base of the sleeve. Use that as a guide by placing your fingers on it and seeing which width feels the most comfortable. For some, it’s the ring finger, while others favor the middle finger.
Get a comfortable grip on the bar by wrapping your thumb around it. Keeping your elbows close to your lats will help ensure a good workout. The following position will help you pull the barbell onto your trap and create a stable place for the bar to sit on. For low-bar squats, you’d position the barbell lower on your back, more on the rear delts and lower traps.
Tip: Don’t over-arch your spine. Your back should be mostly flat.
Step 3: Set Your Stance
From a standing position, lower yourself down into a partial squat to remove the barbell from the rack. Step backward with one foot, bring your other foot to meet it and align your feet. Your feet should be about hip-width apart, with your toes pointing as forward or turned out as is comfortable. Your weight should be evenly distributed across both feet, and your gaze fixated straight ahead.
Taking a breath before removing the barbell from the rack is essential to stay balanced and to have more control. Inhale deeply, then step back into your squat stance. Exhale and repeat.
Step 4: Sit Straight Down
Do a squat by standing straight with your eyes looking forward and inhaling deeply. Then, brace your core before sitting straight down. To align your pelvis, try sitting with your feet directly under your hips. Go as far as your flexibility or comfort allows to have your thighs parallel to the floor.
Tip: Contrary to some popular fitness myths, it is perfectly okay for your knees to drift ahead of your toes as long as your entire foot stays firmly planted on the ground.
Step 5: Explode Up
After you reach the point where you cannot go any lower, start moving back up until you are standing again. Use your legs to push off the ground and try to stand up, keeping the same posture you sat down with. Do not lean too far back or tilt your torso down too much. Think about standing up tall without flexing your glutes too much.
If you are new to squatting, it may be helpful to pause at the bottom of your range of motion to get comfortable with the posture.
What is the Fastest Way to Improve Squat Strength?
Technique
Before you tackle what part of your body needs to be strengthened to squat better, it’s essential to determine whether your technique is good.
The squat, in particular, is a very technical lift where deficits in mobility or the wrong cues can make your movement through the lift either or both ineffective or efficient.
Common Back Squat Mistakes
The back squat is equal parts simple and complex. This activity may seem very challenging at first, but with practice, it can become just as simple as walking. Be careful of a few things, especially if you’re starting to get involved in the movement.
Half-Squatting
If you are not a powerlifter, how low you squat is not essential. More depth is almost always better than less depth. Many athletes will stop their squatting descent early out of fear, anxiety about the movement, or inflexibility. It would be best if you strived to squat as low as possible unless you have a restriction or injury.
Hips Shooting Up
When you reverse the descent and push yourself out of the bottom of the squat, the angle of your torso should remain consistent from start to finish. If your back is stronger than your legs or you try to stand up too quickly, you risk keeling over as your pelvis shoots out behind you.
This can throw you off balance, screw up your “groove,” and sap you of your power output. Stand up with your hips and legs equally.
Overusing Your Glutes
Believe it or not, it is possible. The back squat is a phenomenal glute builder, but there’s no reason to over-emphasize it. You may occasionally see people stand up out of their squat and thrust their hips forward at the top, squeezing their bums as hard as possible.
This may look effective, but it doesn’t work your glutes any harder. Since your hips are already so close to the weight, there is little tension on your glutes at the top of the back squat. To increase glute activation on the squat, ensure you’re breaking parallel at a minimum at the bottom of the stroke.
Shifting Your Weight
Most people don’t need to adjust, tweak, or tinker with their foot pressure in the squat. Your goal is to be balanced at all times, with your body’s weight evenly distributed across your whole foot.
As you learn to squat, you may find that you shift forward onto your toes or backward onto your heels — strive to stay in the middle the whole way through.
Exercise Selection
Assuming your technique is good, the following way to help your squat reach new heights is by selecting the correct exercises and targeting the muscles involved in the movement.
Exercise selection goes hand in hand with specificity, so first, make sure you are squatting frequently enough before. But beyond the squats, there are many exercises you can add as secondary or accessory movements to help accelerate your progress even more.
Exercise Selection to Improve Squat Strength
When choosing which exercises will improve your squat strength, it’s essential first to understand what muscles are involved in the squat.
The primary muscle groups involved in squatting include:
- Quads
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Back
- Core
- Calves
The extent to which each muscle group is used isn’t equal; however, I will touch on each to give you a complete picture of what’s going on and help you identify the area of most need.
It’s also important to note that while the following exercises are split up by muscle group, many do cross-over, and several activities that work the quads will also engage the glute or your core.
Sample Exercises to Improve Squat Strength for Each Muscle Group
Quadriceps
Quads are widely considered the critical muscle group needed for squatting movements. If your hips rise faster than your shoulders during a squat, this may indicate weakness in your quadriceps.
Your quads are the four muscles found at the front of your thigh and can be strengthened with the following exercises:
Front Squat
Front squats are a variation of the back squat, where the bar rests in the front instead of on your back. Because of the bar placement, this squat version emphasizes the quads and can be a tremendous alternative squat variation to increase strength and hypertrophy in your legs.
Gluteus Maximus
The glutes, made up of three muscles, play an essential role in a robust and efficient squat by helping to lock out the lift and keeping the knees and hips in the optimal position.
Sumo Deadlift
Sumo deadlifts can help you place focus on your glutes and even quads. You can swap conventional deadlifts for sumo, add another deadlift day, or program lighter deadlifts at higher rep schemes to focus more on glute hypertrophy and get in some extra volume.
The sumo deadlifts are performed with a wide stance and toes pointed outward and help build strength in the externally rotated hip position, which is also critical for squatting.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are the three muscles found at the back of your thighs that oppose your quads.
The hamstrings’ involvement in the squat may not be immediately apparent; however, they play a supportive role for the glutes and are most active at the bottom of the squat, where they help to keep things stable.
Romanian Deadlift
Romanian deadlifts are a variation where you start in a standing position while holding the barbell; you keep your legs straight as you bring the weight down and then stand back up before the barbell touches the ground.
This exercise is primarily felt in the hamstrings but has the added benefit of activating your upper and lower back glutes and abs.
Back
You should include back exercises for the squat to help you keep the barbell on your back and avoid any injury to the various areas around your core and torso. It’s essential to have strong muscles in your upper and lower back to squat safely and effectively.
Good Mornings
I’ve categorized good mornings as a back exercise; however, they will give your glutes and hamstrings some activation and your core muscles.
The good morning is performed as a hip hinge, similar to Romanian deadlifts, except with a barbell on your back. It will be essential for those who have a weaker lower back.
This is not an exercise you want to go very heavy on and should be utilized as an accessory movement.
Core
The core includes both your abs as well as your erectors. A sign that your body may need some work is having your back round during the squat or a history of discomfort in the low-mid back when squatting.
Deadbug
Deadbugs is an exercise great for developing core stability which will help you activate the brace better when squatting. To do a deadbug, you must lie on your back with all four limbs up in the air, arms straight, and knees bent.
The point of the movement is to extend the opposite arm and leg while keeping your core activated. A good cue to keep in mind is to press into the ground with your lower back.
Calves
Calves are much less involved than the other muscle groups mentioned. Still, they play a role in ankle flexion and extension, stabilizing you in the bottom position and allowing you to straighten your shins.
Calf Raise
Calf raises are a relatively simple movement that can be done in several ways. This includes using a plate-loaded calf raise machine, a standing calf raises the device, or holding dumbbells or a barbell while completing freestanding.
Final Thoughts
The squat is often called the king of all lower body exercises because it requires the activation of many muscles simultaneously, and there is some merit to that reputation.
However, sometimes our squats can get stuck in a plateau or need extra help from other exercises to help get all those muscles to where they need to be to hit that next personal record. The activities mentioned in this list will help you move in the right direction, no matter your current weaknesses.
Good Mornings Bonus Video:
Deadbug Bonus Video:
