Barbell Squat Guide: How to Do Barbell Back Squats

A barbell squat, also known as a barbell back squat, is a compound exercise that activates muscle groups throughout your lower body, including your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles. Perform barbell squats by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a deep breath and unrack a weighted barbell, holding it on your upper back. Keep your chest up and your back straight as you hinge your hips and knees to lower your body through a full range of motion into a squat position.

Including barbell squats in your weightlifting routine can have several benefits.

1. 1. Barbell squats build muscle mass in your lower body. The added weight of barbell squats activates your muscles more than a standard bodyweight squat.
2. 2. Barbell squats burn calories. With proper form, barbell squats can increase your fitness level and burn calories.
3. 3. Barbell squats are easily adjustable. Barbell squats allow for incremental adjustments with different weight plates. If you’re still working on your squat form, warm up with easier, light-weight squat variations, like the goblet squat with a kettlebell or the dumbbell squat. For another advanced barbell variation, try the front squat.
4. 4. Barbell squats can improve other weight-training exercises. Regularly practicing barbell squats can help with your form during other compound exercises like the deadlift, bench press, and lunge.

For the barbell squat, begin using a weight that you can control for 2–4 sets of 3–8 repetitions. Choose a weight that allows you to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Set up a barbell to the appropriate height in the squat rack according to your height. The barbell should be slightly lower than your shoulders. Make sure you have enough space to take a couple of steps backward after unracking the barbell.
2. 2. While facing the barbell, step underneath the barbell and place your hands on both sides of it. The barbell should rest on the muscles of your upper back.
3. 3. Unrack the barbell, and step backward until you’re a few inches away from the barbell rack.
4. 4. Keep your posture tall, with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hips with a neutral head and neck position. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement as if you were holding an egg under your chin.
5. 5. Evenly distribute your weight on your feet from toe to heel. Grip the floor with your feet to create a stable foot position.
6. 6. Rotate your shoulders outward to engage your lats and upper back.
7. 7. Pre-tension your shoulders and hips, and engage your core. Your ribs should be down and your pelvis should be slightly tucked.
8. 8. While maintaining your alignment, begin the downward movement by bending your hips, knees, and ankles.
9. 9. Lower until your legs are parallel or slightly below parallel to the floor. Keep your weight evenly distributed on your feet as you lower.
10. 10. Pause for a second at the bottom position.
11. 11. To begin the upward movement, push your feet into the ground to initiate standing up. Emphasize pushing through your midfoot and heel while keeping your toes engaged.
12. 12. As you begin to stand up, keep your chest high, squeeze your glutes, allow your knees to straighten and your hips to travel forward.
13. 13. As you finish the movement, squeeze your glutes and quadriceps while maintaining a neutral spine.
14. 14. At the end of each repetition, your shoulders should finish directly over the hips.
    
15. 15. Imagine that your pelvis is a bucket filled with water, and you’re attempting not to spill any water out of the front, back, or sides of the bucket.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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