Barbell Squat

Quads
Glutes
Calves
Glutes
Hamstrings
Lower Back

Equipment: Barbell

New to this

Your first barbell squat

What weight should I start with on the barbell squat?

Start with the empty bar. On most racks that's 45 lb, and it is a real weight for a first session. Do 2 sets of 5 before you add anything.

If those 5 reps feel steady and you can pause at the bottom without wobbling, add 10 lb and go again. Most people finish week one somewhere between the bare bar and 95 lb. Where you land matters far less than adding a little each week.

What usually goes wrong on the barbell squat?

Your heels lift off the floor. That's usually tight ankles rather than bad technique. Put a 2.5 lb plate under each heel and it often disappears.

Your knees cave inward as you stand up. Push them out toward your little toes on the way up. Saying it out loud for the first few reps helps more than you'd think.

You round forward at the bottom. Stop going that deep. Squat to the depth you can hold with a flat back, and let the depth come as your hips loosen over a few weeks.

If the squat rack is taken

Most gyms have one rack and four people circling it. These load your quads and glutes the same way and you can start any of them in under a minute.

How to do it

This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes. To begin, first set the bar on a rack to just below shoulder level. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, step under the bar and place the back of your shoulders (slightly below the neck) across it.
Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.
Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head up at all times and also maintain a straight back. This will be your starting position. (Note: For the purposes of this discussion we will use the medium stance described above which targets overall development; however you can choose any of the three stances discussed in the foot stances section).
Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees and hips as you maintain a straight posture with the head up. Continue down until the angle between the upper leg and the calves becomes slightly less than 90-degrees. Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
Tip: If you performed the exercise correctly, the front of the knees should make an imaginary straight line with the toes that is perpendicular to the front. If your knees are past that imaginary line (if they are past your toes) then you are placing undue stress on the knee and the exercise has been performed incorrectly.
Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the heel of your foot as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.