Back squat: technique, common mistakes and programming

How to do a back squat

1. Set the bar in the rack at roughly mid-chest height, so you can unrack it with a small knee bend rather than going up on your toes.
2. Step under and place the bar on your upper traps, below the bony bump at the base of your neck. Grip just outside your shoulders and pull your elbows down to lock your upper back tight.
3. Stand up to unrack, take two or three short steps back and set your feet roughly shoulder width apart, toes turned out slightly.
4. Take a big breath into your belly and brace as if someone were about to poke you in the stomach. Hold that brace for the whole rep.
5. Break at the hips and knees together and sit down between your heels, letting your knees travel forward and out in line with your toes.
6. Descend under control until your hip crease is at or just below the top of your knee, or as deep as you can go with a neutral back and heels down.
7. Drive the floor away through your whole foot, keeping your chest and hips rising at the same rate. Breathe out at the top, re-brace and go again.

Common mistakes

• Knees caving in. A little inward drift under heavy load is common, but a big collapse usually means the weight is too heavy. Think about spreading the floor with your feet.
• Heels lifting. Your weight has moved onto your toes. Try a slightly wider stance, or put small plates under your heels while you work on ankle mobility.
• Hips shooting up first. If your hips rise faster than your chest, the squat turns into a good morning and your lower back takes over. Lower the weight and lead with your upper back.
• Losing the brace at the bottom. A slight tuck of the pelvis at full depth is normal for many people, but obvious rounding under load is not. Squat only as deep as you can control.
• Too many steps back. Wandering around with a heavy bar wastes energy. Two or three short steps is plenty.

Easier and harder versions

There is no shame in building the pattern before you put a bar on your back. Equally, experienced lifters need new challenges once straight sets stop moving.

• Easier: a bodyweight squat to a bench, then the goblet squat, which teaches an upright torso with a dumbbell or kettlebell held at your chest.
• Easier: a barbell box squat, sitting lightly to a box set at your target depth so you learn where the bottom is.
• Harder: a pause squat, holding for two to three seconds at the bottom to build strength out of the hole.
• Harder: the front squat, which shifts more work to your quads and upper back.

How to programme the back squat

For strength, 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 reps with 2 to 3 minutes' rest works well for most people. For muscle, 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps is a better fit. Leave one to three reps in the tank on most sets rather than grinding every one out.

Squat once or twice a week, usually first in a lower body session when you are fresh, followed by a hinge such as the Romanian deadlift and some single leg work. Add a little weight each week while your technique stays the same. If you want a coach watching your squat, try a Lower or Full Body class during the 7-day free trial at Lycan Strength.