How to do a squat with good form

The barbell back squat is a full-body lower-body lift: the bar rests across the upper back while you bend the hips and knees and stand back up. It builds strength in the legs, hips and trunk, and it is best learned with light loads and someone experienced checking your position. Many lifters use it as a core part of a leg programme, which is why learning the setup early pays off.

How to do it

1. Set the safety pins or arms in the rack just below the lowest point of your squat.
2. Rest the bar across your upper back, on the muscle above the shoulder blades rather than the neck, and grip it just outside shoulder width.
3. Unrack the bar, step back, and set your feet about shoulder width apart with toes turned out slightly.
4. Brace your core, take a breath and keep your chest up.
5. Sit your hips down and back, bending the knees in line with the toes, until you reach a depth you can control.
6. Drive up through the whole foot, keeping the chest up and the bar over mid-foot.
7. Rack the bar at the end of the set by stepping back into the rack.

Breathe in and brace before each rep, holding the breath through the bottom and breathing out once you are standing. Walk the bar out with small steps, since long steps can strain the lower back before the set starts. Rest long enough between sets to keep your position and bracing consistent. Filming a set from the side is a simple way to check depth and torso angle when no coach is present.

Form cues

• Keep the bar over mid-foot throughout the rep.
• Keep the chest up and the torso angle steady, rather than folding forward.
• Push the knees out over the toes without letting them cave inward.
• Keep the heels planted and the weight spread across the whole foot.
• Brace the core before each rep, as if bracing for a light punch.

Safety: Always squat inside a rack with the safety pins or arms set just below your lowest depth. Work with a spotter or an experienced lifter when you add heavy sets, and stop if you feel sharp pain in the knee or back.

Common mistakes

• Heels lifting off the floor, often from limited ankle mobility or too much weight shifting forward.
• Knees caving inward as you stand up.
• Hips rising much faster than the chest, so the torso folds forward.
• Bouncing out of the bottom instead of controlling the rep.
• Holding the bar high on the neck instead of across the upper back.

Muscles worked

Primary: Quadriceps and glutes.

Secondary: Adductors, hamstrings, the erector spinae and the core, which hold the torso steady under the bar.

Alternatives

• Goblet squat: holds one weight at the chest, a good way to learn depth and upright posture.
• Leg press: a machine that supports the back while you control the knee bend.
• Front squat: the bar rests on the front of the shoulders, keeping the torso more upright.
• Bulgarian split squat: a single-leg option that trains each leg on its own.

Squat vs goblet squat

The barbell back squat carries the load on the upper back, so it can be heavier, but it needs a rack and practice holding posture under a bar.

The goblet squat holds a dumbbell or kettlebell at the chest, which helps keep the torso upright and is easy to learn. Many lifters start with the goblet version and move to the barbell once they can hold depth and posture. See the goblet squat guide.

See how Pulselyf's AI workout planner can fit squats into your weekly plan, built from your goals, equipment and schedule.

Related exercises

• How to do a Goblet Squat correctly
• How to do a Romanian Deadlift correctly
• How to do a Bulgarian split squat with good form
• All exercise guides