Back Squat

Setup

1. Set the barbell in a squat rack at approximately mid-chest height. Position the bar across your upper traps (high bar) or across the rear delts and spine of the scapula (low bar).
2. Grip the bar firmly with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Squeeze the bar into your back by retracting the shoulder blades.
3. Unrack by standing up and taking 2–3 controlled steps back. Feet should be shoulder-width or slightly wider, toes turned out 15–30 degrees.
4. Take a deep breath into your belly, brace your core hard (as if bracing for a punch), and begin the descent by simultaneously bending at the hips and knees.
5. Lower until your hip crease passes below the top of your knee (parallel or below), keeping your chest up and knees tracking over your toes.
6. Drive through the whole foot to stand, exhaling past the sticking point. Lock out the hips and knees at the top.

Coaching Cues

What to feel:

• Quads and glutes working as the primary movers
• Core and upper back braced to support the bar
• Weight balanced over the middle of your foot throughout
• Knees pushing out in line with the toes

Common mistakes:

• “Good morning” squat — hips shoot up first while the chest drops; focus on keeping the chest up and driving the back into the bar
• Knees caving inward — actively push them out over the toes
• Cutting depth — aim for hip crease below the knee for full range of motion
• Losing core brace — take a fresh breath and rebrace at the top of each rep
• Heels rising off the floor — this indicates ankle mobility limitations; use heel-elevated shoes or address dorsiflexion