Barbell back squat

Muscles worked

How to do it

1. Set the bar in the rack at mid-chest height and the safety arms just below your lowest squat position.
2. Step under the bar and rest it across the upper back, just below the bony bump at the base of the neck, hands just outside the shoulders.
3. Stand up to unrack, take two or three short steps back and set the feet about shoulder-width, toes turned out slightly.
4. Take a big breath into the belly and brace as if about to be punched.
5. Bend hips and knees together and sit down between the heels until the hip crease is at or below the top of the knee, knees travelling over the toes.
6. Drive up through the whole foot, chest and hips rising at the same rate, and breathe out at the top.

Common mistakes

• Knees caving in on the way up — push them out over the little toes.
• Hips shooting up first so the squat turns into a good morning — lead with the chest and keep the brace.
• Heels lifting — sit back between the heels; if it persists, widen the stance a little.
• Cutting depth as the weight climbs — lower the load until every rep reaches parallel.

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