Hello, friends! Barbell squats with the bar on your shoulders are a powerful exercise that, depending on how it’s performed, can significantly increase the muscle mass of your legs, glutes, adductors, and more. Today, we’ll take a detailed look at the technique for this exercise and all the nuances that will lead to impressive results.
Barbell squats are a super-exercise that not only develops leg muscles but also affects the entire body.
It’s considered a basic exercise because it engages multiple joints and muscle groups, which we’ll discuss further below.
Squats with a barbell trigger a strong hormonal response since they target the largest muscles in the human body. This means that even by just doing this exercise, an athlete improves overall body function, as we mentioned earlier.
Despite the obvious benefits, to stay safe, we need perfect squat technique.
Injuries resulting from improper movements can have serious consequences.
These and other issues will be discussed later in our article.
Barbell Squats: Muscles Involved
Just imagine: when performing barbell squats, the body engages about 250 muscles! Naturally, some of these are directly targeted, while others act as assistants (synergists).
Squats with a barbell mainly work the following muscle groups:
- Quadriceps (thigh muscles)
- Gluteal muscles
- Back muscles
The muscles on the back of the legs, core, and lower back play the role of stabilizers.
By using different variations, bodybuilders can focus the load on various muscle groups.
Barbell Squats on the Shoulders
By the way, squats with a barbell are a fundamental exercise not only in bodybuilding but in many other sports as well. This is due to its comprehensive impact on the human body.
Incidentally, ever since I started squatting with a barbell, snowboarding and learning new tricks became easier for me because the landing impact from jumps mainly targets the quadriceps.
In addition to developing leg muscles, the back, core, and other muscles involved in movement and support are also worked.
Squats are recommended for all people who train, with a few rare exceptions:
- Those under the age of 18
- Those with lower back/spine injuries (if you have back issues, I highly recommend hyperextensions as an excellent alternative)
- Those with knee joint injuries
People in the listed categories can replace squats with, for example, the leg press.
Let’s also talk about two useful aspects that are rarely mentioned when discussing squats. Correct squat technique not only develops coordination but also increases a bodybuilder’s flexibility.
This is quite obvious because the center of gravity shifts upwards, forcing the athlete to coordinate movements for stability and proper execution.
Flexibility is necessary in the hip and knee joints to perform deep squats, and a good shoulder stretch allows you to hold the barbell in a comfortable and safe position.
By the way, be sure to read the article on how to properly warm up before a workout.
A warm-up before squats is ESSENTIAL! It’s better to spend 10-15 minutes warming up than half a year recovering from, for example, a torn patellar ligament or worse.
Barbell Squats: Technique
The technique of barbell squats is crucial for the effectiveness of the exercise and injury prevention.
Let’s break down all the steps of the movement.
Approach the Barbell
Let’s look at how to start squatting correctly. Before beginning the exercise, we need to place the barbell on the rack and load the necessary weight.
If you don’t know what weight you need, read my article on how to increase working weights in exercises.
Weights should be loaded on the barbell alternately, avoiding imbalance or the bar falling – this is very dangerous for both you and those around you.
The weight on the barbell must be secured with collars or clips, as if you tilt slightly during squats, this prevents injury or harm to others.
Weights should also be removed alternately to avoid imbalance.
Squat racks are equipped with safety bars. These should not be neglected, especially if performing the exercise without a partner.
Once, I set the safety bars low and decided to squat with 5 kg more than usual.
At one point, something clicked in my head (I still don’t know what), and I lost balance. If it weren’t for the safety bars, the barbell would have fallen on me, but thankfully I only hit my head lightly. Be careful.
Starting Position
To get into the correct starting position for barbell squats, you should:
- Place the barbell on the rack at the correct height, load the weights, and secure them. The bar should be set at a height where you need to slightly squat under it to rest the bar on your shoulders.
- Approach the bar, squat under it. Place your hands on the bar so that your elbows form a 90-degree angle. The elbows should be in line with your torso or slightly behind it. The palms face outward, with the thumbs wrapped around the bar to form a secure grip.
- The barbell should rest on the lower part of the trapezius muscles, with your shoulder blades squeezed together to create a shelf for the bar. Never place the bar on the lower part of your neck, as this can cause serious injury.
- Keep your gaze forward or slightly upward.
- While assuming the starting position, the athlete should engage their core, shoulders, and arms, then lift the bar by straightening the legs from the squat position and take one or two steps back.
- The feet should be shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, with toes pointing forward or slightly outward.
Once in the starting squat position, avoid any rotational movements or walking with the weight around the gym.
Execution Technique
Depending on your training goals and fitness level, barbell squats can be performed to different depths:
- Full – until the glutes touch the calves;
- Deep – until the thighs are parallel to the floor or lower;
- Half-squats – any squat where the knee joint forms a 90-degree angle and the thigh is above the horizontal line;
- Partial – any squat where the knee joint angle is greater than 90 degrees.
Obviously, full squats require the most energy and place the greatest emphasis on the quadriceps. However, the depth depends on your experience and conditioning.
So, once you’ve assumed a stable starting position, you’re ready to perform the exercise. The basic squat technique consists of several movements.
- First, engage your thigh and glute muscles. Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together, shoulders pulled back, and your gaze forward or slightly upward. Maintain a natural curve in your lower back, with the back held vertically.
- As you bend your knees, lower into a squat to the desired depth. The movement should start by pushing the hips back while keeping the back vertical (BACK MUST ALWAYS BE STRAIGHT!!!). Never initiate the squat with your knees. During the squat, the knees should not extend past the toes (though depending on your anthropometry, a slight forward movement of the knees past the toes is acceptable), and they should not move side-to-side (keeping the toes pointed outward helps prevent this). Lower on the inhale.
- Upon reaching the bottom of the squat, smoothly and powerfully push through your entire foot to extend your legs, while continuing to keep the back vertical and monitoring the movement of the knees.
- Rise from the squat on the exhale. Never fully straighten your knees, as this can lead to injury. MAINTAIN TENSION in the quadriceps at every point of the movement.
- After completing the set, take a step forward, slightly squat down, and place the bar back on the rack.
When working with heavy weights, it’s better to ask a buddy (or a friend) to help you, so you don’t lose balance at the worst possible moment.
If you’re squatting alone and the barbell starts to tip you over, you should push it forward and use your arms to drop it behind you. This will help you avoid falling.
Before performing the exercise, make sure there are no people behind you. If the barbell tips you forward, the safety bars on the squat rack will come to your rescue.
It’s known that the last one or two sets should be challenging, but when doing barbell squats, the weight should be increased gradually. It’s recommended to ask your friends to spot you in case of heavy loads or if you might not complete the last rep.
You should gradually learn the technique of barbell squats by starting with a gym stick or an empty barbell.
There’s a trick to learning how to squat correctly in the beginning.
To practice the correct hip movement, you can train by sitting down onto a chair or bench behind you (you’ll understand how the body should move during a squat), and you can monitor your knee position by squatting close to a wall.
That is, you lean against the wall and control the position of your knees, aiming for a 90-degree angle or even a sharper one for a deeper squat.
There are various types of barbell squats, but these should be mastered after you can confidently perform the basic exercise.
I recommend checking out my article on how to squat correctly, where I’ve covered the technique of various squat types in detail.
Conclusion
Barbell squats are a powerful and highly effective compound exercise when performed with proper technique.
The main rule is not to rush, carefully control each step of the movement, and start with light weights, gradually increasing the load.
Barbell squats are truly an awesome exercise, and you’ll feel the effects as early as 2-3 months into doing them. Your legs will become more defined and bigger, your lower back and spine stronger, and your flexibility improved.
I highly recommend trying them if you haven’t already!
