What you'll gain

Builds total lower-body strength led by the quads and glutes.
Trains core bracing and full-body stability under heavy load.
Reinforces the squat pattern that carries over to sport and daily life.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1
Set the bar in a rack at about chest height and step under it to rack it across your upper back.
2
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, brace your core, and step back from the rack.
3
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, and chest tall.
4
Push your hips back and down, bending the knees to squat down until your hips reach below the knees.
5
Drive through the full foot to stand back up, keeping the chest tall and bar path straight.
6
Lock out the hips and knees at the top, reset your breath and brace, and repeat for clean reps.

Common Mistakes

Letting the knees cave inward on the way up, which strains the knees and weakens the drive.
Cutting the depth short and not reaching at least parallel, missing the full quad and glute work.
Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which puts the spine at risk under heavy load.
Shifting the bar weight onto the toes, which throws off the balance and strains the lower back.

About This Exercise

The barbell back squat is the most recognized lower-body lift in the world. The bar is racked across the upper back and the lifter squats down to at least parallel before standing back up, training the quads, glutes, and entire trunk under heavy load. It's the lift powerlifters compete in and the foundation of every serious strength program ever written. For any fitness app or coaching platform, the squat is table stakes. Users expect to see it in every leg-day flow, every strength program, and every beginner-to-advanced track. Ship this clip as the cornerstone of your lower-body library, a hero piece for leg content, and the default teaching reference for the squat pattern.

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