Barbell Back Squat

Muscles worked: Quads, Glutes (assisted by hamstrings).

How to do it

1. This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes.
2. Hold on to the bar using both arms at each side and lift it off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.
3. Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out.
4. Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees and hips as you maintain a straight posture with the head up.
5. Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the heel of your foot as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.

Coaching cues

The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:

• Big breath, brace like taking a punch
• Knees track over toes; drive up through mid-foot

Logging it

IronPack suggests working in the 4 to 8 rep range, progressing in 5 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Loading the bar? Use the plate calculator, and check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.

Related exercises

• Deadlift - back, glutes
• Sumo Deadlift - glutes, quads
• Trap Bar Deadlift - quads, glutes
• Back Extension - glutes

Photos and steps: free-exercise-db (public domain). Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.