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Barbell Low Bar Squat With Rack animation

How to do the Barbell Low Bar Squat With Rack

LegsQuadsBarbellIntermediate

The barbell low bar squat is one of the most effective tools for building powerful quads, glutes, and posterior chain strength due to its mechanically efficient bar position. Master this lift and you build a foundation that carries over to every athletic and strength goal you pursue.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Quadriceps
Secondary
GlutesHamstringsCalves

Step-by-step

  1. Set the bar across your rear deltoids just below the spine of the scapula, grip just outside shoulder width, and unrack with a controlled step back into a hip-width stance with toes slightly flared.
  2. Brace your core hard by taking a deep breath into your belly and creating 360 degrees of pressure before you descend.
  3. Break at the hips and knees simultaneously, sitting back and down while keeping your chest up and elbows driving slightly forward to maintain bar pressure on the rear delts.
  4. Drive through the entire foot to stand, pushing your hips into the bar at lockout while keeping your brace intact until the rep is complete.

Common mistakes

  • Bar creeping too high onto the neck which shifts mechanics toward a high bar squat and reduces posterior chain engagement, fix this by actively pinching your shoulder blades and setting the bar firmly on the shelf of your rear delts before unracking.
  • Losing upper back tightness during the descent which causes the torso to collapse forward and dumps the bar out of position, fix this by actively pulling the bar into your back throughout the entire movement.
  • Rising onto the toes or shifting weight forward out of the bottom, fix this by consciously pressing through the heel and mid-foot while sitting the hips back more aggressively on the way down.

Pro tip — As you initiate the descent, think about spreading the floor apart laterally with your feet rather than simply pushing your knees out, this cue creates far greater hip external rotation tension and keeps your whole lower body locked into an optimal force-producing position.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Legs exercises

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