Back Squat

The Back Squat is one of the most important exercises in the weight room. There are numerous safety precautions that must be taken into account when performing this exercise. First the bar height should be set for the shortest person in the group at a height that would cause that person to slightly squat down to get under. Also, safety bars should be set up so, should you fail, you can very easily drop forward and let the weight rest on the safety bars. Finally, everyone should use a spotter for most exercises especially this one.
When picking up the weight you should set the bar on top of your neck while flexing your shoulders backwards to create a shelf for the bar. Once the bar is in place your feet should be side by side when you pick the weight up off the rack. Once you slowly back up gather your balance you should set your feet to slightly outside hip width apart; feet pointly slightly out. When squatting down, your upper body should remain tall and chest stay open and upright. Next, you should have a majority of your weight on your heels and be sitting back so that you are engaging your hamstrings. When at the bottom of the movement, thighs should be at least parallel to the ground and knees should be directly over the ankles. The knees should not come over the toes, and the chest should not face downwards over your knees. Once the correct depth is reached you should stand as quickly as possible and return the bar to the rack slowly, squatting down, and not bending over, to rack it.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Squat (exercise) Back Squat
• Squat technique
• Back squat technique
• Princeton University
• Tiger Strength