technique library

How to
squat

Everyone has an opinion on the squat. Fewer people have set it up properly. This is the barbell back squat in six steps, three positions and the five faults we fix most often.

  • MID-FOOTWhere the bar stays, top to bottom. If it leaves, the rep gets harder than it needs to be.
  • HIP CREASELevel with or below the top of the knee. That is the depth standard we coach to.
  • ~15-30°Approximate toe-out for most people. Your hips decide the exact number, not a poster.

the picture

Three positions

Side view, facing right. The body folds at the hip, knee and ankle together while the bar travels straight up and down over the middle of the foot.

  • 01 / top

    Stand tall

    Ribs stacked over pelvis, bar over mid-foot, knees soft but not bent. Every rep starts and ends here.

  • 02 / parallel

    Hip crease at knee level

    Thighs close to horizontal. Shins angle forward, torso leans to balance the bar over the foot.

  • 03 / full depth

    Hips below the knee

    Only if you own it. Heels stay down, back stays braced, bar line does not move.

  • bar path over mid-foot
  • top of the knee, the depth reference

the method

Six steps

Do them in this order, every rep, including the warm-up sets. Consistency is boring, which is why it works.

  1. 01

    Set your stance

    Feet about shoulder width, toes turned out slightly. Find the stance where your hips drop without pinching, then use it every time.

    cueFeet planted like you are about to jump.

  2. 02

    Place the bar

    Under the bar, centred. High bar sits on the upper traps. Low bar sits across the rear delts, a few centimetres lower. Pick one and keep it for the block.

    cueBar on muscle, never on the bone of your neck.

  3. 03

    Grip and tighten

    Hands as close as your shoulders allow, elbows down and slightly back, upper back tight. This is what keeps the bar from rolling.

    cueSqueeze the bar into your back.

  4. 04

    Brace and unrack

    Big breath into the belly, not the chest. Brace against your belt line in every direction, then stand up with the bar and take two or three steps back. Settle your feet and go.

    cueBreathe in, brace, then move.

  5. 05

    Descend

    Hips and knees bend together. Knees track in line with the middle of the foot. Sit between your hips instead of folding forward over them. Control the speed all the way down.

    cueDown in about two to three seconds, no free fall.

  6. 06

    Drive up

    Push the floor away with the whole foot. Chest and hips rise at the same rate. Finish tall, exhale at the top or just past the hardest point, then reset your brace for the next rep.

    cueChest and hips leave the hole together.

troubleshooting

Five common faults

Most squat problems are one of these five. Film a set from the side, compare it with the diagrams above, then pick the closest match.

Heels lift

likely cause

Limited ankle range, or your weight has drifted onto the toes.

what to try

Think whole foot on the floor. A small heel lift or squat shoes can help while you build ankle mobility.

Knees cave in

likely cause

Weak hip control, or the load is ahead of your skill.

what to try

Lighten the bar. Push the knees out in line with the toes and keep the whole foot loaded.

Lower back rounds at the bottom

likely cause

You are going deeper than your current hip and ankle range allows.

what to try

Stop just above the depth where it happens and work mobility there. Depth is earned, not forced.

Hips shoot up first

likely cause

Hips rise faster than the chest, so the squat turns into a good morning.

what to try

Cue chest and hips up together. Use a one to two second pause at the bottom with a lighter weight.

Bar hurts the neck or shoulders

likely cause

Bar sits on bone instead of muscle, or the upper back is not tight.

what to try

Reset the bar lower onto the muscle shelf, tighten the upper back, and adjust grip width before adding load.

progression

Earn the barbell

Skip rungs and the bar finds the weak link for you. Move up when every rep on the current rung looks like the diagrams.

  1. Box squat, bodyweightsets × reps3 × 10tempo3-1-1effortRPE 5
  2. Goblet squatsets × reps3 × 8tempo3-1-1effortRPE 6
  3. Barbell squat, empty barsets × reps3 × 5tempo2-0-1effortRPE 5
  4. Barbell squat, loadedsets × repsper your programtempoper your programeffortRPE 7-8

Numbers are an illustration of how a coach writes a prescription, not a program for you. Tempo reads as seconds down, pause at the bottom, seconds up. RPE is effort on a 10-point scale, where 10 means no reps left.

before you load the bar

Squat safely

  • Use a rack with safety pins or arms set just below your bottom position.
  • Do not test heavy singles alone, or without a spotter or safeties.
  • Effort burns and pinches. Sharp or lingering pain is a stop sign, not a challenge.
  • This page is general guidance and not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, check with a qualified professional before you squat under load.

get it coached

Train like an athlete

A diagram shows you the positions. A coach watches your squat, catches the fault you cannot feel and fixes it in the session. 2 free – no obligation – sessions are available on request.

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