Master the Back Squat for Superior Strength and Leg Muscle

What is the Fastest Way to Improve Squat Strength?

Technique

Determining whether your technique is good is important before you work on strengthening the part of your body that needs improvement to squat better.

Squatting is a technical lift that can be made less effective or efficient by deficits in mobility or incorrect cues.

Exercise Selection

There are a few different exercises that can help target the muscles used in the squat and help you improve your technique.

You should squat frequently if you want specific results. There are many other exercises you can do in addition to squats to help improve your progress.

Exercise Selection for Improving Squat Strength

When trying to improve your squat strength, it is important to first understand which muscles are actually involved in the squat.

The primary muscle groups involved in squatting include:

• Quads
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Back 
• Core
• Calves

Different muscle groups are used to different extents; however, I will give a brief overview of each to give you a full picture and help you identify the area you need to work on the most.

The following exercises are designed to target specific muscle groups, but many of them also engage other muscles groups. For example, exercises that work the quads will also work the glutes or core.

Quad Exercises to Improve Squat Strength

The primary muscle group involved in giving you the strength to squat is your quads. If you are having trouble with your quad strength, you will find that your hips rise out of the bottom of the squat faster than your shoulders, resulting in more of a hip hinge-like movement.

Your quads are the 4 muscles found at the front of your thigh and can be strengthened with the following exercises:

1. Front Squats

In a front squat, the bar is placed in front of the squatter, on the collarbone region. This variation of the squat allows for greater stability and a more upright torso. This version of squatting puts more emphasis on the quads, making it a great alternative to increase strength and size in your legs.

For more information on front squatting and how to overcome some common obstacles, check out any of our articles below:

• Is The Front Squat Choking You?  (Try These 5 Tips)
• Is The Front Squat Bar Slipping?  (Try These 8 Tips)
• Front Squat With Straps: How & Why Should You Do It?

2. Leg Press

isolate = work on independently The leg press is a machine movement that is great for working on the quads independently and works well to build both muscle and strength. The benefit of doing this exercise on a machine is that it takes the stress off of other areas of your body and it is not limited by grip strength or balance, as other leg exercises tend to be.

To focus more on your quads and not your glutes, keep your feet close together with your toes pointing straight ahead.

For more information on leg pressing, check out any of our articles below:

• Leg Press vs Squat: You DON’T Need To Do Both
• Leg Press Foot Placement: 5 Stances Explained
• How To Leg Press Using Your Glutes (6 Tips)

3. Split Squats

Split squats are a great way to focus on one leg at a time and build quad muscle strength. This is a great exercise for any lifter, but it is especially helpful if you have one dominant leg.

There are three ways that you can do split squats. You can either use dumbbells or a barbell, or have no elevation.

To engage your quads more than your glutes, stand more upright. To engage your glutes as well, lean forward slightly in a Bulgarian split squat.

If your legs are shaking while you are squatting, this could be due to an imbalance between your right and left leg. This can be fixed by doing split squats. Click the link for more information on why your legs might shake when you squat.

4. Goblet Squat

Goblet squats are a squat variation done with a single dumbbell held at chest level.

This exercise is beneficial for improving squat strength because it more closely mirrors the squat movement and allows you to target either the quadriceps or gluteals depending on your needs.

If you want to increase the focus on your quadriceps, try bringing your feet closer together and doing a goblet squat with a narrow stance. Even if you just do a goblet squat with your regular stance, though, you'll still be adding extra volume to your squatting for the week, which will help you build up the muscles in your legs.

5. Lunges

Lunges will help you develop your quads and isolate one leg at a time, similar to how split squats work. The main difference between lunges and split squats is that lunges involve your feet moving either forward or backward, while split squats have your feet remaining in the same spot.

Lunges are a more dynamic way to activate your quads and glutes, and they also provide the added challenge of stability, which can be good for your feet and core.

Glute Exercises to Improve Squat Strength

Glutes are made up of three muscles. They contribute to a strong and efficient squat by keeping the knees and hips in optimal position throughout the movement.

To strengthen your glutes try the following exercises:

6. Barbell Hip Thrusts

Barbell hip thrusts are the best way to target your glutes. They're a porch where you can load heavy weight, which is rare for glute-specific exercises.

If your glutes are a limiting factor for your squats, this movement should be included in your program to improve strength and/or overall glute size.

If you find that you are feeling your quads more than your glutes while performing hip thrusts, you may want to check out my article on 9 Tips For Feeling Your Glutes More When Hip Thrusting.

7. Sumo Deadlifts

While regular deadlifts can help you build the back strength you need for squats, sumo deadlifts can help you work on your glutes and even your quads. You can vary your deadlift routine by doing sumo deadlifts, adding another day of deadlifts, or doing lighter deadlifts with more reps to focus more on developing bigger glutes and getting in extra volume.

The sumo deadlifts are performed with a wide stance and toes pointed outward. They help build strength in the externally rotated hip position, which is key for squatting.

8. Belt Squats

Belt squats are a great movement because they are similar to actual squats but without any of the fatigue that comes from loading a barbell on your back. The belt squat allows you to take a break from using your upper body while still working your glutes and quads.

If you're looking to add more volume to your weekly workout routine, consider adding belt squats to your workout schedule. Belt squats are a great way to work on locking out the top of the squat while also getting a good workout for your glutes.

You can perform a similar movement to a belt squat by placing your feet on elevated platforms, attaching weights to a weight belt, and letting the weight move through the space between the platforms.

How to Do the Back Squat

There are many different ways to squat, so before you start, make sure you know which style you want to do. Whilst “standard” technique has the barbell placed higher, powerlifters tend to rely on the low bar squat – where the barbell is rested across their upper back and shoulders, rather than directly on their traps.

This guide will show you how to do a high bar squat.

Step 1 — Set Your Base

To begin, step under a barbell that is supported in a squat rack and flex your core to create a firm foundation. Then, lift the barbell out of the rack.

If you're planning to squat, you should place your feet in your squatting stance, or slightly narrower, so you can squat the load out of the rack, rather than stepping in and out with one foot. This will require you to step out of the rack to set your stance, but it will be worth it in the long run.

The coach's tip is to take your time and not rush the process. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your core engaged so your back doesn't round.

Step 2 — Get a Grip

How you hold the barbell while working out varies depending on the person, but not by a large amount. There are two ridges on the knurling of most quality barbells, on either side of the bar, about six to eight inches from the base of the sleeve. Use the width of your fingers as a guide by placing them on the device and seeing which width feels the most comfortable. Some people prefer to wear their ring on their ring finger, while others prefer to wear it on their middle finger.

Hold the bar with a firm grip, positioning your thumb around the bar. Keep your elbows close to your body as you lower them. This elbow position will help you pull the barbell onto your trap and create a stable surface for the barbell to sit on. For low-bar squats, you’d want to position the barbell more towards the rear delts and lower traps.

Coach’s Tip: Don’t over-arch your spine. While it is important to keep your back mostly flat, there is no need to stress over it too much.

Step 3 — Set Your Stance

Bend your knees to remove the barbell from the rack. Step back with your left leg, and then with your right leg. Be sure to keep your feet aligned as you step. Your feet should be about hip-width apart, with your toes pointing forward or turned out as far as is comfortable. Your weight should be balanced across your foot, and your gaze should be focused straight ahead.

You should take a breath in before removing the barbell from the rack. Take a deep breath in, then hold it as you step backward into your squat stance. exhale and take another breath before you start squatting.

Step 4 — Sit Straight Down

Pratyahara From a standing position, brace your core and sit straight down. Consider sitting with your pelvis between your feet. Get your thighs to be as close to the floor as you can, without going lower than what is comfortable or too flexible for you.

It is okay for your knees to drift ahead of your toes, as long as your foot stays on the ground.

Step 5 — Explode Up

Once you’ve lowered yourself as far as you can go, reverse the movement and return to a standing position. Use your legs to push yourself up and try to maintain the same posture you started with. Do not lean back or tilt your torso down when you shoot. To start, simply stand up straight, there's no need to flex your glutes dramatically.

If you are new to squatting, it may help to pause at the bottom of the squat to get used to the position.

Back Squat Sets and Reps

How you program the back squat matters a lot depending on what kind of results you want.

Although there are many ways to program the back squat, keep in mind that your goals will dictate how specific your squat training should be. Use these as what they are: generalized prescriptions.

• To Build Muscle: 4 to 5 sets of 6 to 8 reps with a moderately heavy weight.
• To Gain Strength: Anywhere from 3 to 8 sets of 3 to 5 reps with a heavy but manageable weight.
• As a Beginner: 3 sets of up to 10 reps with a light weight to work on technique.

Common Back Squat Mistakes

The back squat is equal parts simple and complex. The exercise in question is one that is very tough to do when you first start, but eventually it will become second nature. Even though there are a few potential dangers, it's okay to get involved in the movement especially if you're just starting to get involved.

Half-Squatting

If you're not a powerlifter, the depth of your squat isn't technically important. Almost universally, more depth is better than less. Many people will stop squatting down deeply out of fear, anxiety about the movement, or lack of flexibility. Try to squat low, unless you have an injury or limitation.

Hips Shooting Up

Keep your torso at the same angle when you squat up and down. If your back is stronger than your legs or you try to stand up too quickly, you may fall over as your pelvis tilts backwards.

This can make you lose your balance, ruin your “flow”, and make you less powerful. Stand up with your hips and legs equally.

Overusing Your Glutes

Believe it or not, it is possible. There is no reason to over-emphasize the back squat as a glute builder. You may occasionally see people stand up out of their squat and really thrust their hips forward at the top, squeezing their bums as hard as they can.

Although this may give the appearance of working your glutes harder, it does not actually make them work any harder. Your hips are close to the weight, so there is not much tension on your glutes when you back squat. If you want your glutes to be more active during a squat, make sure you break parallel at the minimum.