How To Squat with Perfect Form - Simple Step-By-Step Set Up & Technique Demo

Learn how to squat (low bar back squat with a barbell) correctly with our step-by-step tutorial. This beginner’s guide to squats is a great introduction to the low bar back squat.

The squat, specifically the low bar squat, is one of the most important exercises to train in the gym. It uses more muscle mass than any other squat and trains the muscles of the posterior chain. The muscles of the posterior chain produce hip extension, which contribute to jumping, pushing, pulling and many other lower body movements.

Because the squat uses a large amount of muscle mass, it can also be loaded incrementally in weight. The squat should be performed through the most effective range of motion - with the crease of the hip dropping just below the top of the knee.

Start without the barbell in order to learn the proper bottom position of the squat. First, take a stance about shoulder-width apart and turn the toes out about 30 degrees. Place your hands together in a “prayer position.” As the descent begins, focus on maintaining balance over the middle of the foot. From this point forward, focus on doing three things: 1) reach back with hips, 2) bend over and 3) push thighs apart. Look down at the ground about 5-6 feet out.

At the bottom, treat this like a stretch and take note of three things: 1) the elbows are pushed out into the knees, so that the knees track in the same direction as the toes, 2) the chest and eyes are down and 3) proper depth - the crease of the hip is just below the top of the knee. To stand up out of the bottom, think about leading with the hips while keeping the back rigid. Drive the sacrum straight up out of the bottom - but don't leave your chest behind. The hips and chest need to rise at the same rate. This allows the powerful muscles of the posterior chain such as the hamstrings, glutes and adductors to move the load. This is important: the muscles that produce hip extension are the largest and most powerful muscles in the body, therefore, we teach the squat in a way that uses these muscles so we can move the most weight.

The barbell should sit in the rack at the height of mid-sternum. Take a thumbless grip on the bar that is narrow enough to facilitate straight wrists by placing the heel of the palm against the bar and placing fingers on top. This is an important step to learn, because the hands don’t hold the bar on the back - our back muscles holds the bar on our back. The hands simply keep the barbell from rolling down our back.

With grip and hands in place, walk under the bar and place it just below the spine of the scapula, on the meat of the rear deltoids muscles. Remember, we use the low bar position to allow us to bend over and use the posterior chain to stand up. With the bar in position, take a deep breath, and stand up with the bar on the back.

Step out of the rack and take the same shoulder width stance as the stretch without the bar. Take a big deep breath with a closed glottis - the Valsalva Maneuver - to increase the intra abdominal pressure of our gut and provide stability for our back. As you prepare to squat down, remember two things: 1) you have to push your thighs apart - your elbows won’t do it for you and 2) don’t stop at the bottom; squat down to depth and come right back up. Perform a set of 5 repetitions and reset your breath at the top of each rep.

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0:00 Step-by-Step without Bar
1:54 Step-by-Step with Bar
4:05 More Tips & More Weight
4:55 Lifting Cadence, More Tips, & More Weight

[RIZZB]

I enjoy these short and concise tutorials, without the filler b.s. well done and thank you!

[CRONtouch]

It has been my dream for over a decade to be able to perform this movement. Total double hip replacement later and I’m getting closer and closer each day. Great video!

[markseyfried]

Yours's are by far the best tutorials. No BS filler and nothing but good solid advice.

[happynjoyousnfree]

You are seriously making me so emotional because I have been trying to find clear tutorials on how to do these moves and I have finally found them!!! I am so excited to get started now and cannot thank you enough ❤️❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️❤️

[evan]

Holy shit. This is gold. The animations, the clear, easy to understand cues is just superb.

[WillyEast]

Thank-you for this video. Whether it is from squatting, some pain in my left knee made me study squat form. After looking through 10 videos of complicated graphs and nonstop talking I found this video which is easier to understand and follow. Surprisingly after 30 years of lifting, I never knew about the lower bar squat so will give it a try.

[chrislemus]

Thanks! Just tried this out after recovering from a knee injury and felt a massive knee relief and was able to lift more while taking pressure off my knees and lower back

[polskapro._.]

Clear and concise explanation to someone who is new to this. Thank you.

[UbuPluto]

One thing that does not seem to get addressed directly are weightlifting shoes. For a lot of people, getting into a below parallel squat position with heels on the ground is a challenge. That’s why weightlifting shoes have heel lifts in them. If you don’t want to spend the money on a exercise specific shoe, you can put a 5, 10, 25 lb (depending on flexibility) under each heel to help, at least initially to get into a deep squat position correctly. If I have missed this information in another video I apologize, as I am new to this channel and I think it has great information.

[rajborage]

This by far the best instructional video I have seen on performing squats the right way, with all the queues to watch for and stay injury free. Thanks for the in-depth breakdown without and with bar etc. really appreciate it!

[yazamuto]

I think it was Stan Efferding who put it simply: imagine the low bar squat as a standing leg press. The minute I put that into perspective, the movement came far more natural to me.

[aaronluna]

Putting this into practice as of right now ( it’s my two min rest period ) feels way better thank you for helping me improve my squat 🙏🏼💪🏼

[Deadliftsgains]

Whoever the shaved head gentleman is--I subscribed because of you! Your information is GOLDEN! thank you for sharing and helping all the fellow humans. God bless!

[francoismalan]

This is the best squat tutorial I have seen on YouTube!

[adamkennington]

Excellent videos man. One of the best on how to low bar squat. Keep up the great work.

[MuhammadAli-xwyc]

Just watched this video. Very informative. I used to think leaning forward as going down was bad form. So I used to always keep my back straight as I went down. Loved how simple and clear this video is thanks guys 👍

[KinoDerTactical]

I'm a few years into lifting and I've gotten a 405 squat at 180lbs bodyweight (this could have been much better if I had eaten more throughout that time)

So many people get the Squat wrong. "Keep your chest up, keep your back as vertical as possible." 
Silly bulls**

These guys ACTUALLY know how to squat.
Don't do highbar. Widen your stance. Drive from your hips. Put some more weight on the bar.

There is no such thing as "variations". There is right, and wrong

Every other youtube video titled "How to Barbell Back Squat" is just wrong. Wrong on so many levels wrong. When I first started lifting I like so many others was completely misinformed by the epic mountain of nonsense on the subject of weight lifting. It took a long time to figure out what was correct. I wish I had come across these guys first. They know. What they. Are talking. A. Bout.

Great video, perfect form.

[louaykayyal]

I watched this before my squats today, this is the best squat day of my life, much thanks

[yasminevrancx]

Another great video guys! Simple and clear

[umaxfitness]

I really like the way the video is structured and the tip about "where to look at" is what a great coach would focus on, details!