Learning to Squat | The Starting Strength Method

How to squat as taught by Mark Rippetoe in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training. In this instructional video, you'll learn the correct positions and movement for the low bar squat.

[theshellest]

Where has this video been hiding while I've been failing at squats the last 4 years???
This is the type of tutorial the youtube fitness community needs. No bs. No ego, self advertising, self promoting or over-complicated explaining for no reason. This is what I've been looking for. The holy grail of workout videos. I've only heard rumors... but I never thought I would find it...

[musician]

These videos are the most well explained on Youtube. No gimmicks, no nonsense, not pretence, just solid information. Thank you!

[reaper]

Ive been doing squats wrong this WHOLE time and started to develop back and knee pains. I studied this video and now the pain is starting to subside! Thanks so much!

[sydnierenner]

Thank you so much for this video. A couple weeks ago I quit squatting because I thought squats just might not be for me. Turns out I wasn’t spreading my knees out far enough! Usually the day after my lower back is killing me but today it feels 100%. Thank you so much.

[taylorlittle]

Squat
1. Heels about shoulder width apart and toes pointed out about 30 degrees (NOT facing forward)
2. Squat down all the way to a position in which the apex (highest point) of the hip crease drops just below the top of the patella (kneecap)
3. Put your elbows against your knees with your palms together and shove your knees out
4. Notice: your feet are flat on the floor, your knees are shoved out to where they are in a parallel line with your feet and just a little in front of your toes
5. Notice: Your back should be as flat as you can get it (inclined at about a 45 degree angle, NOT at all vertical!)
6. Notice: your eyes are on the floor a few feet in front of you
7. Come up out of the bottom by driving your butt straight up in the air, NOT forward, NOT back (this movement keeps your weight solid over the whole foot NOT letting it shift over the toes)

Now with bar
1. Thumbs on top of bar to keep forearm parallel with the wrist
2. Elbows lifted up (but NOT lifted high) in order to trap bar in between back and hands
3. Place your hands and thumbs on the bar and dip your head under the bar and come up into position with the bar on your back just below the spine of the scapula (the bone you feel at the top of the shoulder blades)
4. Then secure it in place by lifting your elbows and chest at the same time (it should feel as if the bar is resting on a shelf under the traps and on top of the posterior deltoids (rounded common shoulder muscle)
5. Torso and shoulders tight, chest and elbows up, head position down, and both feet under the bar
6. Knees need to be out, aspracticed with elbows before, but now place them there by your brain
7. Hold breath for movement
8. Feet firm and balanced
9. Hips perform the squat not legs
10. Full depth (parallel) accept nothing less

[ftk_ovr_k]

I could not reach max depth without losing balance and just could not figure out why. Now I know. I wasn’t pushing my knees out . I can’t thank you enough for this!

[edisonli]

Listening to uncle Rip's voice after a heavy squat trainning is better than any supplement.

[FleshMelter]

This taught me that I've never done a single correct squat in my life.

[rollotomassi]

Best single squat instruction I've received in over 30 years. To think I'd receive it on a video via YouTube 🤣.

Amazing. Thanks guys. Excellent work.

[nickg]

Damn, Rip is getting all professional and efficient now... I think I prefer raw unfiltered Rip but this is now the best squat video on the internet. If this video isn’t up to a million views within 6 months their is no hope for humanity!

[tobarstep]

Possibly the best squat "how to" I've seen. And right off I realized my one major mistake that was keeping me from squatting: keep my head *down*. I've been trying to do squats like other movements where you keep your head up, but I was having trouble with balance. By simply looking down instead of up, I've eliminated the balance issue entirely. Amazing.

[jermainetaylor]

Years of squating and this video just popped up. Instantly felt a difference, craziness.

[alphastrength]

Maybe the shortest squat tutorial out there and maybe the best also

[WhiteGenghisKhan]

I have had big shoulder mobility problems with my squat that slants the barbell when I go down. I just tried it out and the barbell was straight the entire time. Another queue I missed was leaning forward and chest down. I was basically performing a high bar squat in a low bar position. I really appreciate you mark

[bodyreclaimed]

This video is a game changer for me. Thank you! I was struggling getting the depth for no good reason this whole time. You explained and demonstrated well. I was trying to keep my back too vertical.

[dewildlifts]

A lot of videos I’ve seen have recommended chest and torso up which helps with lat engagement, lower back fatigue, butt wink, and keeping a straight bar path. Why do you recommend the chest being down?

[RitobanBhattacharya]

Always tried to squat upright before. Always suffered from back pain. After switching to this style, can squat heavier, without any back pain.

[Nousiainej]

DUDE! I have struggled with the squat my whole life, and you are saying that my back should be at 45° angle??? NO ONE HAS EVER TOLD ME THAT. I promise that if this will fix my pains for good, i will cry many many happy tears.

[Trillvil]

Thank god for this video. I keep having ppl tells me and even trainers saying I’m leaning too much in but I’m a y’all guy like this guy in the video. I couldn’t find balance but now I see I have to lean more forward

[genesisfloral]

Hey I really liked this video style, it felt like a tutorial from the 70s, calm and to the point.