Barbell Back Squat

The squat is a bilateral, axially-loaded movement that trains the entire lower body and demands significant contribution from the core and upper back to stay upright under load. Bar position, stance width, and depth are all adjustable — the "correct" setup is the one that lets you hit consistent depth with a neutral spine.

High-bar squatting places the bar across the upper traps, favors a more upright torso, and tends to load the quads more. Low-bar squatting shifts the bar to the rear delts and mid-traps, creates a more forward lean, and distributes load more evenly between quads and posterior chain. Neither is inherently superior — they train slightly different leverages.

Depth standards vary by context. Powerlifting requires breaking parallel (hip crease below the top of the knee). Bodybuilding and general training often favor ass-to-grass when mobility permits. Most people benefit from squatting as deep as they can maintain a neutral spine; chasing depth at the cost of a butt-wink or forward collapse is not worth it.

In LiftProof, the squat anchors most of the strength programs. 5/3/1 Beyond programs it on day one; Linear Progression and GZCLP both squat every session. Log your training max, not your all-time PR — the training max is what guides progression.

• Big breath into the belly before unracking — brace the abs hard
• Screw feet into the floor (external rotation intent) — create tension before you descend
• Elbows under the bar, not flared behind it
• Descend with control — hips back and down together
• Drive the floor away, not yourself forward
• Keep chest up through the sticking point

• Knees caving on the way up — cue external rotation, add goblet squats as accessory work
• Heels rising — check ankle mobility; elevate heels temporarily while working on it
• Excessive forward lean — often bar position or quad weakness, not a moral failing
• Depth cut short — record from the side and check before assuming you hit parallel
• Breath leak mid-rep — re-brace at the top if doing multiple reps

• romanian deadlift→
• hip hinge→