Squats, lunges and legs

Back squat

Muscles worked: Quads · glutes · trunk

How to do it

1. Set up. Squat inside a rack with the safety bars (pins or straps) set just below the lowest point of your squat. Check the height with an empty bar first. Rest the bar across your upper back, not your neck, with an even grip. Brace, stand up to lift it off the hooks and take two or three short steps back.
2. Move. Sit down between your hips with your chest up and your spine neutral. Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes and your whole foot planted. Only go as deep as you can while keeping your back neutral.
3. Finish. Drive up through your whole foot to stand. Walk forward until the bar touches the uprights, then lower it into the hooks. If you can't finish a rep, sit down under control and lower the bar on to the safety bars.

Common mistakes

• Squatting without the rack’s safety bars set just below your lowest point.
• Letting the bar roll forwards onto your neck. It sits on the upper back.
• Knees caving in as you stand.

Where it appears in the member plans

Strength Builder.