How to do barbell squats? Explaining the effects and points to note for doing them with the correct form
Barbell squats are a type of training exercise that uses a barbell and is good for training the lower body and core.
In this article,
- Benefits of Barbell Squats
- How to do barbell squats correctly
- Things to note when doing barbell squats
We will explain about:
The effectiveness of training can be increased by doing it efficiently, so read this article to master the correct method and important points to note about the movements to maximize your results.
What is a barbell squat?
Barbell squats are squats performed with a barbell . Although squats can be done with your own body weight, using a barbell increases the load and improves the effect.
There are several types of barbell squats, so in this chapter we will take a deeper look at the types of barbell squats, the parts of the body that can be trained, and the recommended weight and number of repetitions . This is basic information about barbell squats, so it's important to understand it before incorporating it into your training.
Types of Barbell Squats
There are many variations of barbell squats. Here are the three types of barbell squats we will introduce:
- Back Squat
- Landmine Squat
- Split Squat
Here's how to do a back squat:
- Place the barbell on your trapezius (shoulder muscles)
- Lower your thighs until they are parallel to the floor
- Return to original position
This is the most standard way to train barbell squats , so if you're a beginner, we recommend giving it a try.
Here's how to do a landmine squat:
- Remove one of the weights
- Attach the bar to a wall or other surface and secure it in place
- Grasp the opposite end of the bar with both hands
- Lower your thighs until they are parallel to the floor
- Return to original position
Since the bar is fixed, the trajectory is stable and there is little strain on the knees and hips , so even those who are not confident in their muscle strength can do it with peace of mind.
Here's how to do a split squat:
- You'll be in the same starting position as a back squat.
- Spread your legs wide apart
- Bend both knees and lower your hips
- Lower your front thigh until it is parallel to the floor.
- Return to original position
This exercise puts more strain on the hamstrings in the back of the thighs and the gluteus maximus in the buttocks than the back squat.
Areas that can be trained
Barbell squats work three main parts of the body :
- Gluteus Maximus
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
The gluteus maximus is a muscle located in the buttocks, the quadriceps are located on the front of the thighs, and the hamstrings are located on the back of the thighs. Barbell squats train most of the lower body, so they are recommended for those who want to strengthen their lower body.
Strengthening the muscles of the lower body makes it easier to lift heavy objects in daily life and to perform leg-loading movements such as going up and down slopes and stairs. If you find yourself getting tired easily when going up and down stairs due to lack of exercise, we recommend that you try barbell squats.
Weight and repetition guideline
The weight you should use when doing barbell squats is roughly 0.8 times your body weight for beginners. For example, if you weigh 60kg, 60kg x 0.8 = 48kg, so choose 48kg when doing barbell squats for the first time. This is just a guideline, so if you feel that the weight you calculated is too heavy, don't push yourself and reduce the weight.
As a guideline for the number of repetitions, if you are aiming to improve your lower body strength, 8 to 12 repetitions per set is desirable . Even if you can increase the weight, if you can only increase it 3 to 4 times, or if you are doing a low number of repetitions, you can predict that you are using a slightly heavy weight. If you are not able to increase the number of repetitions, reduce the weight and adjust it to a weight that you can increase 8 to 12 times.
If you would like to know more about the optimal weight and repetitions for muscle hypertrophy, please also refer to the following article.
»What is the optimal weight and number of repetitions for muscle hypertrophy? We also explain how to set the load and recommended muscle training methods.
How to do barbell squats
Here's how to do a barbell squat:
- Hold the barbell with hands wider than shoulder width
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place the barbell on your shoulders
- Tilt your pelvis forward and stick out your chest
- Keep your neck still and your gaze fixed
- Lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor
- Return to the original position by using your buttocks muscles.
- Repeat the above steps
Be careful not to put your weight on your toes while you are moving. If your weight is on your toes, your posture will be easily disrupted and you may end up leaning forward, which is dangerous.
Also, be sure to do some warm-up exercises before starting any movement. Jumping straight into a set with a cold body can cause injury, so be careful.
Tips for performing barbell squats with proper form
In this chapter, we will explain the important points to note about the form of barbell squats. Especially for beginners, it is easy for your form to fall apart if you have not yet mastered the correct technique.
If you cannot maintain the correct form, you will not get the results you expect, so be sure to keep the following points in mind when performing the exercises. Also, if you are unable to maintain the movement, it is possible that the weight you are using is not appropriate .
We recommend trying it with a light weight while keeping in mind the precautions to take.
Tip 1: Don't round your back
When doing barbell squats, be careful not to round your back . Beginners who are not used to the movement will tend to focus on lifting the barbell, which can lead to poor movement.
Especially in exercises like barbell squats, where you use weights close to your body weight, your back tends to round when you give in to the weight. To improve this, fix your face facing slightly higher than the front , which will help straighten your back and make it easier to maintain your posture. If your face is facing down, your back will also round, so be conscious of facing forward.
In addition, your knees may move forward during the movement, which can cause poor posture, but you can improve your posture by reviewing the position in which you hold the bar.
Normally, barbell squats are performed with the bar above the trapezius muscles (shoulder muscles), but this has the disadvantage that the upper body tends to rise, making it easier for the knees to go forward. In such cases, lower the bar to around the shoulder blades instead of the trapezius muscles. This will make your posture more stable and prevent your knees from going forward.
Point to note 2: Abdominal pressure is not being applied
In barbell squats, abdominal pressure is also one of the factors that stabilizes your posture .
Abdominal pressure refers to the pressure around the stomach. When abdominal pressure decreases, the core becomes unstable, making it difficult to maintain posture. In addition, when abdominal pressure decreases, a large load is placed on the lumbar vertebrae, increasing the risk of injury. It is important to increase abdominal pressure during exercise and train with the correct posture.
To increase abdominal pressure, it is effective to use a breathing technique called "drawing in," in which you breathe out while contracting your stomach, and a breathing technique called "bracing," in which you breathe in while expanding your stomach. If you pay attention to drawing in and bracing while breathing during training, your abdominal pressure will increase and your posture will become more stable.
Point to note 3: Shallow angle
When doing barbell squats, be careful not to squat too shallowly as this will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise .
In barbell squats, it is ideal to lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor. If you cannot lower your hips completely, the load on your muscles will decrease and you will not get the intended effect.
As a workaround, we recommend training using a chair. When sitting on a chair, your thighs are almost parallel to the floor , so if you use a chair to do barbell squats, you can see how far you should lower your hips and get a feel for it. Once you get the hang of it, try doing barbell squats without a chair.
It is also recommended to place a large mirror next to your body. If you cannot see yourself objectively while moving, you will not know how far your hips are currently lowered. While looking in the mirror, lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor and get a feel for it.
Benefits of Barbell Squats
This chapter explains the effects of barbell squats . Barbell squats mainly train the lower body, so you can expect to improve core strength and blood flow.
Barbell squats can also help improve your explosive power, which is essential when playing sports .
If you train with an understanding of the benefits you will get, it will be easier to stay motivated. Read the explanation below to understand the correct benefits and use it to stay motivated during your training.
Effect 1: Improved blood flow
Barbell squats also train the calves. The calves play a role in increasing blood flow by stretching and contracting the muscles, and are also known as the "second heart" because they act as a pump to return blood that has circulated in the lower body back to the heart.
A major benefit of strengthening your calf muscles is that it improves the pumping function that pushes blood upward, improving blood flow . Improved blood flow improves chills and swelling , leading to a healthier body.
Furthermore, improved blood flow is also helpful for skin problems such as wrinkles and dullness. The main cause of skin problems is a weakened metabolism that weakens the ability to create new cells. Improving blood flow allows nutrients to reach all cells in the body, helping to create new cells.
As a result, your metabolism will increase and skin problems will improve. If you suffer from coldness, swelling, or skin problems, try barbell squats.
Effect 2: Improved core strength
Doing barbell squats improves core strength . As mentioned above, when doing barbell squats, it is important to be aware of not only the muscles of the lower body but also abdominal pressure.
Because the exercise works by increasing abdominal pressure, it stimulates the muscles around the stomach and is also effective in improving core strength. Strengthening the core also helps to correct the pelvis and spine, which can improve your posture in daily life and prevent or alleviate lower back pain .
Originally, barbell squats are an exercise that helps strengthen the lower body, but they also have the benefit of simultaneously training the muscles necessary for core movements. If you are concerned about your posture in your private life, such as hunched back, we recommend that you try barbell squats.
Effect 3: Improved sports performance
Barbell squats can help improve your performance in sports .
Another benefit of improving the strength of your lower body is that it can improve your explosive power and running ability . When you move quickly, your legs and hips are under a lot of strain. Therefore, if your lower body muscles are weak, your body will not be able to respond even when you want to exert force instantly, and you will find it difficult to move quickly.
Explosive power is essential to improving your performance in sports. Strengthen your lower body with barbell squats and build a body that can adapt to quick movements.
Tools to help with barbell squats
In this chapter, we will introduce the equipment that will be useful when performing barbell squats at home .
When doing barbell squats at home, in addition to a barbell, it is recommended that you use weight plates to adjust the weight and collars to hold the weights attached to the bar.
We will also introduce you to the tools you need to train safely, so please refer to it.
Tool 1: Weight Plates
Weight plates are useful when adjusting the load of barbell squats.
Weight plates can be easily attached to both ends of the barbell to adjust the load. Weight plates come in a variety of weights, from 1.25kg to 5kg and 10kg, making them ideal for fine-tuning the load.
They are also available in metal and urethane materials, but if you are using them at home, we recommend urethane, as metal ones are more likely to scratch the floor if dropped, and they can make a loud noise when the plates hit each other, which can be quite noisy.
If the weight plate is made of urethane, it will not get scratched even if it is dropped on the floor, and it will not make a loud noise even if the plates hit each other. When choosing a weight plate, we recommend that you pay attention to the material as well as the weight.
»Weight Plate Product List
Tool 2: Rack
For barbell squats, we recommend using a rack for safety .
In particular, power racks have height-adjustable "safety bars" on both sides, allowing you to squat with peace of mind. The safety bars are there to support the barbell in case you lose your balance or are unable to withstand the weight of the barbell.
Barbell squats are an exercise in which you lift weights close to your own body weight. If you lose your balance and fall, it can lead to serious injury and is extremely dangerous.
In such a case, if you install a safety bar inside the power rack, you can reduce the risk of a serious accident even if something happens. Since the purpose of training is to aim for a healthy body, you should train using a power rack to avoid injury.
»Rack & Rig Product List
Tool #3: Barbell collar
Barbell collars are tools that prevent weight plates from falling off when they are attached to a barbell. They are easy to use; first attach the weight plates to the barbell, then attach the barbell collars.
Beginners tend to have poor form and lose their center of gravity. The barbell also tends to sway from side to side, so without barbell collars there is a risk that the weight plates will fall off, which is dangerous.
As long as you wear the barbell collar, you can train with peace of mind knowing that the weight plates will not come off the barbell.
»Barbell collar product list
Learn how to do barbell squats and train efficiently
Barbell squats are an exercise that can easily be done at home, but in order to maximize the effectiveness, it is important to make sure you have the correct posture beforehand .
If you are having trouble maintaining proper posture, we recommend trying lighter weights or using a chair or mirror to get a feel for lowering your hips.
In addition, there are many useful tools such as racks and barbell collars to safely perform barbell squats at home. Uchino Gym has a selection of recommended tools for those who want to perform barbell squats at home, so please refer to them when purchasing your equipment.
»Uchino Gym
