High-bar Back Squat

How to perform it

1. 1Preparation and positioning. Grip the bar, brace the upper back, and step under it centered. Un-rack with your legs, take 2–3 small steps back, and set your stance. Distribute pressure evenly across the tripod foot; keep a neutral forward gaze.
2. 2Starting position. The bar stable over mid-foot, ribcage over pelvis, torso braced 360°. Knees and hips extended, without passively hyperextending.
3. 3Concentric phase. Press the whole foot into the floor from the bottom. Knees and hips rise together; the bar stays over mid-foot in profile. There's no rigid "knees never past toes" rule.
4. 4End position / lockout. Upright and stable, hips/knees fully extended, without lower-back hyperextension. Breathe and re-brace before the next rep.
5. 5Eccentric phase. Bend the hips and knees together, lowering under control over 2–4 seconds. Knees track the feet's direction; heel and forefoot both stay loaded. Depth ends at whatever point keeps the bar path, foot contact, torso, and symptom-free control intact.
6. 6Breathing and bracing. Inhale deeply into the belly/flanks/back and brace 360° before every rep. Hold through the sticking point and exhale under control; use only a cleared breathing/loading scheme if you have cardiovascular limitations.
7. 7Valid rep. A stable start/lockout, reproducible depth, full foot contact, no contact with the safety pins, and a controlled bar path. Only use a competition depth standard if that's an explicit goal.

Common mistakes

• Missing or wrongly set safety pins

  Fix: Set and test them before loading the bar.

• "Good-morning" style ascent (hips shoot up first)

  Fix: Reduce the load; cue "chest and hips rise together."

• Heels lifting

  Fix: Check stance width, ankle mobility, and whether a heel wedge helps.

• Forcing the knees maximally outward

  Fix: Let the knee follow the foot's own direction instead.

• Forcing excessive depth

  Fix: Use a reproducible, individual depth marker instead of a fixed target.

Safety

• Older adults: consider a machine, a box, or a lighter load — function, bone health, and balance need individual review.
• Shoulder: bar position/abduction can be limiting — check an alternative bar or exercise if symptomatic.
• Spine: high axial load and bracing demand — use a cleared load/range corridor.
• Hip and knee: deep loaded flexion — use a pain-free, cleared range of motion.
• Balance: free load and the walkout carry risk — use the rack, safety pins, or an alternative if unsteady.
• Cardiovascular concerns or reduced bone density: get individual professional clearance — this can be beneficial or risky depending on the person.

Progressions & alternatives

• regression45-degree Leg Press— Guided leg loading with a lower balance/torso demand if the rack or technique prerequisites aren't there yet.
• progressionHigh-bar Back Squat with more load/tempo/volume— The next step increases load or volume within the same technical standard.
• alternativeBulgarian Split Squat— A unilateral option with lower absolute load, if asymmetry work or a stimulus-to-fatigue goal fits better.
• prerequisitePistol Squat— Builds relative single-leg control — useful but not a mandatory prerequisite, depending on your goal.