Legs
Back Squat
The lift that builds full-body strength from the ground up — nothing else loads the legs and core like a heavy back squat.
How to perform.
Follow the sequence — setup is half the lift.
Set the bar in the rack at about mid-chest height. Step under and place the bar across your upper traps (high bar) or the shelf of your rear delts (low bar).
Grip the bar with hands just outside shoulder width. Squeeze elbows down to lock the bar in place.
Unrack with both legs, take 2–3 small steps back, and set your stance shoulder-width with toes pointed slightly out.
Take a big breath into your belly, brace your core, and break at the hips and knees together.
Squat down until your hip crease drops below the top of your knee. Keep your chest up and knees tracking over your toes.
Drive through your whole foot to stand back up, exhaling at the top.
Common mistakes.
Fix these first — they cost reps, kilos, and joints.
- Knees caving inward on the way up — drive them out over your toes.
- Heels lifting off the floor — usually an ankle mobility or stance issue.
- Cutting depth short above parallel.
- Looking up sharply — keep a neutral neck.
- Loose core — always brace before you descend.
Muscles worked.
The primary movers do the work; the stabilizers keep the path honest.