Pause Squat Guide: Technique, Benefits, and Errors

Master the pause squat to build leg strength and explosive power. Learn proper form, common mistakes, and how to use pauses to break through plateaus.

How to Perform

1. Position a barbell across your upper traps and stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Inhale deeply into your abdomen and brace your core to create internal pressure before initiating the movement.
3. Lower your hips back and down with control until your thighs are at or below parallel with the floor.
4. Hold the bottom position for a full two to three seconds while maintaining total body tension and an upright chest.
5. Drive through your mid-foot to return to a standing position without allowing your hips to rise faster than your shoulders.
6. Exhale at the top of the movement and reset your breath before starting the next repetition.

Common Mistakes

• Relaxing the core or lower back during the pause
• Bouncing slightly at the bottom to create momentum
• Exhaling during the hold instead of maintaining intra-abdominal pressure
• Cutting the pause short due to fatigue

Muscles Worked

Primary movers

• Quadriceps

Stabilizers

• Glutes
• Adductors
• Erector Spinae
• Core

Related Guides

• 1 Leg Box Squat — Legs
• Abductor Machine — Legs
• Adductor Machine — Legs

Quadriceps · Legs