How to Do a Barbell Squat—and What You Need to Know to Build Your Confidence

We probably don’t need to sell you on the power of squats. The move has long been a fitness staple, and for good reason: “The squat is a fantastic, multi-joint, large muscle group activity,” says Peter Ronai, clinical professor of exercise science at Sacred Heart University and a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

But if you’re squatting all the time with dumbbells or kettlebells and don’t feel like you’re reaping the rewards, it may be time to level up to barbell squats. Whether that’s the case, you’ve been eyeing the power racks in your gym, or you’ve seen the move pop up in a Peloton Gym workout, there’s a lot to know before trying them for yourself. 

Before you go near a squat rack, hear what Ronai and Peloton instructor Jermaine Johnson have to say. They’re dropping everything you need to know about barbell squats, including the difference between front squats vs. back squats, muscles worked, and how to build up to squatting the bar.

What Are Barbell Squats?

Barbell squats are simply squats done while holding a barbell (the long, metal bar that can be loaded with weight plates on either end). A standard barbell that you’ll find in a gym typically weighs 45 lbs; however, there are many types of barbells that come in different weights, including hex bars, Olympic barbells, short barbells, and triceps barbells. There are two main ways to do a barbell squat: with the barbell resting on the front of your shoulders (called a front squat) or on the back of your shoulders (called a back squat). 

What Muscles Do Barbell Squats Work?

There are tons of different squat variations out there, and while they vary in exactly how they train your body, they work more-or-less the same muscle groups: your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core. When it comes to front and back barbell squats, both work similar muscles but in slightly different ways, Jermaine says. Here’s how they differ.

Barbell Front Squats

Barbell front squats primarily work the gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings, and erector spinae (the muscles along your spine), according to the ACSM. Compared to back squats, “barbell front squats focus more on the quads and core,” Jermaine says. That happens because, when you do a front squat, your torso naturally assumes a more vertical position than in the back squat, allowing your quads to do more of the work, Ronai explains. Front squats also work your erector spinae and core, as you try to maintain an upright posture throughout the movement. Your whole core has to turn on to stabilize your spine and keep the weight up, Ronai says.

Barbell Back Squats

Barbell back squats primarily target the gluteus maximus, quadriceps, and hamstrings, according to the ACSM. The gluteus medius, lower back, and core also get involved to help stabilize the torso and hips. The emphasis here is more on the muscles of the posterior chain (the back of your body), including the hamstrings and glutes. Placing the barbell on the back of your shoulders tends to pitch your torso forward, and the response is to fire up more muscles on the back of the body, Ronai explains.

The Benefits of Doing Barbell Squats

Barbell squats come with a lot of the same benefits as any other type of weighted squat, including building lower body strength, promoting muscle growth, improving core stability, enhancing functional fitness, boosting athletic performance, increasing bone density, and burning calories by engaging large muscle groups, Jermaine says. Not to mention, squats can “aid in injury prevention and rehabilitation by strengthening the muscles around the knees and hips, as well as improving joint stability and enhancing overall mobility,” he adds.

Reminder: “The squat imitates very fundamental movements that we do every day, like getting out of a car, getting up and down off a chair or a toilet seat, getting up from the floor or the ground if you're gardening, picking up grandchildren, picking up groceries, etc.—so it's an important movement,” Ronai says. It's also crucial for sports performance, no matter which sport you play. “It's a fundamental tool to improve things like jumping, vertical lifting, running, and sprinting,” he adds.

What edge do barbell squats offer over other types of squats, then? Well, the biggest perk is that barbell squats allow you to lift heavier weights, Jermaine says, which can ultimately help you build more strength and muscle. Because barbell squats are typically done in a squat rack with the weight starting at shoulder height, you don’t need to worry about hoisting the weight off the floor, as you do with dumbbells or kettlebells. Many people are capable of squatting relatively heavy weights since the exercise uses some of the biggest muscles in the body—but picking up a heavy dumbbell and getting it into the goblet position, for example, may put you at risk of injury if your body can’t handle that movement with the amount of weight you can squat.

How to Do Front and Back Barbell Squats

Barbell Front Squat Form

When you’re setting up for a barbell front squat, you have two options for where to put the weight: in the rack position (elbows pointing forward, palms facing up, holding the barbell directly over your shoulders) or in the crossed-arm position (barbell resting directly on your shoulders, arms crossed at the forearm, hands holding the barbell in place), Ronai says. Which one works best for you will depend on personal anatomy, mobility, comfort, and history of wrist or shoulder issues, though the rack position is more common, and the one we’ll detail below. 

When performing front squats, you want to keep your torso upright and motionless during both the downward and upward motion of the squat, per the ACSM.

How to Do Barbell Front Squats

Barbell Back Squat Form

Back squats put your torso at a different angle than front squats, but you still don’t want to lean forward: the ACSM recommends that your shins and torso remain parallel with one another throughout while you’re lowering into the squat. Focus on keeping your knees apart and tracking over your toes, and move your torso and hips together as one unit. “You want your knees and hips to come up at the same time—not straightening your knees first, then your back,” Ronai says. “

How to Do Barbell Back Squats 

4 Beginner Tips For Barbell Squat Exercises

Know When You’re Ready 

The single biggest thing you should know about barbell squats as a beginner? When you’re actually ready to do them. Make sure you’re squatting completely pain-free (meaning, no pain while squatting nor crankiness or excessive soreness afterward) and that you’re truly proficient in the movement pattern, Ronai says. Ideally, you’ll have a trainer or fitness pro check out your squat form and give you the go-ahead. You can also do internal checks, or video yourself to check your own form: Are you balanced? Can you keep your torso upright? Is your gaze forward throughout the move? Does your ascent and descent feel smooth and comfortable?

Warm Up, Set Up, and Gear Up Properly 

“Always warm up thoroughly,” Jermaine says. That includes dynamic stretching, mobility exercises, and activation drills. He adds that you should always use a squat rack with safety bars (adjustable metal bars along the sides of a rack that can catch the barbell if you can’t make it up from the bottom of your squat). It’s also a good idea to ask an experienced lifter or trainer to spot you.

Your footwear is important here, too. Wear flat, stable shoes with a hard sole, Jermaine says. This will give you a solid foundation for your squat. “Avoid squatting in running shoes as this can make your feet unstable, reducing balance and proper form, which increases the risk of injury,” he says.

Progress Appropriately 

Jermaine and Ronai agree that you should master bodyweight squats before you pick up any weights.

Next, progress to goblet squats using a dumbbell or kettlebell, Jermaine says. Goblet squats are great for improving form and mobility, and help you drill the upright-torso position, Ronai adds. “Begin with lighter weights to master form and gradually increase as you gain strength,” Jermaine says. Ideally, you’ll squat up to 35 or 45lbs, so you’re ready to lift the weight of a barbell.

Before you go in with the barbell, it can be helpful to start with a PVC pipe or body bar (lightweight barbells usually covered in foam that you can find in most gyms) to master the form and get a feel for squatting with a bar on your back or in a front-racked position. 

Finally, when you’re ready to try squatting a barbell, look for a lighter barbell, such as a women's Olympic barbell, which is just 35lbs, to start. If your gym doesn’t have one, go with a standard 45lb barbell. Either way, it should be unloaded (i.e. with no weights on the ends).

Beginner Weight Recommendations 

You should definitely start working barbell squats with an unloaded barbell. From there, how do you know when you’re ready to lift more weight? The ACSM has a handy “two-for-two rule” to help. When you’re able to surpass the number of repetitions on your last set by at least two reps—and you can do this for two consecutive workouts—that means you’re ready to add more weight, Ronai explains. “If the person has the strength and stamina to surpass the number of repetitions on each set that they were prescribed, then the thought is to increase the loading so that they're back down to the lower end of the number of repetitions you've given them,” Ronai explains. So, for example, if your goal is to do between eight and 12 reps per set, and you’re regularly doing 14 reps, you can increase the weight you’re lifting, and aim to do closer to eight reps. 

How to Add Barbell Squats to Your Workout Routine

There’s no one-size-fits-all ideal workout routine, and the same can be said for adding barbell squats to your strength training. “This really depends on the individual and their specific goals,” Jermaine says. “Generally, I'd recommend squats two or three times per week with three to four sets of eight to 12 reps,” he says. You can add them in during your leg-day workouts or incorporate them into a full-body strength workout. Just make sure you’re warming up properly and doing big lifts, like squats, towards the beginning of your workout to make sure you have enough energy to get them done.

Master squat basics with the Peloton Strength Basics: Squat class. Then, track your barbell squat progress with Peloton Gym on the Peloton App.