Muscles worked

The back squat is the most efficient lower-body compound lift. It hits every major leg muscle plus your entire core for stabilization.

Quadriceps (90%) — primary mover, especially in the ascent
Glutes (80%) — hip extension at the top half of the lift
Hamstrings (60%) — co-contract with quads, stabilize the knee
Erectors / lower back (55%) — keep your spine neutral under load
Core (50%) — bracing throughout the entire lift
Calves (35%) — ankle stability
Upper back & rear delts (30%) — bar support and back tightness

Step-by-step technique

Set the bar height. Bar should be at upper-chest height in the rack — high enough that you can unrack with knees slightly bent, low enough you're not on tiptoes.
Grip the bar. Hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Pull the bar down into your traps (high bar) or rear delts (low bar). Squeeze your shoulder blades together to create a shelf.
Unrack. Brace your core, drive up with your legs, take two controlled steps back. Don't waste energy walking out further than needed.
Set your stance. Feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly out (15-30°). Find the stance where your hips feel strongest.
Brace and descend. Big breath, push your belly out into your belt, sit your hips back and bend your knees. Keep your chest up.
Hit depth. Descend until your hip crease is at or below the top of your knee. Don't bounce out of the bottom — control the transition.
Drive up. Push the floor away with your whole foot. Knees track over toes. Stand fully tall before resetting.

Common mistakes

Knees caving in. Cue: "spread the floor." Push your knees out actively as you descend and drive.
Heels coming up. Means your ankles are tight or your stance is too narrow. Try slightly wider stance or use lifting shoes.
Hips shooting up first. You're stronger in your hips than your legs. Cue: "drive the bar with your traps" out of the hole.
Not hitting depth. Quarter squats build ego, not strength. Below-parallel depth recruits more glutes and hams.
Looking up. Hyperextending your neck unstacks your spine. Keep a neutral neck and look 6-10 feet ahead.
Losing tightness at the top. Reset your brace between every rep. Don't lockout, exhale, then descend.

Squat variations

Front Squat

More Quad

Bar rests on the front delts. Upright torso shifts emphasis to quads and reduces lower-back stress. Demanding on wrists and t-spine mobility.

Goblet Squat

Beginner

Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest height. Perfect for learning depth and torso position without barbell complexity. Great warm-up.

Paused Squat

Strength

Hold 2-3 seconds at the bottom. Eliminates the stretch reflex, builds strength out of the hole, fixes bounce-dependent lifters.

Bulgarian Split Squat

Unilateral

Rear foot elevated, front leg does the work. Brutal on quads and glutes, fixes side-to-side imbalances. Use dumbbells or a barbell.

Progressive overload for the squat

The squat responds to all four progressive overload methods, but the most reliable for long-term strength is adding weight in small increments while keeping reps constant.

Linear progression (beginner). Add 5 lbs every session you hit your target reps. Works for 4-6 months on most beginners.
Double progression (intermediate). Pick a rep range (e.g. 6-8). Once you hit the top of the range across all sets, add 5-10 lbs.
RPE-based (advanced). Train at a target RPE (e.g. RPE 8) and let weights fluctuate by week based on recovery.
Volume progression. Add a set instead of weight when you can't safely add load.

PRPath's Live PR Predictor flags when you're approaching a 1RM, max weight, or max volume PR — so you know when to push and when to back off.

How to Squat: Complete Form Guide

Muscles worked

Step-by-step technique

Common mistakes

Squat variations

Front Squat

Goblet Squat

Paused Squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Progressive overload for the squat

Related exercises

Track every squat with PRPath.

Muscles worked

Step-by-step technique

Common mistakes

Squat variations

Front Squat

Goblet Squat

Paused Squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Progressive overload for the squat

Related exercises

Deadlift

Bench Press

Romanian Deadlift

Leg Press

Track every squat with PRPath.