Olympic Squat

Also called olympic squat, oly squat and atg squat.

Works

Quads, plus calves, glutes and hamstrings

Equipment

Barbell

Level

Intermediate

Type

Compound

How to do it

Setup. Begin with a barbell supported on top of the traps. The chest should be up, and the head facing forward. Adopt a hip width stance with the feet turned out as needed.

1. Descend by flexing the knees, refraining from moving the hips back as much as possible. This requires that the knees travel forward; ensure that they stay aligned with the feet. The goal is to keep the torso as upright as possible. Continue all the way down, keeping the weight on the front of the heel.
2. At the moment the upper legs contact the lower, reverse the motion, driving the weight upward.

Cues

• Bar high on the traps.
• Knees forward, hips stay under.
• Torso upright all the way down.
• Drive up fast out of the hole.

Common mistakes

• Hips shooting back.
• Heels lifting.
• Knees caving in.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have sore knees. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

Harder

Easier

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