Barbell Bench Squat

HamstringsQuadricepsGlutesBarbellIntermediate
1. Position yourself under the barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart. 2. Grab the barbell with an overhand grip, ensuring your hands are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. 3. Lift the barbell off the rack and bring it down onto your upper chest, resting it on your shoulders. 4. Take a deep breath, brace your core, and slowly lower your body by bending at the knees and hips. 5. Keep your chest upright and your knees aligned with your toes as you squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. 6. Push through your heels, straighten your legs, and return to the starting position. 7. Repeat for the desired number of reps while maintaining proper form and control.

How to perform the Barbell Bench Squat

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Bench Squat using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your hamstrings.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your hamstrings rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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