Barbell High Bar Squat

Begin by setting up a barbell at shoulder height on a squat rack. Stand facing the barbell and position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Step under the bar and place it on your upper back, resting it on your traps. Take a step or two back to create enough space to perform the exercise. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Keep your head and chest up, while maintaining a neutral spine. Engage your core muscles throughout the movement. Initiate the squat by bending at the hips and knees simultaneously. Lower your body down by pushing your hips back and downward. Aim to bring your thighs parallel to the ground or slightly below, ensuring your knees stay in line with your toes. Keep your weight on your heels and actively push through them to return to the starting position. As you rise, extend your hips and knees simultaneously until you are fully upright. Avoid locking your knees at the top of the movement. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, ensuring proper form and control throughout the exercise.

How to perform the Barbell High Bar Squat

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell High Bar 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 quadriceps.
  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 quadriceps 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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