How to Do Safety Bar Squat: Muscles Worked & Proper Form

Muscles Worked in Safety Bar Squats

Primary muscles worked:

• Quads
• Glutes
• Adductors
• Lower Back

Secondary muscles worked:

• Calves

How to Safety Bar Squat

1. Grip the handles of a safety squat bar, and place the bar on your upper back.
2. Inhale, brace your core slightly, and unrack the bar.
3. Take two steps back, and adjust your foot position.
4. Squat as deep as possible with good technique.
5. With control, stop and reverse the movement, extending your hips and legs again.
6. Exhale on the way up, or exchange air in the top position.
7. Inhale and repeat for reps.

Commentary

The safety bar squat is a variant of the classic barbell squat. The design of the bar means that the center of gravity of the weights ends up slightly further forward than they do in a barbell squat, which can make it easier to squat deep with good technique. By gripping handles instead of a straight bar, the requirement for mobility in the shoulders is also reduced somewhat.

Experiment with foot placement to find one that feels good.