Barbell High Bar Squat

Setup

1. 01Set the bar at upper chest height in the rack.
2. 02Place the bar on the shelf of the upper traps, above the rear delts.
3. 03Grip the bar close enough to keep the upper back tight, elbows pointing down.
4. 04Step back into a roughly shoulder-width stance with toes slightly out.

Execution

1. 01Take a big breath and brace before each descent.
2. 02Bend the knees and hips together, keeping the torso relatively upright.
3. 03Squat to at least parallel, ideally deeper, with knees tracking over the toes.
4. 04Drive up through the whole foot and stand tall without the hips shooting back.

Checkpoints

• -Bar stays balanced over the middle of the foot.
• -Torso angle stays more vertical than a low bar squat.
• -Knees travel forward and out in line with the toes.
• -Depth is consistent from the first rep to the last.

Common mistakes

• -Letting the hips rise first and turning the rep into a good morning.
• -Placing the bar on the neck instead of the trap shelf.
• -Cutting depth as the weight gets heavy.
• -Losing the brace at the bottom of the rep.