Paused Squat

Setup

1. 01Set the bar in the rack at upper chest height and take your normal squat grip.
2. 02Place the bar across the upper back and step out to your usual stance.
3. 03Brace hard with a full breath before each rep.
4. 04Load lighter than your regular squat, roughly 75 to 90 percent of your working weight.

Execution

1. 01Descend under control to your full squat depth.
2. 02Hold the bottom position dead still for 2 to 3 seconds.
3. 03Stay braced and keep tension; do not relax or sink further.
4. 04Drive up hard out of the pause without a pre-bounce.
5. 05Reset the breath at the top and repeat.

Checkpoints

• -The pause is motionless, with no dipping or bouncing before the drive.
• -Torso angle at the bottom matches your normal squat, not folded forward.
• -Knees stay out over the toes throughout the pause.
• -Bar speed off the bottom is aggressive despite the dead stop.

Common mistakes

• -Counting the pause fast and turning it into a touch-and-go rep.
• -Relaxing the brace during the hold and losing the back position.
• -Cutting depth because the pause feels hard.
• -Loading so heavy the pause shrinks to nothing.