Back squat
Back squat basics for beginners: bar position, the unrack, bracing, depth, common faults and a four step path from goblet squat to loaded barbell.
What the back squat is
The back squat is a barbell squat with the bar resting across the upper back, on the muscle of the shoulders just below the neck. It is one of the most direct ways to build strength in the legs, hips and trunk, and it is a main strength movement in CrossFit. A beginner starts with an empty barbell or a lighter training bar, learning to unrack, squat to depth and rerack with a coach watching.
Why it is in class
The back squat is in CrossFit because it lets you load the squat pattern heavily and progressively. Your legs and hips hold your largest muscle groups, and getting them stronger makes nearly everything else easier: running, jumping, rowing, cleaning and climbing stairs with groceries. Carrying a bar on your back also trains your trunk to brace against weight, which carries over to lifting a suitcase into an overhead bin or carrying a child on your shoulders. Because the bar sits on your back rather than in your hands, most people can handle more weight here than in other squat variations, which makes it a useful measure of leg strength over months and years of training.
Points of performance
What a good rep looks like, from setup to finish.
Set the bar in the rack
Set the J-hooks at about armpit height or slightly lower, so you can unrack by straightening your legs, not by rising onto your toes. Step under the bar, center it on your back, and place your hands just outside your shoulders with a full grip around the bar.
Make a shelf
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull your elbows down and slightly back. This lifts the muscles of your upper back into a shelf for the bar to sit on. The bar should rest on muscle, never on the bony knob at the base of your neck.
Unrack and walk out
Stand up to lift the bar off the hooks, then take two or three short steps back. Set your feet in your squat stance, the same one you use for the air squat. Keep the walkout short, because every extra step spends energy you need for the lift.
Brace, then descend
Take a big breath into your belly and tighten your trunk as if someone were about to push you. Hold that breath as you sit your hips back and down, knees tracking over your toes, until your hip crease drops below the top of your knee.
Drive up as one piece
Push through the whole foot and lift your chest and hips at the same rate. Keep pressure into the bar with your upper back. Exhale near the top, stand fully, then reset your breath before the next rep. Walk the bar forward into the hooks to rerack it.
Common beginner faults, and the fix
Hips shoot up first
What it looks likeOut of the bottom, the hips rise faster than the shoulders, so the squat turns into a bent over good morning and the back takes the load.
The fixLead with your upper back pressing up into the bar. Lighten the load until chest and hips rise together. Paused squats at the bottom teach you to stay tight in the hardest position.
Losing the brace at the bottom
What it looks likeThe lower back rounds or the trunk softens at depth, often seen as the tailbone tucking under, which coaches call a butt wink.
The fixRebrace before every rep and squat only as deep as you can hold a neutral back for now. Your coach may set a box at the depth you control while mobility and position catch up.
Bar rolling onto the neck
What it looks likeThe bar sits too high, on the spine at the base of the neck, and feels sharp or painful under load.
The fixPull your shoulder blades together harder before you step under, and set the bar lower, on the muscle of the upper back. A slightly wider grip can help if your shoulders are tight.
Dive bombing the bottom
What it looks likeThe lifter drops fast into the hole and relies on a rebound, with the knees shifting in or the bar tipping forward.
The fixUse a controlled lowering phase of two to three seconds while learning. Speed comes later, once the position looks the same on every rep.
Where you start, and where it goes
Every movement in class has a version that fits you today.
Start here
Goblet squat with a kettlebell or dumbbell held at the chest, or a back squat with a PVC pipe to learn where the bar sits.
Next step when: Your air squat and goblet squat hit full depth with control, and you can hold a braced position for a few seconds at the bottom.
Building
Back squat with an empty barbell or a lighter training bar, sets of 5 to 8 with a slow lowering phase, practicing the unrack and rerack every set.
Next step when: Every rep looks the same top to bottom, and you can unrack and rerack without help or hesitation.
Full movement
Loaded back squats in the sets and reps your coach programs, adding weight in small jumps when the last set still moves well.
Next step when: You add load steadily over weeks while depth and bracing stay consistent.
Beyond
Heavier singles, pause squats, tempo squats and back squats inside conditioning workouts, always with safety arms set or a spotter for heavy attempts.
Next step when: This rung is long. Your coach will help you decide when testing a one rep max makes sense.
Back squat in real classes
1 video from the gym floor in San Clemente, shared by our coaches and members.
Learning it in your first classes
Your first back squat sessions in a coached class will focus on the bar and the rack, not the weight. Your coach will likely show you how to set the J-hooks and safety arms, how to step under the bar, and how to bail by dumping it behind you if a rep fails. They will watch your depth, your knees and whether your hips and chest rise together. Tell your coach about any shoulder tightness that makes holding the bar uncomfortable, and any back or knee history. If pain shows up during or after squatting, talk to a doctor or physical therapist, and your coach will adjust the movement in the meantime.
What your first class at O-SEA CrossFit is like · How On-Ramp teaches the movements
Questions beginners ask
How much weight should a beginner back squat?
A beginner should back squat a weight that lets every rep look identical, often starting with an empty barbell or a lighter training bar. There is no target number for week one. Your coach will help you add weight in small jumps as your depth, bracing and bar control stay solid from the first rep of a set to the last.
Do I need a belt or special shoes for the back squat?
No. You can learn and train the back squat in flat, stable athletic shoes without a belt. Some lifters later use weightlifting shoes with a raised heel or a belt for heavy sets, but neither replaces learning to brace with your own trunk. Ask your coach before adding gear.
What happens if I get stuck at the bottom of a back squat?
Missing a back squat is part of learning it, and you will practice how to do it safely. In a rack with safety arms set just below your bottom position, you sit down and let the arms catch the bar. Without arms, your coach will teach you to push the bar off your back and step forward.
Why does the bar hurt my neck when I back squat?
Neck discomfort in the back squat usually means the bar is sitting on bone rather than muscle. Squeeze your shoulder blades together before you step under, so your upper back forms a shelf, and set the bar on that shelf. If it still hurts, tell your coach so they can check your position.
Is the back squat bad for your knees?
The back squat trains the muscles around the knee, which is why it is a staple of strength programs. Form, load and how your body responds all matter. If you have a past knee injury or pain while squatting, tell your coach and get guidance from a doctor or physical therapist.
Related movements
Learn the back squat with a coach beside you
Every class at O-SEA CrossFit is coached and every movement scales. Your first one is free.