Let’s Train

Works

• Front of the thigh · quadriceps
• Buttocks · gluteus maximus
• Inner thigh · adductors
• Lower back · erector spinae

Needs

Barbell and plates, rack with safety bars

Setup

Set the bar in the rack at the height of your upper chest. Step under it and rest it on the muscles of your upper back, not on your neck. Hold it with hands wider than your shoulders.

Set the safety bars just below the lowest point of the lift, or have a spotter beside you.

Steps

1. Stand up to lift the bar off the hooks and take two small steps back.
2. Set your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out a little.
3. Take a breath and tighten your stomach.
4. Reach your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are level with the floor.
5. Push through your whole foot and stand up tall.
6. Walk the bar back into the hooks after the last rep.

Breathing

Take a breath and tighten your stomach before each rep. Breathe out as you come up.

Where you feel it

In the front of your thighs, your buttocks and your lower back.

Common mistakes

• Letting the knees fall inward.
• Rounding the back at the bottom.
• Resting the bar on the neck.

When to stop