Barbell High Bar Back Squat

The high bar back squat places the barbell on the upper traps, promoting an upright torso position that emphasizes quadriceps development. It's a fundamental movement for building lower body strength and power.

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Category: strength
Level: intermediate
Force: push
Mechanic: compound
Equipment: barbell

Instructions

Set the barbell in a squat rack at shoulder height and position it on your upper trapezius muscles.
Grip the bar with hands evenly spaced and wider than shoulder-width apart.
Unrack the bar and step back, positioning your feet shoulder-width apart with toes slightly turned out.
Descend by simultaneously bending at the hips and knees, keeping your chest up and knees tracking over toes.
Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor or below, then drive through your heels to return to start.

Tips

Keep your chest up and maintain an upright torso throughout the movement
Drive your knees out in line with your toes during the squat
Maintain tension in your upper back to keep the bar stable
Control the descent and avoid bouncing at the bottom

Common mistakes

Placing the bar too high on the neck instead of the traps
Allowing knees to cave inward during the movement
Leaning too far forward during the descent

Safety

Use safety bars or pins set just below your lowest squat position. This exercise requires good ankle and hip mobility. Avoid if you have acute knee or back injuries.

Variations

Low Bar Back Squat
Front Squat
Pause Squat
Box Squat
Goblet Squat