Squat with Bands

QuadsBarbellIntermediateCompound
Squat with Bands — start position
Start
Squat with Bands — finish position
Finish
Muscles worked
PrimaryQuads
SecondaryAdductors, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower back

How to do it

  1. 01

    Set up the bands on the sleeves, secured to either band pegs, the rack, or dumbbells so that there is appropriate tension.

  2. 02

    Begin by stepping under the bar and placing it across the back of the shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and rotate your elbows forward, attempting to bend the bar across your shoulders. Remove the bar from the rack, creating a tight arch in your lower back, and step back into position. Place your feet wide for more emphasis on the back, glutes, adductors, and hamstrings. Keep your head facing forward.

  3. 03

    With your back, shoulders, and core tight, push your knees and butt out and you begin your descent. Sit back with your hips as much as possible. Ideally, your shins should be perpendicular to the ground. Lower bar position necessitates a greater torso lean to keep the bar over the heels. Continue until you break parallel, which is defined as the crease of the hip being in line with the top of the knee.

  4. 04

    Keeping the weight on your heels and pushing your feet and knees out, drive upward as you lead the movement with your head. Continue upward, maintaining tightness head to toe, until you have returned to the starting position.

In the app

Squat with Bands appears when you own a barbell and the day's window has room for it. Loads come from Rule 3 (Loads rise when earned, read from RPE, graded strong) and climb on the reps you actually did.

If a machine is taken the engine swaps a same-pattern movement and says why.

If you don't have a barbell

Same movement pattern, same primary muscles — swap by what you have.

With barbell
With bodyweight
With dumbbell
With kettlebell
With machine

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