How to do the Barbell Pause Squat
Place the bar on your upper back and stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width.
Lower under control to the bottom of the squat with your back straight.
Hold still at the bottom for 1–3 seconds without relaxing your brace.
Drive hard through the floor to stand up, knees tracking over your toes.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle growth | 3–4 | 8–12 | 3 min |
| Muscular endurance | 2–3 | 15–20 | 1 min |
When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add 5 kg (10 lb) next session and work back up.
Starting points from training research. Stop each set 1–3 reps short of failure.
Muscles worked
Primary
Secondary
Glutes, Hamstrings, Adductors, Lower back
The front of your thighs straightens the knee. Squats, leg presses and lunges with deep knee bend build them; leg extensions isolate them.
Train smarter
- How to break a strength plateau: diagnose, then fix itHow to break a strength plateau: check sleep, food and fatigue first, then fix the program with rep ranges, volume, variations, deloads and smarter progression.
- How to increase squat: technique, variations and a 6-week planHow to increase your squat: lock in technique, squat more often, use pause and front squats for weak points, fix mobility limits, and run a 6-week squat plan.
- How to squat properly: step-by-step form and common fixesHow to squat properly with a barbell: stance, bar position, bracing, depth and bar path step by step, plus fixes for knees caving, heels lifting and butt wink.
