Strengthen this muscle group and you'll get stronger at damn near everything. Advantages: Better control at depth, harder to cheat. Keep your chest and elbows up. Advantages: Posterior chain power, hypertrophyThis is what you think of when you hear the word \"squat.\" In my opinion, the back squat is the king of the strength-training world, and we're all just lucky to bask in its glory. It is performed with the bar placed high up on the traps and with the torso in … Again, both should be used in your training regimen. Your quads will thank you, even if your jeans certainly won't. Through tremendous effort and experimentation, accomplished lifters determine optimal positioning and technique for their bodies as well as figure out the movements that transfer best to their particular goals. Lifting your hands overhead and jacking your legs out to the sides. Each powerlifting federation will have a different set of rules and standards for the squat. Interested in packing on muscle mass and having the strength to back it up? When you pull sumo, there's a sweet spot for trunk angle and joint ROM that enables you to hoist the heaviest loads. It's also a crucial component of Olympic lifts. By doing this, you eliminate momentum and the "bounce," or stretch reflex that builds up, when descending into the squat. Do they squat at all? To stress the quads, use a moderate stance, keep the torso more upright, sit down, and descend below parallel. To stress the hips, take a wider stance, keep the shins vertical and sit back more, descending to parallel. The downside to squatting, if there is one, is that it can be a long and lonely road—even if you have a spotter. Squat until your elbows go between your knees or the bar touches your thighs. In the old days, there were two kinds of squats: 'good' and 'bad.' Some say the hack squat is as much a deadlift as it is a squat, because the load comes off the ground. Such a philosophy is shortsighted, and this article will show how intelligent variation can build a bigger, stronger, bulletproof body. This effective program is for them. Just like bench and deadlift, you can change your squat ROM by putting the bar on pins, or raising/lowering the box you use. While it trains the entire lower body musculature, the back squat places greater emphasis on the muscles of the posterior chain, such as the glutes, hamstrings and spinal erectors, than other squat variations. The top lifters have also taken the time to figure out their favorite exercise variations. It's not uncommon to feel a stretch in the quadriceps and hip flexors of the rear leg. So, regardless of what your goal is for a training block, you can watch this video, see what variations I list for your goal, and then make sure you have it programmed for your training block. Do they move any weight? Because they're hard! In my opinion, the back squat is the king of the strength-training world, and we're all just lucky to bask in its glory. These goals might include hypertrophy, in which case it's possible to accentuate tension on a particular muscle; strength, in which case it's possible to perform a lift in a manner that maximizes leverages; or transference, in which case it's possible to execute an exercise in a manner that best transfers to another lift or sporting action. That said, sometimes it's a good idea to use lighter loads and practice your sumo deadlifts using a quad-emphasis or a hip-emphasis. When you're comfortable, you can up the ante with dumbbells at your sides, held in front of you goblet squat-style, or with a barbell in either a back squat or front squat position. When pulling from a deficit, you should employ a traditional grip width as well as a snatch grip width. Keeping your back arched and chest up, extend your hips and knees until you are standing straight up. One of the most significant technical differences noted was the stance width used for each exercise. The overhead squat strengthens the midpoint of the barbell snatch and is essential to mastering that particular lift. This move is very core intensive and will work your back, abs and legs all at the same time. However, it's by no means the only squat variation, and it's not the only one that deserves consideration in your program. Now while this squat variation is awesome, it alone isn't that challenging for more advanced lifters. Want to know how to pick an experienced lifter out of a sea of newbies? Take a look. Strength training gurus love to say there's only one way to perform a lift, and that all other techniques and variations are either wrong or ineffective. Hell, take a look at the various powerlifting world record holders, strongman champions, top Olympic weightlifters, and even the best bodybuilders on the planet – you'll see that their techniques with the big lifts vary markedly. It's also an unparalleled lower-body mass-builder, so if size is what you're after, you need to give it a serious look. Most lifters only employ one style of Zercher squats but it's a good idea to occasionally perform two different styles. Pause Squats. Cues: Snatch or press the barbell overhead and, while keeping it over your center of gravity, perform a squat. But notice what question I didn't ask: Are they holding a barbell across their traps?