Basic Guide to Squats
Low Bar Squats and High Bar Squats
Squats
The squat is one of the “big three” compound exercises, the other two being the bench press and deadlift, and is considered one of the best exercises for building the legs and overall physique. It is without a doubt one of the best exercises you can add to your training program, but it’s also one of the more technically challenging exercises that requires specific training for technique. This means you have to spend time just mastering the squat technique instead of focusing on moving heavy weight. When you master the squat and start lifting heavy weight, the overall strength and agility you develop along with the awareness of your body will help you move better and remain injury free.
Squats come in a few variations, the most popular being the back squat. There’s also the front squat, body weight squat, split squat, and safety bar squat to name a few.
The back squat has two main variants. They are the low bar squat and high bar squat. The key difference between these two squat variants is the location of the bar placement. As their names suggest the high bar squat involves placing the bar on the upper traps and the low bar squat involves placing the bar on your rear deltoids. This shift in bar position results in significant differences in how the squat is executed and thus require different activation levels of muscle groups.
High bar barbell squat
Most popular amongst weightlifters and bodybuilders, the high bar squat is the most basic type of squat after body weight squats.
The bar is placed on the trapezius muscles while the hands grip the bar, the back muscles are contracted to support the weight while the core muscles are contracted to stop the body from collapsing forwards. The lifter then bends at the knees and hips simultaneously, loading the weight onto the quadriceps and glutes. The lifter descends to the bottom of the squat (the hole) while maintaining the back position set up at the start, and comes back up by squeezing the quadriceps and glutes
This is only a basic explanation of how to execute the squat, in reality it’s a bit more complex. You have to factor in foot position, foot angle, core stability, forward knee travel etc. The squat is an exercise that requires close attention to technical execution, you’re better off investing time in mastering the technique before trying to lift heavy weights. Once the technique has been ingrained and is second nature, increasing the lifting load should take priority
When compared to the back squat, the high bar squat results in greater activation of the quadriceps. It’s also more taxing on the lower back, since it has to work harder to maintain the more upright position.
A key difference between the high bar and low bar squat is that the high bar squat involves greater forward knee travel. This basically means the knee has to travel further in front of the foot, thus further in front of the centre of gravity.
This has several implications,
- First, greater forward knee travel means reaching or going below parallel on the squat is easier.
- Second, the quadriceps are the primary muscles involved in this forward knee travel, hence they get activated to a greater degree.
- Lastly, there’s more stress on the knees when compared to a low bar squat and the lifter must have sufficient mobility at the ankle joint to successfully execute the squat.
In most cases, this results in the athletes being able to lift less weight on the high bar squat when compared to the low bar squat. This may be a pro or con based on the objective. If you’re a bodybuilder who wants to build the quads or a weightlifter mastering the clean, the high bar squat is ideal as it maximises quad activation while not requiring maximal loading. If you’re a powerlifter, generally it may be a good accessory but you most likely won’t be able to lift as much weight when compared to a low bar squat.
Some of the most common issues I come across with individuals trying to perform the high bar squat is that they have poor ankle and hip mobility. If these issues are not addressed, the correct orientation to perform the squat cannot be achieved and the risk of injury increases. It’s important to spend time assessing mobility issues and addressing them before attempting to progress on the squat.
Low bar barbell squat
If you’re a powerlifter you probably need no introduction to the low bar squat. In addition to being able to lift more weight, the low bar squat is a great exercise for overall development as it taxes the glutes and back to a greater degree than the high bar squat. The low bar squat puts the lifter in a position that lets them utilise as many of the large muscle groups in their body as possible. More muscles working results in an increase capacity for lifter a larger load.
As seen in the picture above of Dan Green, one of my favourite powerlifters, the bar is placed a lot lower than in the high bar squat. The shoulders are retracted which results in the rear delt creating a shelf for the barbell to sit on. The cues and execution are similar to the high bar, the main difference being the force requirements. The hips and whole back have a greater role to play in getting the weight up. The quads have to work hard, but does not play as dominant a role when compared to the high bar squat.
The low bar squat is primarily a hip exercise. The hip adductors, abductors, and glutes are the primary movers followed by the quads and back. My personal opinion is that low bar squats distribute the weight a lot more efficiently and effectively thus a lot more forgiving on the joints when compared to a high bar squat.
The amount of forward knee travel is less, hence the quads are not isolated to the same degree as a high bar squat. The amount of stress on the knee joint is also significantly less.
Bracing and core stability plays a huge role in the low bar squat, more so than in the high bar. The increased forward back angle means the downward force from the bar on the body will be greater than in a high bar squat and thus lead to an increase in chance of collapsing forward and downwards.
To counter this issue, a strong brace and a stable core supported by the glutes and back working together will prevent the forward collapse under heavy loads. This forward pressure is also one of the reasons why the glutes are activated to a greater degree during low bar squats.
A strong brace is probably the most important and ubiquitous skill that an individual can develop. It will transfer to almost every compound exercise, help develop a strong and stable core, increase awareness of core stabilizing muscles, and most importantly protect the spine. A strong brace probably plays the most significant role in protecting the spine and reducing shear forces on the lumbar vertebrae. Developing a strong brace takes time and practice, and will be explored in greater detail in another article.
What’s the Verdict?
You may have come across countless articles comparing high bar squats against low bar squats and trying to justify why one is better than the other. They are both equally valuable and should be incorporated into your training, the degree to which you prioritise each squat variant will depend on your goals. Practising both squat type will address different weak points and they can be used to develop one another, if your low bar squat is weak spending some time performing high bar squats will help bring up your low bar and vice versa.
Our bodies like to adapt to stimulus as quickly as they genetically can and for this reason it’s always good to introduce variation, performing only low bar or only high bar will result in diminishing returns in terms of growth over time. The change in stimulus helps keep the CNS guessing and this will help promote growth and also keep your workouts fresh and exciting. I know through experience that doing the same exercise over a long period becomes boring and if your not enjoying your time at the gym, chances are you won’t be keen on training regularly.
Try these squat variations for yourself, keep in mind you won’t get it perfect from day one. You must be willing to make mistakes and spend the time under the bar to learn and master the squat. Always prioritise good technique and proper execution and the strength will come in time.
If you seek more in-depth information about squatting, I highly recommend Dr. Aaron Horschig’s “The Squat Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the Squat and Finding Your True Strength”. The book covers all there is to know about squats including bracing, core stability, rehabilitation, mobility, biomechanics and much more. Dr. Aaron Horschig’s instagram @squatuniversity is easily the best resource for learning about squats. The value he brings to us growing athletes is priceless.
Resources
● Effect of loading on peak power of the bar, body, and system during power cleans, squats, and jump squats,Jeffrey M. McBride ,Tracie L. Haines and Tyler J. Kirby.
● Lower Extremity muscle function during full squats, D.G.E. Robertson , Jean-Marie J. Wilson and Taunya A. St. Pierre .
● A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals,Gullett, Jonathan C; Tillman, Mark D; Gutierrez, Gregory M; Chow, and John W.
● Lower Extremity Strength and the Range of Motion in Relation to Squat Depth, Si-Hyun Kim, Oh-Yun Kwon, Kyue-Nam Park, In-Cheol Jeon, Jong-Hyuck Weon.
● Quadriceps effort during squat exercise depends on hip extensor muscle strategy, Megan A. Bryanton,Jason P. Carey,Michael D. Kennedy and Loren Z.F. Chiu.
● Decline eccentric squats increases patellar tendon loading compared to standard eccentric squats, M.Kongsgaard, P.Aagaard, S.Roikjaer, D.Olsen, M.Jensen, H.Langberg, and S.P.Magnusson.
● An examination of the gluteal muscle activity associated with dynamic hip abduction and hip external rotation exercise: a systematic review, paul macadam, John Cronin, and Bret Contreras.
● A Comparison of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyography Amplitude in the Parallel, Full, and Front Squat Variations in Resistance-Trained Females, Bret Contreras, Andrew D. Vigotsky, Brad J. Schoenfeld, Chris Beardsley and John Cronin .
● A Comparison of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyographic Activity in the Back Squat and Barbell Hip Thrust Exercises, Bret Contreras , Andrew D. Vigotsky , Brad J. Schoenfeld , Chris Beardsley and John Cronin.