Barbell half squat

Muscles worked: Quads
Quads
🔧 Barbell ↕ Squat 🏋️ kg × reps Difficulty:

Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.

How to perform

Stand in front of a rack with a barbell at chest height. Step under the barbell and rest it on the top of your back, keeping your hands about shoulder-width apart. Lift the barbell by pushing with your legs and standing straight up. Begin to lower yourself by bending at the knees as you would for a regular squat, but only lower yourself halfway down. Return to your starting standing position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Muscles Worked

Quadriceps
Secondary: Glutes, Hamstrings

Tips

Keep chest up, spine neutral, and neck aligned. Align knees with toes; don’t let them pass beyond. Half squats target quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core, but emphasize quads more. Train deeper squats too for glutes, hamstrings, mobility, and knee strength.

Similar exercises

Half squat Quads · 🔧 no equipment 2/10 Barbell squat Quads · 🔧 Barbell 4/10 Barbell split squat Quads · 🔧 Barbell 5/10 Barbell front squat Quads · 🔧 Barbell 5/10 Barbell clean squat Quads · 🔧 Barbell 5/10 Barbell hack squat Quads · 🔧 Barbell 4/10 Barbell overhead squat Quads · 🔧 Barbell 7/10 Quarter squat Quads · 🔧 no equipment 1/10
Feedback

Found a bug or have an idea?

MuscleTrain is actively being built. If something looks broken, or you have a suggestion, let us know — it really helps shape the app.