Barbell Bench Squat
The bench behind you is a depth gauge, not a chair: touch it lightly and stand back up without ever handing your bodyweight over to it.
How to do Barbell Bench Squat
- Set up a barbell on a squat rack at chest height.
- Stand facing away from the rack, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your knees and lower your body down into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and step back, ensuring your feet are still shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body down into a squat, keeping your knees in line with your toes.
Barbell Bench Squat Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
5 sets of 3-5 reps with 3 minutes rest, pausing lightly on the bench each rep so no bounce carries you out of the bottom.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-10 reps with 2 minutes rest, taking 3 seconds to lower down to the bench on every rep.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps at roughly half your 5-rep load with 60-90 seconds rest, keeping every touch on the bench light.
Common Barbell Bench Squat Mistakes
Sitting down hard and relaxing on the bench, which unloads the spine and then reloads it in one jolt as you stand.
Hold tension for the whole rep and let the glutes graze the bench without settling any bodyweight into it.
Using a bench that is too low for your current mobility, so the lower back rounds at the bottom.
Start with a higher box or stacked pads and lower the surface over several weeks as depth improves with a neutral spine.
Leaning far forward to reach the bench, which turns the squat into a good morning.
Sit back and down together with the chest up and the bar over the mid-foot, letting the knees travel forward as far as the ankles allow.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Bench Squat
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Barbell Bench Squat — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Bench Squat?
Set up a barbell on a squat rack at chest height. Stand facing away from the rack, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and lower your body down into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest up. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Bench Squat work?
The Barbell Bench Squat primarily targets the quads. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Bench Squat should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-10 reps with 2 minutes rest, taking 3 seconds to lower down to the bench on every rep. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Bench Squat good for beginners?
Yes. The Barbell Bench Squat is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Bench Squat?
Try the Squat To Overhead Reach With Twist, Squat On Bosu Ball or the Smith Chair Squat. Each trains the quads with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
