Barbell Full Zercher Squat
Barbell Full Zercher Squat earns a place on leg day, and heavy bilateral barbell loading keeps the focus on muscle you built on purpose.
How to do Barbell Full Zercher Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out.
- Hold the barbell in the crooks of your elbows, with your hands gripping the barbell for stability.
- Engage your core and keep your chest lifted as you lower your hips back and down into a squat position.
- Keep your knees in line with your toes and your weight in your heels.
- Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as you can comfortably go.
- Drive through your heels to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Full Zercher Squat Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
5 sets of 2-4 reps with 3-5 minutes of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Hypertrophy
4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Endurance
3-4 sets of 18-25 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Common Barbell Full Zercher Squat Mistakes
Bouncing the bar to get through the hardest inch
Pause briefly so the muscle, not the rebound, does the work.
Moving through the easy half of the range only
Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Full Zercher Squat
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Barbell Full Zercher Squat — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Full Zercher Squat?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out. Hold the barbell in the crooks of your elbows, with your hands gripping the barbell for stability. Engage your core and keep your chest lifted as you lower your hips back and down into a squat position. 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 Full Zercher Squat work?
The Barbell Full Zercher Squat primarily targets the glutes. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Full Zercher Squat should I do?
For muscle growth: 4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Full Zercher Squat good for beginners?
Not usually. The Barbell Full Zercher Squat is an advanced movement that assumes existing strength and joint control. Build up through easier legs progressions first, then add this once the basics feel comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Full Zercher Squat?
Try the Band Squat Row, Smith Front Squat (clean Grip) or the Sled Hack Squat. Each trains the glutes with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
