Barbell One Leg Squat
Skip the guesswork: Barbell One Leg Squat leans on heavy bilateral barbell loading for front-thigh strength you can use.
How to do Barbell One Leg Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell across your upper back.
- Lift one foot off the ground and extend it forward, keeping it parallel to the ground.
- Bend your standing leg and lower your body down as if sitting back into a chair, keeping your chest up and your back straight.
- Lower yourself until your thigh is parallel to the ground, then push through your heel to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch legs and repeat.
Barbell One Leg Squat Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
5 sets of 2-4 reps with 3-5 minutes of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Hypertrophy
4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Endurance
3-4 sets of 18-25 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
The other half of the week
First plan free
Training is half the prescription
A session tells your quads to adapt. The week you eat decides whether they can. FitFocus writes that week against your own calorie and macro numbers, in about a minute, for free.
- Included: Seven days solved against your calorie and macro targets
- Included: Diet type and allergies applied before the plan is written
- Included: Built from the same profile as your workout plan, on one account
- Days
- 7
- Meals / day
- 3-6
- Diet types
- 5
- Exclusions
- 6
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Common Barbell One Leg Squat Mistakes
Loading the bar unevenly or skipping the collars
Match the plates side to side and clip collars on every set.
Cutting depth once the weight gets heavy
Pick a load that lets you reach the same depth on every rep.
Stacking hard sessions with no lighter week in sight
Plan a reduced-volume week roughly every fourth week.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell One Leg Squat
Swap Barbell One Leg Squat For
Barbell One Leg Squat — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell One Leg Squat?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell across your upper back. Lift one foot off the ground and extend it forward, keeping it parallel to the ground. Bend your standing leg and lower your body down as if sitting back into a chair, keeping your chest up and your back straight. 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 One Leg Squat work?
The Barbell One Leg 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 One Leg Squat should I do?
For muscle growth: 4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell One Leg Squat good for beginners?
Not usually. The Barbell One Leg 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 One Leg Squat?
Try the Band One Arm Single Leg Split Squat, Lever Alternate Leg Press or the Dumbbell Step-up Split Squat. Each trains the quads with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
