While you’re on the point of carry out a barbell squat, you need to be locked in. Something much less means sloppy reps, or worse but, an damage. Having a easy, repeatable system you should utilize when the stress is on will prevent power and lots of heartache.
That’s exactly what this Pre-Carry Guidelines is for: to offer you a bulletproof, repeatable setup that primes you for efficiency—not chaos. Sure, working by the guidelines beneath will take further time at first. However that point isn’t wasted—it’s investing in consistency. With sufficient time below the bar, the method turns into computerized.
You may suppose the elevate begins while you begin the rep, however you’re mistaken. It begins the second you method the bar. Right here is your barbell squat pre-lift guidelines with assist from Greg Nuckols, a three-time world champion powerlifter and the top at Stronger By Science.
Physique Cues You Ought to Pay Consideration To
You’ll discover that lots of the physique cues beneath are inner.
They ask you to really feel your physique: breathe into your stomach, brace your core, root your toes. Inner cues may help increase physique consciousness, particularly as you construct that “mind-muscle” connection. Nonetheless, analysis reveals that exterior cues—those who direct consideration outward, reminiscent of “push the bottom away” or “break the bar over your again” outperform inner cues in selling environment friendly, efficient motor efficiency and studying.
However for these with out the advantage of a coach or lifting accomplice, the secret’s to make use of the correct cue on the proper second. Inner cues assist stabilize you throughout setup, however offering an exterior cue — one thing you may see or really feel exterior your physique—can increase your efficiency. Each are nice, and each provides you with a big increase.
Squat Pre-Carry Guidelines
Earlier than we get into the squat guidelines, right here’s the primary level: don’t rush it. Organising for a heavy elevate isn’t about pace; it’s about security. At first, strolling by every step will really feel sluggish, however that’s the objective. Over time, these cues grow to be computerized, serving to you determine a constant setup that locks you in each single rep. Let’s get to it.
Step 1: The Unracking and Stroll Again
Earlier than you may even consider squatting, you might want to lock in on getting the bar off the rack and into place. Improper setup is the place a lack of rigidity can occur, after which the whole lot downstream falls aside.
- Strategy the bar with confidence.
- Grip the bar evenly, set your fingers the place you’ll squat, and pull your self below it.
- Squeeze your higher again tight, interact your lats, and set your traps firmly below the bar.
- Inhale deeply and brace earlier than you unrack. Analysis signifies that pre-tensioning the lats and higher again throughout setup enhances bar stability and reduces spinal motion below load.
As soon as the bar is racked securely in your again:
- Take a small step straight again with one foot.
- Convey the opposite foot again to fulfill it.
- Alter each toes outward into your squat stance.
That’s it: No pacing, no wandering, no wasted movement. The shorter the walkout, the sooner you lock into place and preserve power for the elevate itself.
Greg’s Tip: For those who’re nonetheless shuffling your toes after the third step, you haven’t set your stance appropriately. Reset or rerack earlier than squatting.
Step 2: Set up Your Base
Your squat begins from the bottom up. Earlier than you even take into consideration transferring, lock in your basis. Plant your toes in your most popular squat together with your toes barely out, then “screw” your toes into the ground by externally rotating by your hips. You must really feel your arches rise and your glutes interact earlier than the bar even strikes. A steady base improves stability, optimizes pressure switch, and helps your knees monitor correctly, defending your hips and decrease again.
Inner cue: “Really feel your arches grip the ground.” Exterior cue: “Push the bottom away from you.”
Step 3: Grip and Bar Place
Your grip and bar placement set the tone, and dashing by these, and also you’ll spend the remainder of the elevate combating instability as an alternative of squatting effectively. Get them proper, and the whole lot out of your upper-back rigidity to bar path improves.
Set Your Fingers
- Select a high-bar (bar sits on the traps) or low-bar (rests throughout the rear delts) relying in your mobility, limb size, and coaching model.
- When you set your fingers, squeeze the bar such as you imply it—this fires up the forearms and lats, locking the higher physique into place.
Inner cue: “Crush the bar in your fingers.” Exterior cue: “Break the bar over your again.”
Greg’s Tip: Your fingers ought to be as shut as you may comfortably get them. If you will get them nearer with out ache in your wrists, shoulders, or elbows, or simply feeling tremendous uncomfortable, then it’s simpler to create higher again rigidity.
Have interaction Your Lats and Higher Again
A robust higher again acts like a shelf for the bar. Pull your shoulder blades collectively and barely down, creating rigidity throughout your traps and lat muscular tissues. This motion prevents the bar from rolling, prevents extreme ahead lean, and maintains impartial backbone below load.
Inner cue: “Shoulder blades into again pockets.” Exterior cue: “Pin the bar into your traps.”
Set Elbow and Wrist Place
- Attempt to hold wrists impartial to keep away from pointless pressure.
- Drop elbows barely down and towards your ribs to interact the lats.
- Keep away from flaring elbows excessively, which might pull you ahead.
Greg’s Tip: If in case you have bother getting your wrist right into a impartial place, widening your grip makes it simpler to externally rotate your shoulders sufficient to get your fingers behind the bar together with your wrists straight. I like to make use of the cue, “scratch your rib cage together with your elbows.” This cue will assist create lat rigidity to help in torso rigidity and higher again tightness.
Step 4: Breath and Brace
Correct respiratory and bracing type the bottom of spinal stability, bar management, and pressure switch. Earlier than descending, take a deep stomach breath—not into your chest, however round your total torso. Your diaphragm ought to press down, your ribs develop laterally, and your decrease again ought to fill with air. This intra-abdominal stress (IAP) acts like an inner weight belt, stabilizing the backbone and lowering shear forces on the decrease again.
Inner cue: “Fill your stomach with air.” Exterior cue: “Push your ribs into your belt.”
Taking a deep breath isn’t sufficient—you must brace to lock your torso in place:
- Think about somebody’s about to punch you within the abdomen and tighten accordingly.
- Maintain your brace till you go the sticking level on the way in which up, then reset if wanted.
Inner cue: “Lock your ribs to your pelvis.” Exterior cue: “Push your abs into your belt.”
Greg’s Tip: The tougher your abs contract, the tougher it’s on your spinal erectors to maintain the backbone from flexing. Which is especially helpful when you’ve got a heavy barbell in your backbone.
Step 5: The Inexperienced Gentle Guidelines
This guidelines is the final cease earlier than you squat. Consider it as your ultimate programs verify—a fast evaluate of your setup cues to verify the whole lot’s dialed in. Take a breath, lock in, and scan these factors:
- Toes Rooted: Arches engaged, toes barely out, and full-foot contact.
- Bar Locked In with Higher Physique Pressure: Higher again tight, lats engaged, bar pulled into your traps.
- Breath and Brace: 360-degree growth with managed intra-abdominal stress.
- Eyes Set: Repair your gaze on a impartial level—don’t crank your neck up or stare on the ground.
This guidelines ought to solely take three to 4 seconds when you’ve practiced it sufficient. Nonetheless, take your time early on. Precision right here builds consistency, and consistency builds power.
Sufficient discuss. Now get to squatting.