Pause Squat
- Pro
- Advanced
- Gym
The pause squat loads a barbell across your upper back like a normal squat, but you stop and hold at the bottom before standing up. Stopping removes the bounce out of the hole, so your quads, glutes and hamstrings do all the work from a dead stop. Advanced lifters use it in the gym for weight and reps to build strength and control at the bottom of the squat.
- Muscles
- Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings
- Equipment
- Barbell, Power rack
- Logged as
- Weight and reps
How to
- Take the bar on your upper back and set up as for a squat.
- Squat down under control to at least parallel.
- Hold the bottom position for a strict pause, staying tight.
- Drive up hard without bouncing.
Form cues
- Brace your core hard before you break the pause.
- Push your knees out through the entire hold.
- Keep your chest up so the bar stays over mid-foot.
Common mistakes
- Hips rise before the shoulders out of the pause. Drive your chest and hips up together.
- Tightness fades away during the pause. Keep bracing hard through the entire stop.
- Knees collapse inward in the deep position. Push your knees out over your toes throughout.
Wellboy is a wellness and fitness app, not a healthcare service, and it does not provide medical advice. Talk to a doctor or another healthcare professional before starting a new exercise or diet routine if you have a medical condition, an injury, are pregnant, or have symptoms.
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