Barbell Squat To A Bench

What it is

This movement refines your barbell squat form by teaching proper depth and hip drive using a bench as a guide. You'll load a barbell across your upper back and descend until you lightly touch the bench behind you. This exercise primarily builds your quadriceps, with significant engagement from your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

Technique tips

• Perform this exercise inside a squat rack for maximum safety.
• Set the barbell across your upper back, just below your neck.
• Maintain a straight back and keep your chest lifted throughout the movement.
• Inhale as you lower, sitting your hips back to lightly touch the bench.
• Drive through your heels to return to the standing position, exhaling powerfully.
• Ensure your knees do not track excessively past your toes on the descent.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.