Squat Variations

The Squat is often referred to as the king of all strength training exercises and is one compound movement that gives you the most bang for the buck. Whether the goal is to increase strength, gain mass, or lose fat, the squat definitely has a place in your training regime.

The squat stimulates a huge amount of muscle tissue from head to toe hence it is an amazing hormone stimulator in an anabolic environment. The squat also has massive impacts on our central nervous system for maximal strength gain.

We are going to introduce you to a few members of the squat family:

Back Squat

Back squat is what most people immediately think of when hearing the word “squat”. This is the variation most commonly done,  and for a good reason. The back squat allows us to hold maximal weight among all squat variations, it is the best for increasing muscle mass and stimulating fat loss.

While executing the back squat the barbell is placed on the upper back either on the traps (high bar position) or just above the scapula (low bar position).

Front Squat

The front squat is also one of the most common variations of squats done in the gym. The front squat gains its roots from olympic lifting and is very beneficial for athletes. For most people, the front squat is harder than the back squat due to the core strength it requires. The front squat also allows less room for “cheating" by compensating with the lower back, therefore reducing the risk of injury.

In the front squat position, the barbell is placed on the anterior deltoids (the front of our shoulders). This position puts the emphasis on our quads and upper back.

Overhead Squat

The overhead squat is one of the less common squat variations due to its level of difficulty. Like the front squat, the overhead squat also gains its roots from olympic lifting while putting more emphasis on balance and mobility.

In the overhead squat position, the barbell is held overhead with a snatch grip (the bar should be at our hips in a hang position). The overhead squat can be a very valuable variation working on our balance, mobility, and coordination. 

Bulgarian Split Squat

Bulgarian split squats have gained their popularity in gyms in recent years. This squat variation allows us to correct muscle imbalance since we are working each leg individually. The Bulgarian split squat also allows us to train our legs at a similar intensity to other squat variations without excessive spinal loading which is useful for individuals recovering from back related injuries.

Bulgarian split squats can either be performed with one dumbbell in each hand or by placing a barbell on your upper back as you would when preparing for a back squat. Your back foot should be placed on a bench a few feet behind you and the other foot firmly on the ground in front of you. Squat down until the rear knee reaches a point approximately an inch off of the ground. The Bulgarian split squat is great for training balance, correcting muscle imbalances between legs and increasing mobility.

Do not be rigid about training a single squat form, try out different variations to reap each of their benefits!