Squat (Barbell)
Trains the quadriceps, with help from the hamstrings and glutes. You need a barbell. 41 of our free programs use it, across 196 sessions.
Free to use. The app works out every weight and times your rest.
Technique
How to do the Squat (Barbell)
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell across your upper back. Grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Begin the squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, lowering your body until your thighs are slightly below than parallel to the floor.
- Push through your heels to return to the starting position, extending your hips and knees fully. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Form cues
Getting it right
- Keep your chest up and back straight to maintain proper posture and alignment.
- Focus on driving through your heels to engage your glutes and quadriceps effectively.
- Breathe steadily, exhaling as you stand up and inhaling as you lower down.
Muscles worked
What Squat (Barbell) trains
In the programs
How our programs run the Squat (Barbell)
These numbers are counted from the programs themselves, not averaged off the internet.
41of our 50 programs use it
3×5the shape they run most (16 sessions)
3:00typical rest between sets
36open the session with it
19finish with an AMRAP set
| Program | Session | Sets × Reps | Progression |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Day Barbell Full Body | Full Body A, Full Body B | 3×5 | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| 20-Rep Squat | Full Body | 1×20 | Linear: +2.5 kg on success, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| 28-Day Shred | Full Body A | 3×8–12 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| 5/3/1 For Beginners | Workout A — 5s week, Workout A — 3s week +2 | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×5 @ 65%1×5 @ 75% 1×3 @ 85% 1×1+ @ 95% AMRAP 5×5 @ 75%+2 more on the program page | % of Training Max, +5 kg TM per cycle |
| 5/3/1 Triumvirate | Squat — 5s week, Squat — 3s week +2 | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP+2 more on the program page | % of Training Max, +5 kg TM per cycle |
| 5/3/1: Boring But Big | Squat — 5s week, Squat — 3s week +2 | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×10 @ 50%1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP 5×10 @ 50%+2 more on the program page | % of Training Max, +5 kg TM per cycle |
| 5×5 Linear Progression + Accessories | Workout A, Workout B | 5×5 | Linear: +2.5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| 90-Day Transformation | Full Body A | 3×8–12 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Arnold Split | Legs | 4×6–10 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Basic Beginner Routine | Workout A, Workout B | 3×5 | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| Bro Split | Legs | 4×8–10 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Bullmastiff | Squat | 3×6 @ 65% 1×6+ @ 65%4×5 @ 70% 1×5+ @ 70%+11 more on the program page | Fixed % of Training Max for the block — the TM holds; retest and re-run to move it |
| Candito 6 Week Strength | W1 — Squat/DL Heavy, W1 — Squat/DL Light +7 | 4×6 @ 80%4×8 @ 70%+8 more on the program page | Fixed weights |
| Fierce 5 | Workout A, Workout B | 3×5 | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 15% after 2 misses |
| German Volume Training (GVT) | Day 2 — Legs & Abs | 10×10 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| GZCL UHF | Squat | 2×4 @ 81% 1×4+ @ 81%3×3 @ 86% 1×3+ @ 86%+3 more on the program page | Fixed % of Training Max for the block — the TM holds; retest and re-run to move it |
| GZCL: Jacked & Tan 2.0 | Lower — Squat, Lower — Squat — 1RM Test (update your TMs after) +1 | 1×11×10 2×6 @ 70% 1×6+ @ 70%+9 more on the program page | Fixed % of Training Max for the block — the TM holds; retest and re-run to move it |
| GZCLP | Day 1 — T1 Squat, Day 3 — T1 Bench | 4×3 1×3–8+ AMRAP3×10–12 | Stages 5×3+ → 6×2+ → 10×1+: +5 kg on success; a miss drops a stage, a miss on the last one restarts the cycle from 85% of a fresh 5-rep max |
| High Frequency PPL | Legs A — Quad Emphasis | 4×6–8 | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Ivysaur 4-4-8 | Week A · Day 1, Week A · Day 3 +1 | 4×8 @ 90%3×4 1×4+ AMRAP | Linear: +7.5 kg on success (8+ on the AMRAP → +15 kg), deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Juggernaut Method 2.0 | Squat — Accumulation — Tens Wave, Squat — Intensification — Tens Wave +14 | 1×5 @ 40% 1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 60%4×10 @ 55% 1×10++ @ 60% AMRAP+11 more on the program page | % of Training Max — TM moves ±2.5 kg/rep vs the wave standard each realization week |
| Leangains RPT | Day C — Leg Focus | 1×6–8+ AMRAP 1×8–10, 10% off the top set 1×10–12, 20% off the top set | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Lyle McDonald's Generic Bulking Routine | Lower A, Lower B | 3×6–8 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Madcow 5×5 | Monday — Heavy, Wednesday — Light +1 | 1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 62.5% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5 @ 87.5% 1×5 @ 100%1×5 @ 50% 1×5 @ 62.5% 2×5 @ 75%+1 more on the program page | Fixed % of Training Max for the block — the TM holds; retest and re-run to move it |
| Metallicadpa PPL | Legs A, Legs B | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | Linear: +2.5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| Metallicadpa PPL: 5/3/1 | Legs A — Squat (5s week), Legs A — Squat (3s week) +2 | 1×5 @ 65% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5+ @ 85% AMRAP 5×10 @ 50%1×3 @ 70% 1×3 @ 80% 1×3+ @ 90% AMRAP 5×10 @ 50%+2 more on the program page | % of Training Max, +5 kg TM per cycle |
| Novice 5×5 Linear Progression | Workout A, Workout B | 5×5 | Linear: +2.5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| nSuns LP | Squat | 1×5 @ 75% 1×3 @ 85% 1×1++ @ 95% AMRAP 1×3 @ 90% 1×3 @ 85% 1×3 @ 80% 1×5 @ 75% 1×5 @ 70% 1×5 @ 65% | % of Training Max, +2.5–7.5 kg TM per week (by AMRAP reps) |
| Olympic Lifter | Snatch & Squat, Classic & Squat | 3×5 | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| PHAT | Lower Power, Lower Hypertrophy | 3×3–56×3 @ 65% | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Phrak's Greyskull LP | Workout A | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | Linear: +2.5 kg on success (10+ on the AMRAP → +5 kg), deload 10% after 2 misses |
| PHUL | Lower Power | 3×3–5 | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Physique Peak | Legs | 2×5 @ 80% 1×5+ @ 80% AMRAP | % of Training Max, +2.5 kg TM per week |
| Push Pull Legs · Upper Lower | Legs | 3×5 1×5–8+ AMRAP | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| Reg Park 5×5 | Full Body 5×5 | 5×5 | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| Strong Curves (Beginner) | Workout C — Phase 3 | 3×10–20 | Double: reach rep ceiling on all sets → +2.5 kg, deload 10% after 2 misses |
| Texas Method | Volume Day — Bench Week, Recovery Day — Bench Week +4 | 5×5 @ 90%2×5 @ 72.5%+1 more on the program page | Fixed % of Training Max for the block — the TM holds; retest and re-run to move it |
| The Rippler | Squat | 3×5 @ 80%3×3 @ 85% 1×3+ @ 85%+10 more on the program page | Fixed % of Training Max for the block — the TM holds; retest and re-run to move it |
| Twice-A-Day | AM — Squat Strength | 3×5 1×5–8+ AMRAP | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 3 misses |
| Wolverine | Day 2 — Legs (Volume), Day 2 — Legs (Build) +2 | 2×5 @ 65% 2×5 @ 75%1×4 @ 65% 1×4 @ 75% 2×4 @ 85%+2 more on the program page | % of Training Max, +10% TM per cycle |
| WS4SB 3 | Lower — Explosive + Strength | 3×5 1×5–8+ AMRAP | Linear: +5 kg on success, deload 10% after 2 misses |
Percentages are of your training max. AMRAP means as many reps as you can manage on that set. Durata works out every one of these weights for you.
See it in action
Watch the Squat (Barbell) progress week by week
Full runs of 3 programs that use it, session by session, in the real app.
Substitutes
Swap Squat (Barbell) for
The app's swap picker ranks these the same way: same muscles, similar movement, similar equipment.
Let the app run the Squat (Barbell) for you
Durata picks the weight, times your rest and adds load when you earn it. That works on any of our 50 free programs, or on a session you put together yourself.