While you’re on the brink of carry out a barbell squat, you wish to be locked in. Something much less means sloppy reps, or worse but, an harm. Having a easy, repeatable system you should utilize when the stress is on will prevent vitality and plenty of heartache.
That’s exactly what this Pre-Elevate Guidelines is for: to present you a bulletproof, repeatable setup that primes you for efficiency—not chaos. Sure, operating by means of the guidelines beneath will take further time at first. However that point isn’t wasted—it’s investing in consistency. With sufficient time beneath the bar, the method turns into automated.
You would possibly assume the elevate begins if 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 pinnacle at Stronger By Science.
Physique Cues You Ought to Pay Consideration To
You’ll discover that most 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 can assist increase physique consciousness, particularly as you construct that “mind-muscle” connection. Nonetheless, analysis reveals that exterior cues—people who direct consideration outward, resembling “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 associate, the secret’s to make use of the fitting cue on the proper second. Inner cues assist stabilize you throughout setup, however offering an exterior cue — one thing you possibly can see or really feel exterior your physique—can increase your efficiency. Each are nice, and each offers you a major increase.
Squat Pre-Elevate 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 velocity; it’s about security. At first, strolling by means of every step will really feel gradual, however that’s the objective. Over time, these cues turn into automated, 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 possibly can even consider squatting, it is advisable to lock in on getting the bar off the rack and into place. Improper setup is the place a lack of stress can occur, after which every thing downstream falls aside.
- Strategy the bar with confidence.
- Grip the bar evenly, set your fingers the place you’ll squat, and pull your self beneath it.
- Squeeze your higher again tight, interact your lats, and set your traps firmly beneath 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 beneath load.
As soon as the bar is racked securely in your again:
- Take a small step straight again with one foot.
- Deliver the opposite foot again to fulfill it.
- Regulate each toes outward into your squat stance.
That’s it: No pacing, no wandering, no wasted movement. The shorter the walkout, the quicker you lock into place and preserve vitality for the elevate itself.
Greg’s Tip: In the event you’re nonetheless shuffling your toes after the third step, you haven’t set your stance accurately. 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 means of your hips. You must really feel your arches rise and your glutes interact earlier than the bar even strikes. A steady base improves steadiness, optimizes drive 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 speeding by means of these, and also you’ll spend the remainder of the elevate preventing instability as a substitute of squatting effectively. Get them proper, and every thing out of your upper-back stress to bar path improves.
Set Your Palms
- 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 type.
- 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 must be as shut as you possibly can 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 stress.
Have interaction Your Lats and Higher Again
A powerful higher again acts like a shelf for the bar. Pull your shoulder blades collectively and barely down, creating stress throughout your traps and lat muscle groups. This motion prevents the bar from rolling, prevents extreme ahead lean, and maintains impartial backbone beneath load.
Inner cue: “Shoulder blades into again pockets.” Exterior cue: “Pin the bar into your traps.”
Set Elbow and Wrist Place
- Attempt to maintain wrists impartial to keep away from pointless pressure.
- Drop elbows barely down and towards your ribs to have interaction the lats.
- Keep away from flaring elbows excessively, which might pull you ahead.
Greg’s Tip: You probably 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 stress to help in torso rigidity and higher again tightness.
Step 4: Breath and Brace
Correct respiration and bracing kind the bottom of spinal stability, bar management, and drive switch. Earlier than descending, take a deep stomach breath—not into your chest, however round your complete torso. Your diaphragm ought to press down, your ribs increase 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—it’s important to 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 in your spinal erectors to maintain the backbone from flexing. Which is especially helpful when you’ve gotten 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 remaining methods test—a fast evaluate of your setup cues to ensure every thing’s dialed in. Take a breath, lock in, and scan these factors:
- Ft Rooted: Arches engaged, toes barely out, and full-foot contact.
- Bar Locked In with Higher Physique Stress: Higher again tight, lats engaged, bar pulled into your traps.
- Breath and Brace: 360-degree enlargement with managed intra-abdominal stress.
- Eyes Set: Repair your gaze on a impartial level—don’t crank your neck up or stare on the flooring.
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 speak. Now get to squatting.
