What's the best squat? A guide (part 1)

Training
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WHAT’S THE BEST SQUAT FOR YOU?

The more you stretch a muscle under tension, the greater the growth stimulus is.

Or..

“The muscle being lengthened the most is the muscle that will grow the most”

This is important to understand when it comes to selecting the squat variation you decide to use. Not all squat variations will work equally well. What is the best squat for your goal, might be the worse for someone else.

THE BEST SQUAT FOR OVERALL LOWER BODY DEVELOPMENT: THE HIGH BAR FULL SQUAT

The squat variation that is best for overall lower body hypertrophy is thus the one that allows you to stretch the involved muscles the most.

The front squat or heels elevated safety bar squat provides for maximum quadriceps stretch: in those variations, the knees travel further forward creating a greater stretch, especially if the range of motion is maximal. By going as low as you can, you also increase adductor stimulation and the forward knee travel leads to a forward lean at the ankle, increasing calf stretch and stimulation. However, those variations, which are performed with a more upright torso, reduce the backward displacement of the hips, reducing the stretch of the glutes. So, we can’t say that they are optimal for overall lower body development.

The low bar “power” squat is the opposite: the greater amount of torso forward bend allows you to push the hips further back, which stretches the glutes under load to a greater extent. Making it a great glute builder. However, this type of squat also comes with less knee flexion and forward travel, reducing quad stretch and stimulation.

The high-bar back squat is a middle ground between the front squat and the low-bar squat. The glutes, quads, and calves are all stretched under load pretty well. It makes this squat variation the best overall lower body builder, even if it’s not the best for individual muscles.

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Pro tip: Long-limbed lifters would likely do better by elevating the heels on the high bar squat. Either by using 5lbs plates or weightlifting shoes (with an elevated heel). Because of their body structure, they will still tend to push their hips back more, getting less knee flexion/travel. Elevating the heels will allow them to stay a bit more upright so that they can get more quads.

THE BEST SQUAT FOR QUADS DEVELOPMENT: THE HEELS ELEVATED SAFETY BAR SQUAT

I must confess that the front squat would also be a nice fit here. The reasons why I went with the heels elevated safety bar squat are:

  1. You can use more weight than on front squats (around 10-15% more for most people)

  2. The front squat position can either be uncomfortable or unstable for some

Elevating the heels by around an inch (either using plates, a board or weightlifting shoes) allows you to keep a more upright torso and to get more forward knee travel (increase quads stretch and stimulation).

The safety bar leaves the bar even higher than in a high bar squat (the higher the bar is, the less backward hip displacement you want as it quickly overloads the lower back).

Pro tip: To get an even better quads growth stimulus, go as low as you can and hold the bottom position for 2 seconds on each rep (paused squat).

THE BEST SQUAT TO STRENGTHEN YOUR ABS: THE ZERCHER SQUAT

The more front-loaded a squat is, the harder your abs have to work. As such a front squat is more demanding on the abs than a high-bar squat and a high-bar squat is harder on the abs than a low-bar squat. On the other hand, the back-loaded squats make the lower back work harder.

The Zercher squat is slightly more front-loaded than a front squat and because of the position of the load it “tries” to roll you forward, making it even more challenging for the abdominal muscles (obliques, rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis).

At some point, I had to stop using the Zercher squat because my abs would cramp. Because, they were contracting so hard!

Now, there is a lot of hate on the Zercher squat. The most common critique is that because you are holding the bar in the crook of your elbows, your arms are the limiting factor in the lift and you just can’t use enough weight to stimulate the legs.

This obviously comes from people who have never trained seriously on the Zercher squat! If you are using a regular bar, the biceps are not holding the bar actively. It’s not a limiting factor. I’ve trained many people who Zercher squatted more than they front squatted (nobody argues that the front squat doesn’t load the legs properly) and I’ve even seen a few cases where someone could Zercher squat more than they could back squat.

Yes, the Zercher position can be uncomfortable at first. But you do get used to it. And worst case scenario you can simply wear a hoodie with knee sleeves over your elbows.

Pro tip: If you truly want to trash your core while doing a squat pattern, try out Zercher squat with the hanging band technique, hanging around 25lbs each side of the barbell, using 1” thick resistance bands.

THE BEST SQUAT FOR GLUTES DEVELOPMENT: THE LOW BAR SQUAT/VERTICAL SHINS SQUAT

I personally prefer to see this squat as a “vertical shins squat”. The low bar position is just an adjustment to better be able to get close to having vertical shins in the low position.

See, the shin angle as the main determinant (along with depth) of whether a squat will be quads-dominant, or glutes-dominant.

The more forward lean the shins have, the greater the quads stretch and thus stimulation (remember: the muscle being stretched the most under tension will grow the most).

The more vertical the shins are, the more the hips are moving back and stretching (thus stimulating) the glutes.

To achieve vertical shins you need to sit as far back as possible while you bend the knees.

Pro tips: 1) The box squat on which you try to sit back onto the box is a great way to learn that action safely and confidently. 2) Not everyone can achieve vertical shins: the goal is to get as close to vertical as possible. 3) Using a slightly wider stand with the feet (and the whole leg) rotated out slightly, keeping the knee in line with the feet, will make it easier to reach a vertical shin position.

Part 2 will address the best squats for other goals like improving jumping and sprinting, reducing the risk of athletic injuries, reducing shoulder stress, etc.

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I found that I was terrible at front squats and high bar back squats, but much better doing low bar slightly wide stance squats. I could use the very most weight doing these. I knew that my quads were not getting the stimulation that I wanted, but I figured the much heavier weight made up for some of that.

I always added leg presses after squats. One foot position where my knees descended to my delts, just outside my torso. The other was with my toes pointed 180 degrees apart, which strongly hit my adductors. (those pretty much take the glutes out of involvement.) I got this foot position idea from Jeff King. It really filled in my inner thighs. (This requires some good flexibility in the groin, so, if you try it, start with very light weight.)

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This is great! I’ve noticed two things for myself over the last 6 months or so:

  1. I started having trouble squatting with any kind of frequency with a barbell. It was beating up my shoulders and elbows to the point where even my upper body days sucked, not just the next lower body day. I switched to all SSB Squats (which was my preferred squat anyway) and I’ve been able to get back on schedule. I am using the squat for quad development, anyway, so this was a friendly change all around.
  2. I started using heel lifts for all my quad work - the Versa Strength inserts you throw right into your shoe. This has made a noticeable difference in my quad development - to the point I actually have some. I threw them in because I wanted to squat a little narrower and deeper than I had been, and I was feeling a little less stable on the descent/ in the hole.

I will say, for me, the combo of a narrower stance, deeper squat, and all SSB has reduced my working weights… but I feel it more in my quads and my IT band actually feels a little better (it likes to get cranky).

So, really, I guess I kind of backed into the quad-focused squat Coach is describing here.

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Yep, and that’s likely exactly what your body required considering your levers/body structure

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We could call them the “ballet leg press” :slight_smile:

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That was how I once tried to explain the Jeff King leg press, but no one understood it as a description.

For whatever reason, I have never seen anyone do the “ballet leg press” but me, and I started it in the early 1980’s.

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I used to to it on the hack squat, but not leg press. I think that I mentioned it in an old article, I’ll have to look

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Maybe this?

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Purchase 20 and 30 degree solo wedges from prime fitness USA. So worth it.

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Hi Coach,

where would you put the full ATG frankenstein/no hands front squat?

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It’s in part II (coming up). It’s the best squat to clean-up poor form and strengthen the core (tie with the Zercher squat on that last point)

My personal favorite is doing it from a deadstart (Anderson style). My best this way is 180kg.

This is 140kg, which is just for demonstration purposes (I don’t have the video of the 180, so did it really happen???)

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Thanks for the quick reply!

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Hello Christian.
Having poor joint mobility, I do not have a range of movement.
The zercher squat is the exercise that is best suited for me in that I really feel the quadriceps working.
Is there a risk in raising your heels to gain even more amplitude during the zercher squat?

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Not at all, it’s perfectly fine

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