Barbell Wide Squat

GlutesCalvesQuadricepsHamstringsBarbellBeginner
1. Begin by placing a barbell on the back of your shoulders, gripping it with both hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. 2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. 3. Lower your body by bending at your knees and hips simultaneously, keeping your chest lifted and your back straight. 4. Continue descending until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as comfortable. 5. Push through your heels, extend your knees, and lift your body back to the starting position. 6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Barbell Wide Squat

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Wide Squat using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your glutes.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your glutes rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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