Lower body
Back Squat
Base strength to win the collision
Coaching cues
How to do it well
These are the cues the app shows on the exercise card, written for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
- Brace 360°
- Drive through midfoot
- Tempo
- 2s down
This is general information, not medical advice. Train Smart gives training and nutrition guidance for healthy adults. It is not a substitute for a doctor, physiotherapist or accredited dietitian. If you have an injury, a medical condition, or you are unsure whether an exercise is right for you, get it checked first. Every recommendation on this site is sourced.
In the program
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rugby League | Max Strength (Lower) | 5 × 4 | 82% 1RM |
| Basketball | Lower Power + Plyo | 4 × 5 | 80% 1RM |
| Bodybuilding | Legs — Quads, Hams, Glutes, Calves | 4 × 8 | Heavy |
At a glance
What it trains, and who trains it
- Muscles worked
- Quads · Glutes
- Region
- Lower body
- Prescribed in
- rugby league · basketball · bodybuilding
Alternatives
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Front Squat | More upright — quad + core emphasis, great for cleans/sprinters |
| Goblet Squat | Easy to load, joint-friendly, great depth |
| Box Squat | Controls depth, easier on the knees, builds drive out of the hole |
| Pause Squat Jump | 2s pause at the bottom of a bodyweight squat then explode up — concentric-only jump power |
| Tempo Front Squat | 3s down — quad eccentric for jumpers + sprinters |
| Safety-Bar Squat | Bar across the chest — shoulder-friendly, brutal for the upper back, great for contact athletes |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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