Bar on the back, still a squat

Back Squat

Bar sits on your upper back, not your neck. Brace. Sit between your knees. Stand up like you are pushing the floor away. This is not a max-out on week one.

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Hunter: If you cannot own a goblet squat, I do not put a bar on you. Earn the pattern. Then we talk the rack.

Cues

Bar on the meat of the upper back. Hands even. Elbows down a bit, not a chicken wing.
Walk it out two steps. Feet about shoulder width. Toes can turn out a little.
Brace like someone is about to poke you.
Sit between the knees. Heels stay down. Chest stays proud.
Drive the floor away. Stand all the way up. Rack it. Do not wander the gym with a loaded bar.

Setup

Safeties set. Empty bar first if this is new. High-bar is the default for most people here. 5x5 Strength and Push Pull Legs both use this. Use the plate calculator so loading is not a math test between sets.

After the goblet

Goblet taught you to sit between your legs. The back squat is that pattern with a bar. First working month, 3-5 sets of 5 with a weight you could do 2 more times. Log the working weight. Ugly fifth reps are not a personality.

5x5 days

Program A and B both start here. Rest a full 3 minutes. Then bench or press. You do not need five extra machines because the squat rack felt like a stage. Log the sets. Leave.

1RM later

Estimated max is a tool after you own 5 clean reps. Not a dare tonight. The Engine log of working sets is what makes next week easier. If the last rep was ugly, do not add plates.

Common misses

Bar on the neck. Knees caving. Good-morning by shooting the hips up first. Bouncing out of the hole. Also: walking out like you are on a runway. Two steps. Squat.

FAQ

High bar or low bar?

High bar is the default. Low bar is a different groove. Pick one for a training block so the log compares.

How low?

As low as you can keep heels down and the back braced. Parallel is a good target. Depth is earned, not copied from a screenshot.

Belt?

Learn the brace first. A belt is allowed later if you already know how to push out. Log belt or no belt so weeks match.

Log back squats in the free Vitality Engine. Plates on the bar, every working set.

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