Quads exercise
Barbell Split SquatHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Also works
- Hamstrings
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Barbell Split Squat?
- Rest the bar on your upper back and step away from the rack.
- Set a long split stance, back heel up, feet hip-width apart.
- Lower straight down until your back knee nearly touches the floor.
- Push through your front foot to rise back up.
- Finish your reps, then switch legs.
Cues
- Go straight down and up, like a lift.
- Chest tall, bar over your hips.
- Front knee follows your toes.
Common mistakes
- Leaning forward under the bar.
- Standing with the feet too close, so the front heel lifts.
- Letting the front knee fall inward.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
Starting position
Take the bar from a rack set at upper-chest height. The bar rests high on the upper traps, below the bony bump at the base of the neck; hands grip it just wider than the shoulders, wrists straight, elbows pointing down and slightly back. Step back from the rack, then set a long split stance: right foot forward and flat, left foot back on its ball with the heel up. Feet hip-width apart side to side (foot centre lines 15–20 cm apart), toes straight ahead. Trunk upright and braced, gaze ahead. Leg length (L) below means front of the hip bone (ASIS) to the inner ankle: about 0.86 m on the 1.75 m avatar.
The movement
The feet do not move for the set. Bend both knees and lower the hips straight down until the right thigh is level with the floor and the left knee hovers just above it, pointing down. The bar travels straight down over the hips, between the feet and a little closer to the front foot. The right knee tracks over the 2nd–3rd toes and the right shin stays close to vertical. Push through the whole right foot to rise straight back up. The left heel stays up.
End position
Bottom: front knee about 90°, front shin near vertical, rear knee 2–5 cm off the floor. With an upright trunk the bar is over the hips, so it stays on one vertical line about 0.40 m behind the front ankle. Each degree of trunk lean moves the bar about 1 cm forward, so the trunk accept range is kept tight to hold the bar path within 5 cm.
Tempo
2 s down, 0.3 s pause, 1.5 s up, 0.5 s at the top. The app tells users to finish the set, then switch legs.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stance length, front heel to rear heel | 0.9 × L ≈ 0.78 m | 0.7–1.0 × L (0.6–0.86 m) | [2][3] |
| Front knee flexion at the bottom | 90° | 80–105° | [2][3] |
| Rear knee flexion at the bottom | 90° | 80–100° | [1][4] |
| Front knee flexion at the top | 5° | 0–10° | [1] |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Barbell Split Squat is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
Sources
- ExRx, Barbell Split Squat
- Gao et al. 2022, Bioengineering, "Influence of different load conditions on lower extremity biomechanics during the lunge squat in novice men"
- Stastny et al. 2015, J Strength Cond Res, "Does the dumbbell-carrying position change the muscle activity in split squats and walking lunges?"
- Form-standards section 7 (walking lunge; ACE and ExRx)
