The Anderson squat and pin squat are often used interchangeably, but theyโre not exactly the same movement. If youโre interested in adding more squat variety to your training, you should know the differences between these two variations to determine how each one can benefit you.
So what are the differences between the Anderson squat and the pin squat? The Anderson squat starts from a dead stop. It trains the concentric, or upward, portion of the squat. The pin squat is more similar to a pause squat because you pause at the bottom of the squat with the barbell just barely touching the pins before you stand back up.
Because the Anderson squat and pin squat are similar, itโs important to understand the nuances that make each exercise unique. This will allow you to determine which one will be best for you to incorporate into your training.
In this article, Iโll discuss:
- The differences between the Anderson squat and the pin squat
- The pros and cons of Anderson squats and pin squats
- How to perform Anderson squats and pin squats
- Different variations of the Anderson squat and pin squat
- Who would benefit the most from doing Anderson squats, pin squats, or both
Table of Contents
Anderson Squat vs Pin Squat: An Overview
The Anderson squat and pin squat are two squat variations that allow you to work through various sticking points in the squat. They can also be used to help you break through strength plateaus or to add more squat volume at varying intensities, which can help you manage your fatigue levels.
Anderson Squat
The Anderson squat, sometimes called the bottom-up squat, is a squat variation in which you start at the bottom half of the squat and stand the weight up from a dead stop. It was named after Olympic weightlifter, powerlifter, and Strongman Paul Anderson, who created the movement.
While anyone who does squats can benefit from this variation, itโs a particularly useful tool for athletes in power sports such as wrestling, basketball, and soccer because it helps to develop explosive strength in the lower body.
Itโs also a good movement for powerlifters who tend to fail just past parallel when standing up from a squat. The Anderson squat helps to improve glute strength, which is often the limiting factor that causes lifters to fail a squat during the lockout.
Pin Squat
Pin squats require you to complete the full range of motion of a squat while using the safety pins in the power cage to determine how deep you need to squat. Theyโre a useful tool for lifters who have trouble squatting to depth.
The pin squat is also beneficial for lifters who are returning from knee or groin injuries because you control the depth to which you squat. For example, if you experience knee pain once you get below parallel, you can do pin squats just to parallel until the knee pain has resolved. (This is assuming youโre otherwise squatting with proper form.)
Anderson Squat vs Pin Squat: Pros vs Cons
Anderson Squat Pros
- You can use heavier weights. Anderson squats are often done using a partial range of motion. Instead of starting at or slightly below parallel, you may start just above parallel. As such, theyโre a great way to train at supramaximal weights. This gets your body accustomed to moving heavy weight without having to go through the full range of motion of the squat.
- You eliminate the bounce out of the hole. Bouncing out of the hole makes it easier for you to stand the weight back up, but itโs a bad habit to pick up. It teaches you to rely on the stretch reflex rather than your own strength to generate more force into the bar to complete the lift.
- It can help you work through common sticking points of the squat. Although this isnโt true for all lifters, many people fail at about the halfway point of a squat. This is where the Anderson squat starts, so it can help you develop more speed to get through a difficult part of the squat.
- It develops explosive strength in the lower body. As I mentioned earlier, the Anderson squat removes the stretch reflex from the bottom of a squat. Since you have to lift a heavy weight from a dead stop, it trains your lower body to become more powerful, which is beneficial for athletes in sports such as wrestling and football.
- It has a carryover to the deadlift. The Anderson squat is excellent for strengthening the hip flexors, which are an important muscle group used in the deadlift. And because it removes the stretch reflex, it closely resembles the concentric portion of the deadlift when you first lift the weight from the floor.
Anderson Squat Cons
- You need access to a squat rack with safety pins. You may find it difficult to do an Anderson squat properly if your gym doesnโt have power cages with safety pins. You can do them on a squat rack with spotter arms, but since they tend to be shorter than safety pins, youโll have to be more mindful of where youโre placing the bar on the descent.
- Itโs tempting to want to โjerkโ the bar up. Thereโs a difference between generating force through the bar to get it off the pins and using momentum to get the weight up. The point of an Anderson squat is to squat the weight from a dead stop. Youโll want to avoid getting underneath the bar as quickly as possible and trying to propel the weight upward. Instead, youโll need to brace your core and create tension in your upper body before you move the weight, much like you would do for a regular squat.
Pin Squat Pros
- It teaches you how to squat to depth. Setting the pins at a height below parallel gives you something to aim for when doing squats, which can be helpful if you have trouble reaching proper depth. If you donโt touch the pins, you know youโre not getting deep enough in the squat.
- It encourages you to maintain a proper bar path. Pin squats take a lot of effort to control so youโre not just slamming the weights on the pins during every rep. This allows you to work on the correct bar path for squats because falling forward or backward can cause you to lose control, which makes it more likely that the bar will come crashing down on the pins.
- It develops proprioception. Much like pause squats, pin squats help improve your proprioception. They help make you more aware of your positioning at the bottom of the squat and can teach you how to make adjustments mid-movement if something feels off with your form. Youโll also be able to determine whether you shift to one side when you squat because one side of the bar will hit the pins before the other side does.
Pin Squat Cons
- You can lose tension once the bar hits the pins. Once you get to the point where the bar is at the pins, itโs easy to forget to maintain tension in your upper body. If this happens, your back can begin to round, which can cause herniated discs or other injuries.
- You canโt lift as much weight. When doing pin squats, you may find it more difficult to squat weights than you can easily do with other squat variations. This is because itโs more challenging to move a heavy object from a dead stop and you canโt rely on bouncing out of the hole.
Anderson Squat vs Pin Squat: Muscles Used
The Anderson squat works the following muscles:
- Glutes
- Hip extensors
- Adductors
- Spinal erectors
- Core
- Hamstrings
The quads are worked to some degree, but if you train the Anderson squat from an above-parallel position, they arenโt emphasized as much.
Instead, there will be greater demand on your hips from this position. Along with the glutes and adductors, theyโll do most of the work to help extend the hips as you lift the weight up. The hamstrings also assist with this hip extension while your core and spinal erectors work to stabilize your torso.
The pin squat works the following muscles:
- Quads
- Adductors
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Core
- Upper back
- Spinal erectors
As with most squat variations, the quads are the primary muscle group used. They help extend the knee joint from the bottom of the movement. The glutes work simultaneously to keep the hips in a position that lets you keep your knees over your toes and to help extend the hips during the lockout. The adductors and hamstrings also play a role in hip extension.
The core, upper back, and spinal erectors all work together to maintain tension in the upper body and prevent your back from either rounding or hyperextending too much.
Anderson Squat vs Pin Squat: How to Perform
How to Do Anderson Squats?
- Set the safety pins in a squat rack to the height at which youโd like to start the movement.
- Place the barbell on the pins and load the weight.
- Using the same stance width and hand placement that youโd use for your normal squat, get under the bar.
- Keeping your upper back tight, brace your core and lift the weight up. Avoid rocking forward or backward, and donโt come up onto your toes.
- Pause at the top for a second, then slowly lower the weight back down, making sure not to slam it onto the pins.
How to Do Pin Squats?
- Set the safety pins in a squat rack to your desired height. Ideally, this would be at a level where you can squat just below parallel.
- Change the J-hooks so you can set the barbell to about armpit height and load the weight.
- Step up to the bar, place your hands on it with your desired grip width, squeeze your upper back and shoulder blades, and set the bar across your back in either the high bar or low bar position.
- Unrack the bar and take a couple of steps backward.
- Adjust your stance width.
- Brace your core.
- Squat down, making sure to bend your knees and hips at the same time.
- Keeping control of the weight, gently touch the bar to the pins. Donโt relax in the bottom position, and donโt unload the weight on the pins.
- Explode up as fast as you can.
Anderson Squat vs Pin Squat: Incorporating Variation
Anderson Squat: Variations
Partial Squats
People like to criticize those who never squat to depth, but intentionally doing partial squats has its benefits. They utilize more of the glutes and allow you to train at heavier weights than you use with a regular squat, which can help you address issues with your lockout and build more confidence when lifting more weight.
Box Squats
Box squats arenโt exactly a direct comparison to Anderson squats, but they have many of the same benefits. Like the Anderson squat, the box squat allows you to train at supramaximal weights and works more of the glutes and hip extensors.
Anderson Zercher Squat
As the name implies, the Anderson Zercher squat combines the Anderson squat and the Zercher squat. By holding the bar in the crook of your elbows, it challenges your core stability and encourages you to remain upright in the squat.
The Anderson Zercher squat is also an excellent variation for those looking to increase quad hypertrophy.
Anderson Squat Programming Considerations
Anderson squats can be used as an accessory movement for squats or in place of regular squats. If youโre a powerlifter whoโs looking to replace your squats completely with Anderson squats, I recommend doing so in the off-season or as far away from competition as possible.
If you wish to incorporate both regular squats and Anderson squats into your weekly schedule, I recommend doing them on different days of the week. You can do your heavy squats or competition squats during your first squat session of the week and Anderson squats during a light or technique day. This may look like:
- Squat Day 1
Back squats 3×6 @ 70%
- Squat Day 2
Anderson squats – 4×3 @ 95-101% (if youโre doing the Anderson squat from a below-parallel position, you should stick with 70-75% of your 1RM)
If you want to do both in the same session, I recommend keeping the load of the Anderson squat on the lighter side. For example:
- Squat – 4×4 @ 75-80%
- Anderson squat – 3×6 @ 70%
Pin Squat: Variations
Pause Squats
The pause squat is just like the pin squat, except you donโt have to touch the bar to pins. You simply pause in the bottom of the squat before you begin the ascent.
Like the pin squat, the pause squat prevents you from bouncing out of the hole. It helps improve your positional awareness and allows you to correct common squat mistakes such as leaning to one side.
Pin Front Squats
Pin front squats are performed exactly the same way as pin squats except you do them with a front squat instead of a back squat. The quads are used a lot more in the front squat than the back squat, so this is a good variation for lifters with quad weaknesses.
Pin front squats are especially beneficial for Olympic weightlifters because they can help develop more power and speed out of the bottom of a clean.
Tempo Squats
As I mentioned earlier, itโs important to maintain control of the weight during pin squats to ensure the bar doesnโt crash onto the pins. Tempo squats require a similar amount of control because they require you to slow down the squat. Theyโre most frequently performed by slowing down the eccentric, or downward, portion of the squat.
Youโll usually see them programmed in a series of four numbers such as 3310. This means you would spend three seconds on the descent, pause for three seconds at the bottom, stand the weight back up in one second, and not pause at the top before your next rep.
Pin Squat Programming Considerations
Like Anderson squats, pin squats can be used either as a supplementary exercise or in place of your back squats. But because the pin squat is more challenging since youโre moving through the full range of motion with a pause at the bottom, itโs best to do them with moderate reps and weights.
If youโre replacing squats completely with pin squats, you may wish to program them as such:
- 3×5 @ 70% of your squat 1RM
- 4×3 @ 80% of your squat 1RM
Alternatively, you can do squats and pin squats in the same week, with heavy back squats in one session and light pin squats in a second session. This may look like:
- Squat Day 1
Back squats – 4×3 @ 80%
- Squat Day 2
Pin squats – 3×6 @ 65-70%
Which Exercise Is Best for You?
When To Use The Anderson Squat?
- You participate in another sport that requires explosive power in the lower body, such as football or wrestling.
- You have a weak squat lockout or youโre weak off the floor in the deadlift.
- Youโre trying to gain more confidence when squatting heavier weights.
- You need to improve your glute and hip strength.
When To Use The Pin Squat?
- You need to improve your squat depth.
- Youโre coming back from a knee or groin injury.
- Youโre trying to improve your squat technique.
When To Use Both?
- Youโre in the offseason from powerlifting.
- You want to increase your squat volume without training the competition squat multiple days per week.
Related Article: The Ultimate List Of 55+ Barbell Exercises (By Muscle Group)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Start A Squat From The Bottom?
You can start a squat from the bottom by doing an Anderson squat. It requires you to set the safety pins in a squat rack to just below or just above parallel. Starting the squat from these positions teaches you how to be more powerful out of the hole or how to grind through the top of the squat to complete the lockout.
Are Pin Squats Harder Than Normal Squats?
Pin squats are harder than regular squats because youโre bringing the weight to a dead stop before you stand it up again. Many lifters also find pin squats harder than pause squats. Because of the greater technical demands of the pin squat, youโll likely use much less weight than your regular squat.
Final Thoughts
The Anderson squat and the pin squat are both effective squat variations that can help you work through different sticking points in the squat. The Anderson squat can help you improve your squat lockout while also getting you more comfortable with squatting heavier weights. The pin squat is ideal for addressing weaknesses coming out of the hole.
In training, either squat variation can be used in place of the back squat or as a supplemental exercise performed after your main lifts. When deciding which one to prioritize, youโll need to consider where you are in your current training block and what weaknesses you need to overcome.
Other Exercise Comparisons
- Box Squat vs Back Squat: Differences, Pros, Cons
- Step Ups vs Squats: Differences, Pros, Cons
- Difference Between Back Squat vs Sumo Deadlift
- Eccentric vs Concentric Squat: Whatโs The Difference?
- Olympic Squat vs Powerlifting Squat: Differences, Pros, Cons
- Leg Press vs Squat: You Donโt NEED To Do Both
- Squats Vs Sumo Squats: Pros, Cons, and Differences
About The Author
Amanda is a writer and editor in the fitness and nutrition industries. Growing up in a family that loved sports, she learned the importance of staying active from a young age. She started CrossFit in 2015, which led to her interest in powerlifting and weightlifting. She's passionate about helping women overcome their fear of lifting weights and teaching them how to fuel their bodies properly. When she's not training in her garage gym or working, you can find her drinking coffee, walking her dog, or indulging in one too many pieces of chocolate.