The belt squat is a squat accessory exercise that reduces the level of spinal loading and compression compared with a traditional barbell back squat.
However, a belt squat machine is expensive, and few gyms fork out the cash to pay for one.
That's why we consulted our coaches and trainers and compiled a list of alternatives.
Here are the 9 best belt squat alternatives:
- Plate or Dumbell Belt Squat
- Banded Belt Squat
- Landmine Belt Squat
- Cable Hip Belt Squat
- Front Squats
- Safety Bar Squats
- Goblet Squat
- Hack Squat
- Leg Press
Let's cover each of these exercises in greater detail below! Then below, let's briefly discuss the belt squat benefits so you know how this movement may help you.
This article is an extension of my Top 10 Front Squat Alternatives. There are some great leg variations detailed in this article as well.
Table of Contents
9 Belt Squat Alternatives
I've ranked them from best to worst. The first 4 belt squat alternatives will be the most specific movement versions that don't require the belt squat machine. The ones further down are also good but also have more downsides if you're looking for belt squats.
1. Plate or Dumbell Belt Squat
The plate or dumbbell belt squat is the closest variation you can do to the traditional belt squat.
You will load the movement by attaching plates or dumbbells to a chain that is hanging around your waist with a dip belt.
It has virtually all of the same benefits as the belt squat. Most notably, it has no spinal compression as the load hangs from your waist between your feet.
You can increase the range of motion of this variation by standing on risers, which I would definitely recommend; otherwise, the plates or dumbbells will hit the floor before you get adequate depth.
How To Do It
- Attach a chain (or rope/band) to your lifting belt
- Let the chain hang between your feet, and use that end of the chain to strap on plates or dumbbells
- Place your feet on the risers and separate your legs into your squat stance
- Lower your hips to the floor until your thighs are at or below parallel
- Stand up explosively, maintaining the balance on your mid-foot
Pro Tip
If you want to target more of your glutes, you can hold onto a railing in front of you and lean back as you lower your hips to the floor. You can also take a wider stance, turning the movement into a sumo belt squat, which will target more of the glutes.
2. Banded Belt Squat
The banded belt squat is a belt squat variation that requires minimal equipment. Rather than using plates or dumbbells, you only need one or two bands to load the exercise.
Depending on your level of strength, you may need heavy resistance bands to get the desired training effect. Usually, 2-4-inch bands are optimal. I recommend picking up a set of purple and black Rubber Banditz Bands.
The 2-1/4 inch and 4-inch thickness will provide enough resistance for most people.
Lifters who use the banded belt squat aim for higher repetitions (15+) to burn out the muscles at the end of a workout.
How To Do It
- Grab a single band and place it on the floor in front of you
- Put your right foot inside the right side of the band, and do the same with the left foot on the left side
- While standing on the band, please pick up the center and pull it up to your waist
- Attach the band to your weight belt by closing the loop on top of the band
- Perform the squat by lowering your hips toward the floor
Pro Tip
If you don't have enough band tension, you can perform this movement with an ultra-slow tempo, lowering yourself with a count of 6-10 seconds.
3. Landmine Belt Squat
The landmine belt squat is another great belt squat alternative, which can be heavily loaded if you have the right equipment.
For this variation, you'll need a landmine attachment. You can pick these up pretty cheap, which is far less than what a belt squat machine would cost.
There are also several ways to modify the landmine belt squat to target more or less of your quads or glutes.
How To Do It
- Place a barbell inside the landmine apparatus
- Load the other end of the barbell using plates
- Use 10lbs or 25lb plates only since if you use 45lb plates, you won't be able to squat as low as the plates will hit the floor
- Attach a chain to your lifting belt and wrap the other end underneath the barbell
- Squat down to lower your hips to the floor and then return to standing
Pro Tip
If you want to target your quads more, face away from the landmine attachment. If facing away, you'll attach the chain inside the sleeve.
If you want to target your glutes more, face toward the landmine attachment. If facing toward, you'll attach the chain on the sleeve itself outside the plates.
4. Cable Hip Belt Squat
The cable hip belt squat is for more advanced lifters, so if start light and practice the technique, you can work your way up in weight over time.
So long as you're focused on ‘sitting back,' you can actually get fairly deep into the range of motion without the risk of plates or dumbbells hitting the floor when you're at full depth.
The other benefit of the cable variation is that you don't need a chain as with the previous belt squat variations.
How To Do It
- Move the cable machine to the low-setting
- Place a dip belt around your waist
- Attach the carabiner from the cables to the rings on the dip belt
- Walk back from the cables so that you're at least 2-feet away from the machine
- Place your arms out in front of you for balance and squat as low as you can toward the floor
- Ensure you're sitting back on your heels, as the cable will want to pull you forward and out of position
Pro Tip
In order to find your balance, think about ‘gripping the floor with your feet'. This is one of the squat cues that I cover in my article on improving your squat technique.
5. Front Squats
The front squat is a knee-extensor dominant exercise, which targets primarily the quad muscles.
The front squat is a complex movement pattern to learn, so if you don't have any prior squatting experience, I would select another belt squat variation.
However, unlike other belt squat alternatives, the front squat can be used to develop max strength because it can be loaded significantly more in the lower rep ranges (reps 1-5).
How To Do It
- Set the rack and barbell at shoulder level
- Place the barbell on the front part of the shoulder
- Place your hands outside shoulder-width and allow the barbell to rest on the first and second knuckle of each finger
- Drive your elbows up and forward so that the back of your arm is parallel to the floor
- Set your squat stance, which should be feet slightly outside shoulder-width and your toes flared
- Take a deep breathe in and brace your core strong before squatting down
- Crack at your hips and knees simultaneously to start the movement
- Maintain an upright torso
- Squat so that your hips drop below parallel
- Drive your feet through the floor and use your quads to stand up
- Ensure you continue keeping your elbows up to prevent the bar from falling down
Pro Tip
Many people find the front squat to be awkward on the wrists, sometimes leading to pain. If you find that your wrist hurts while front squatting, you can experiment with one of the following front squat alternatives.
6. Safety Bar Squats
The safety bar squat uses a special barbell with handles extending out in front of your body to hold onto.
Holding onto the handles removes the shoulder and wrist mobility required for movements like the front squat.
Just like the belt squat, the safety bar squat places you in a more upright chest position and engages more of the quad muscles.
You can read more about the safety bar squat in my complete guide. The downside is that many gyms may not have a safety squat bar. You can take a look at the safety bar specs and price on Rogue Fitness.
How To Do It
- Place the barbell on your back with the foam pad at the base of your neck
- Grab onto the safety bar handles and drive your elbows up and forward
- Ensure your upper back and core are engaged prior to squatting
- While keeping your ‘chest up' and the load over your mid-foot, bring your hips below parallel
- Drive back to standing while maintaining your ‘up and forward' elbow position
Pro Tip
The safety bar squat is an excellent exercise if you find that you fall forward in the squat. By doing a training phase using the safety bar squat, you'll notice that you can squat in a much more upright position.
Want to know how many times per week you should be squatting to improve? Read the full post.
7. Goblet Squat
The goblet squat is similar to the front squat, but you use a single dumbbell instead of a barbell.
Goblet squats are an easier variation and are used as a precursor to advance to the front, back, and more specific variations of the belt squat.
The goblet squat is an effective exercise to teach proper hip-hinge movement patterns, which is important for people with pre-existing knee and back conditions.
How To Do It
- Grab a single dumbbell with two hands
- The handle should be vertical (not parallel to the floor)
- Place your hands underneath the top of the dumbbell with your palms facing each other
- Hold the dumbbell close to your chest with your elbows tucked into your side
- Crack at the hips and knees at the same time
- Bring your hips below parallel without bouncing or losing tension in your quads
- Your center of mass should be right over the mid-part of the foot throughout the entire squat
- To initiate the upward phase, think about ‘pushing the floor away’ and driving as fast as you can
- Avoid letting your chest collapse forward as you begin your ascent
Pro Tip
If you have trouble squatting deep in the goblet squat, you can place your heels on small plates, which will allow your ankles to travel more freely through deeper ranges of motion.
Belt squats and its alternatives are great for reducing lower back pain, but there are other good examples you can use in our full post.
8. Hack Squat
The hack squat requires a special piece of equipment that looks like a ‘standing leg press.'
You perform the hack squat on a sled that allows you to squat on a 45-degree angle.
While this movement still has some slight spinal loading, it's significantly less than a back squat or front squat. Therefore, the hack squat places greater emphasis on the legs than back.
Furthermore, many lifters benefit from using the hack squat if they have restrictions squatting deeper in the traditional squat. It's much easier to obtain greater ranges of motion using the hack squat.
How To Do It
- Place your shoulders underneath the pads and grab the handles outside your head
- Position your legs slightly outside, shoulder-width apart
- Squat down using a controlled tempo, ensuring your heels don't lift from the platform.
- Focusing on pushing your knees forward to obtain a greater range of motion
- To stand up, drive your shoulders up and back into the pad as you push the platform away.
Pro Tip
You can modify this movement to target more or less of your quads or glutes. Place your feet more in the middle of the platform to target your quads more. Place your feet at the platform's top to target your glutes more.
If you can't do the hack squat, check out my article on the Best Hack Squat Alternatives.
9. Leg Press
The leg press is a solid alternative to the belt squat because no load is placed on the back and it isolates mostly the quad muscles.
The leg press is easier to perform than the belt squat because it requires less motor control. In other words, you don't have to think about where your body is in space. You just have to move the load through the fixed range of motion.
Like the belt squat, the leg press is less fatiguing, meaning quicker recovery times between workouts. However, the leg press has less sports application because it doesn't require as much stability, balance, or coordination, which doesn't transfer to broader athletic movements.
How To Do It
- Lie down on the leg press machine with your feet spaced shoulder-width apart
- Before lifting the weight up, brace your core and tighten your glutes
- When ready, take the weight off the safeties and lower the sled to your chest until your thighs are at or below parallel
- To drive the sled back up, push through your heels and exhale forcefully
Pro Tip
If you want to target more hamstrings while doing leg press, place your legs in a wide stance with your feet closer to the top of the platform.
If you can't do the leg press, check out my article on the best leg press alternatives. Or read my full guides comparing the Leg Press vs Squat or Leg Press vs Hack Squat.
Belt Squat Benefits
Before diving into the alternatives to the belt squat, you should recognize the main benefits of this movement so you can select the belt squat alternatives that target similar goals.
There are 6 main benefits of the hip belt squat:
- Increases Lower Body Muscle Mass: The belt squat primarily targets muscular hypertrophy in the legs, typically prescribed within the 6-15 rep range for exhaustion-based workouts, making it ideal for leg growth while other exercises are preferred for building strength due to easier setup for heavy weights.
- Reduces Spinal Compression and Loading: Ideal for training the lower body without axial load on the back, the belt squat minimizes spinal compression compared to exercises like squats or deadlifts, beneficial for those with back conditions or looking to isolate leg muscles more.
- Reduces Elbow and Wrist Extension: By eliminating the need for elbow and wrist extension, the belt squat offers relief for lifters experiencing joint discomfort from frequent squatting, particularly beneficial for those practicing low bar back squats.
- Increases Lower Body Training Without Causing Excess Fatigue: With no spinal loading, the belt squat allows for intense lower body workouts with quicker recovery and less overall fatigue, suitable for individuals aiming to increase training volume without overburdening recovery capabilities.
- A Stepping Stone to Increasing Squat Frequency: Serving as an intermediary step for those looking to squat more frequently, the belt squat enables lifters to gradually adapt to increased lower body training volume, making it easier to transition to higher squat frequencies.
- Can Be Easily Modified to Target Either Glutes or Quads: The belt squat is versatile, allowing adjustments to focus more on glutes by sitting back on the heels or on quads by remaining upright, providing tailored muscle activation based on stance and movement modifications.
Note: a study be Evans et al. (2019), showed that the back squat activates the glutes significantly more than the hip belt squat. Therefore, comparing the two exercises, it seems that the quads are similarly activated between the back and belt squat.
Other Lower Body Exercise Alternatives:
- 9 Best Bulgarian Split Squat Alternative
- 10 Best Hyperextension Alternatives (With Pictures)
- 17 Best Leg Curl Alternatives (Dumbbell, At Home, Cable)
- 5 Best Box Squat Alternatives (With Pictures)
- 17 Sissy Squat Alternatives (With Pictures)
- 7 Wall Ball Alternatives (Dumbbell, Kettlebell, Bodyweight)
- 10 Best Box Jump Alternatives (With Pictures)
