Squat variations can help you build lower body strength if you cannot do this foundational exercise.

Maybe you have knee or back pain or a lack of range of motion to perform a squat correctly. Or you don’t have the right equipment. Even so, there are plenty of alternative squat exercises you can do.

The top 50 squat variations can be broken down into six categories:

1. Bodyweight Squats
2. Dumbbell/Kettlebell Squats
3. Resistance Band Squats
4. Barbell Squats
5. Squats With Specialty Equipment
6. Single-Leg Squats

As you can probably tell, squats are many different ways. However, not every squat variation will be ideal for you, your goals, and what you have available, so it’s important to find the one that best suits you and work at it.

In this article, I'll go over what makes the different squat variations unique, how to perform them, and pro tips on how to add them to your training program.

50 Squat Variations

11 Bodyweight Squats

You don't need to go to the gym or even a bar and weights to get a ripping squat workout — all you need is your body weight.

These are the best bodyweight squat variations:

1. Air Squat
2. Prisoner Squat
3. Wall Squat
4. Elevated All-Fours Rock Back
5. Box Squat
6. Plie Squat
7. Sissy Squat
8. Closed-Stance Squat
9. TRX-Assisted Squat
10. TRX Overhead Squat
11. TRX Sprinter Squat

1. Air Squat

The most basic bodyweight air squat is where we jump off with our variations. This variation is where we learn to master the squat and use it to carry over into all the other types of squat exercises.

How To Perform It

1. Set your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly turned out. This might feel good for you, but feel free to play around with it as you go through the reps and adjust the width and toe angle if needed.
2. Push the hips back and bend at the knees, lowering yourself into the squat.
3. As you lower down into the squat, you can keep your arms by your chest or out in front of you.
4. Once you hit a comfortable depth, push into the ground and stand up. Ideally, your hip crease should be below your knee.

Pro Tip

Create tension with your leg muscles and push into the floor. It can be tempting to bounce up and down out of the squat with momentum, but if you want the most out of the air squat, create that muscular tension.

2. Prisoner Squat

The prisoner squat is similar to the air squat in that you use body weight, but placing the hands behind the head can create some upper-body tension.

How To Perform It

1. Stand with your feet in the squat stance you found in the air squat.
2. Place your hands behind your head, pull your elbows back, and keep your chest up.
3. Break from the hips, bend your knees, and lower into the squat, pushing the knees out.
4. Find your depth, then push through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

The prisoner squat can be a stand-alone movement for your workout or a great way to warm up your legs and upper body before trying one of the weighted squat variations below.

3. Wall Squat

The wall squat is beneficial for targeting the quads and learning the squatting technique without placing stress on the knees.

If you struggle with knee pain when squatting, this can be a good type of squat to try.

How To Perform It

1. Lay your back flat against a wall, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Walk your feet out so that your heels are under your knees.
3. Lower your hips down, keeping your back against the wall.
4. Once you hit depth, push into the ground to stand up.

Pro Tip

The wall squat can be done using just the wall, or you can make it more comfortable using a physioball or foam roller. Plus, the rolling of these two objects makes it a smoother exercise.

4. Elevated All-Fours Rock Back

While most, if not all, squat variations are vertical, this one is horizontal. This bodyweight variation puts a lot of tension on the quads and can offer a good teaching moment on how to create full body tension during a squat.

How To Perform It

1. Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Press the balls of your feet into the ground, brace your core, and bring the knees 1-2 inches off the ground.
3. Creating tension through the quads and pushing your hands into the ground, rock your hips back towards your heels.
4. Go back until you feel like your hips will tuck under you or roll, then push through your feet and rock back to the starting position.

Pro Tip

If the elevated variation is too challenging, bring the knees to the floor and rock back while still creating tension through the legs and arms.

5. Box Squat

Sometimes, our ability to squat to a full range of motion is compromised, or we haven’t learned to control our technique. The box squat allows us to shorten our range of motion and work in a range that we can control or that doesn't cause pain.

It’s also one of my favorite squat progressions for new lifters.

How To Perform It

1. Place a 12-18 inch box on the ground, take a wide stance in front of it, and brace your core.
2. Reach the hips back and bend at the knees as you squat down towards the box.
3. Lower down into the squat until your butt hits the box.
4. Pause and then drive your feet through the floor to stand back up.

Pro Tip

The height of the box you use will depend on your height and what range of motion you need to work in. I’ve noticed that 12-18 inch boxes work best, but sometimes a pad can help add some inches if that is too short.

A plyo box is great for doing box squats. Check out our top picks for plyo boxes.

6. Plie Squat

The plie squat will target the adductors more than other squat variations as you set your stance wide with the feet turned out. While you might not get as much depth as a regular squat, you can feel this.

How To Perform It

1. Separate your feet wider than shoulder width with the toes turned out.
2. Reach your hips back, bend your knees, and drop down to parallel or as far as you can go.
3. Push through the ground to stand back up.

Pro Tip

The depth of your plie squat will depend on how flexible and mobile your hips and adductors are. The more flexible you are, the lower you can go. Try these hip mobility drills if you have tight hips.

7. Sissy Squat

At first glance, the sissy squat looks like someone performing a squat with poor form. But if you look closer, you’ll see that it’s a different type of squat that isolates the quads.

How To Perform It

1. Start with your feet in a narrow stance, brace your core, and keep your hips underneath you.
2. While maintaining a straight line from your knees to your shoulders, bend the knees, pushing them forward towards the ground.
3. Lift the heels up as your knees get closer to the ground, and lean back from the upper body.
4. Get as close to the ground as you can control while maintaining proper form.
5. Once you hit your endpoint, push into the ground and stand back up.

Pro Tip

This is a very challenging exercise to do free-standing, especially on the first attempt. Hold onto something sturdy like a post to work on technique and build strength.

If you have difficulty with your knees, you might want to skip this one and try the other bodyweight squat variations instead.

8. Close-Stance Squat

Squatting with a narrower stance puts more emphasis on the quads and adductors but also requires more hip and ankle mobility to perform them with proper form.

How To Perform It

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart or closer, making sure to brace your core.
2. Reach back from the hips, bend at the knees, and squat down.
3. You should squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground or deeper, but stop there if you notice your heels coming off the ground.
4. Once you hit depth, push into the ground and stand up.

Pro Tip

The challenging part of the close-stance squat is that you have a harder time opening up your hips and pushing the knees out. This puts more emphasis on the quads and adductors and less on the hips and glutes.

Once you’ve mastered this squat variation using bodyweight, you can upgrade it to using a barbell or other equipment.

9. TRX-Assisted Squat

If you’re not quite ready for the air squat or need to work on technique with less load, the TRX-assisted squat might be your best variation. By holding onto the TRX straps, you decrease how much of your body weight you need to use.

How To Perform It

1. Set the handles of the TRX to mid-length, grab the handles, and face the anchor point of the TRX.
2. Walk back until there's tension in the straps.
3. Set your feet shoulder-width apart, with your elbows tucked into your sides.
4. Drop down into the squat, using the straps as assistance. As you go down, your arms will come forward a bit.
5. Once you hit a comfortable depth, push through the ground to stand up.

Pro Tip

When you’re at the bottom of your squat, you can adjust your foot positioning to make it more ideal. Try moving your feet closer together or further apart and see which works better for you. You can also try turning your feet out or keeping them straight for other alternatives.

If you don’t want to invest in a TRX system, check out our favorite TRX alternatives.

10. TRX Overhead Squat

The overhead squat using the TRX is a progression from the assisted TRX squat and places more demand on the upper body, specifically the back and shoulder muscles.

How To Perform It

1. Facing the anchor point and with the straps at mid-length, place the back of your hand or wrist inside the straps, and walk back with your arms overhead.
2. Once you feel tension in the straps, set your feet in your squat stance.
3. Keeping tension in the straps by pushing your arms back, lower yourself into the squat.
4. Once you hit depth, push through your feet to stand back up.

Pro Tip

This exercise can be a good way to warm up for overhead squats with a barbell or learn what an overhead squat might feel like.

11. TRX Sprinter Squat

Similar to the positioning of the all-fours squat, this variation targets the quads and core muscles while improving ankle mobility.

How To Perform It

1. With the straps fully lengthened and facing away from the anchor, grab the handles at chest height and tuck them in towards your armpits.
2. Lean forward into the straps, but maintain upper body tension, like you’re about to do a push-up.
3. Walk back until your body is at about 45 degrees, and set them in a squat stance while you're up on the balls of your feet.
4. Keeping your core tense, push your hips back until your knees are at 90 degrees.
5. Push through the balls of your feet to swing back into the starting position.

Pro Tip

Avoid squatting too far back, as you’ll lose leverage and positioning and could fall over.

5 Dumbbell/Kettlebell Squat Variations

You can add resistance to increase the challenge, but you don't need barbells. Dumbells or kettlebells are more easily kept at home.

The 5 best dumbbell/kettlebell squats:

1. Goblet Squat
2. Dumbbell/Kettlebell Front Squat
3. Single-Arm Front Squat
4. Dumbbell/Kettlebell Overhead Squat
5. Suitcase Squats

1. Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is one of the most common kettlebell or dumbbell squat variations. Due to how the load sits in front of the body, the goblet squat provides the best variation to choose from when starting out. With the load in front of the body, you have to keep an upright position, which helps clear up technique issues and puts less stress on the back.

Goblet squats can be the first step into loading the squat pattern and can be beneficial if you want to keep weight off your back and spine.

How To Perform It

Goblet squats can be performed using a dumbbell or a kettlebell for loading purposes.  

1. Grab the load and hold it against the chest and elbows tight to the body.
2. Stand in an optimal squat stance for you.
3. Brace your core, then squat down by pushing your hips back and bending your knees to drop down into the squat.
4. Lower down to just below parallel (if your mobility allows it), then push through the floor and stand back up to the starting position.

Pro Tip

Start light to work on technique, then build up to heavier weights.

These can be used at the beginning of your workout for heavy lifts or at the end for higher reps with less load.

One of the limiting factors for the goblet squat is upper body strength, so at a certain point, you may need to progress to different squat variations.

2. Dumbbell/Kettlebell Front Squat

This squat variation using two dumbbells or kettlebells can be a good precursor to using a barbell, as the load stays in front of you without some of the mobility issues that come with barbell front squats.  

How To Perform It

1. Grab two dumbbells or kettlebells and bring them up to your shoulders with your palms facing each other.
2. Rest the end of the weight on your shoulders and set your feet in your squat stance.
3. Brace your core, keep your elbows tight to your body, and squat down.
4. Once you hit depth, push through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

Using a dumbbell or kettlebell for the front squat might be more accessible and less intimidating for beginner lifters.  

3. Single-Arm Front Squat

The previous exercise used two dumbbells for the lift, but this variation uses a single dumbbell or kettlebell for the load.

Using one weight emphasizes the core since only one shoulder is loaded with weight.  

How To Perform It

1. Grab one dumbbell or kettlebell and bring it up to one shoulder with the palm facing in.
2. Rest the end of the dumbbell on your shoulder and set your feet in your squat stance.
3. Brace your core, keep your elbows tight to your body, and squat down.
4. Once you hit depth, push through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

This exercise has an element of rotation due to the load being on one side. As you squat, your legs and core must account for the change in the center of mass.

4. Dumbbell/Kettlebell Overhead Squat

This variation requires stability and mobility at the shoulders and upper back. This is a good variation to try to work up to using a barbell for the overhead squat.

How To Perform It

1. Grab two dumbbells or kettlebells and bring them up to your shoulders with your palms facing each other.
2. Press them up above your head and create tension through your back and shoulder blades.
3. Brace your core, keep your arms stable, and squat down.
4. As you enter the squat, ensure the arms don't tilt forward.
5. Once you hit depth, push through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

Using dumbbells or kettlebells to do your overhead squat allows for more degrees of freedom from the shoulders.  Where a barbell is fixed, and both arms have to stay in the same plane of movement, this variation allows for differences in mobility.

5. Suitcase Squats

The suitcase squat is a variation where you hold one or two dumbbells or kettlebells at your side and squat. It can be a good starting point if you’re new to squatting, as it places the load at your sides, which makes it easier to learn technique.

How To Perform It

1. Grab one or two dumbbells and hold them at your side.
2. Squeeze your armpits to create upper back tension and brace your core.
3. Push your hips back and bend at the knees to lower into the squat.
4. Avoid “reaching” for the ground with the dumbbells as you lower down.
5. Once you hit depth, usually past 90 degrees, drive through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

For an added challenge, test out your strength using only one dumbbell. Using one makes it more challenging on your core as you are fighting the weight pulling you to one side.

7 Resistance Band Squats

Resistance bands are great to keep at home, or you can throw them in a bag to work out as you travel.

These are the best 7 resistance band squats:

1. Spanish Squat
2. Mini Band Squat
3. Band Front Squat
4. Band Back Squat
5. Band Zercher Squat
6. Band Overhead Squat
7. RNT Squat

1. Spanish Squat

The Spanish squat is a variation of a bodyweight squat used to build strength in the lower body while minimizing stress on the knee and keeping tension in the quadriceps. This is a good variation if you avoid squats because of pain in the front of your knee.

How To Perform It

There are two ways to set up this squat variation, depending on whether you use a resistance band or a less elastic strap, but the mechanics and placement stay the same.

Personally, I prefer a band as you tend to get a better quadriceps contraction at the top of the movement when the knee extends, but a strap has less give.

1. Attach the band or strap around a sturdy post, like a squat rack.
2. Step into the band/strap and place it, so it sits right below the knee.
3. Step back until the band/strap has tension to it.
4. Set your feet into your optimal squat stance, lean back, and squat down to 90 degrees.
5. Make sure the shins and upper body stay vertical.
6. Do all the reps, then slowly walk back to step out of the band/strap.

Pro Tip

Spanish squats are typically done with body weight for high rep counts, but you can add an additional challenge by holding a dumbbell. However, I suggest mastering the bodyweight variation before adding load.

2. Mini Band Squat

While performing a squat, you may notice that the knees cave in (called knee valgus) during either the lowering or standing phase. Using a mini band around the knees, we can enforce and cue driving the knees out.

How To Perform It

1. Loop a mini band just above the knees.
2. Set your feet in a squat stance.
3. Squat down, pushing the hips back and the knees out against the band, then bend at the knees.
4. Keep tension on the band as you get to the bottom, then stand up, still maintaining that tension.

Pro Tip

Using a mini band around the knees is a great way to learn the mechanics of the squat and how to create tension through the lower body.

3. Band Front Squat

This variation, much like the barbell front squat, places more stress on the front of your body due to where the load is.

How To Perform It

1. Step on the inner part of the band with your feet in your squat stance and grab the other end with your hands.
2. Bend down a bit to get leverage on the band and bring it up to your collarbone and around the outsides of your arms.
3. Keeping the elbows/upper arms parallel to the ground, squat down, reaching the hips back slightly and bending at the knees.
4. Stay upright as you sit into the squat.
5. Once you hit depth, stand up, driving through the floor.

Pro Tip

Take the first reps slowly. You’ll notice that band will pull you down into the squat, so control is important.

4. Band Back Squat

Using a band as a back squat variation is one of the harder setups to get a handle on. One thing you might notice as you squat is the tension changing between the bottom and top.

How To Perform It

1. Stand on the inner part of the band with your feet in your squat stance and grip the other end with your hands.
2. Bend down slightly and with your arms, bring the band over your head and place it on your shoulders.
3. Stand back up and adjust the band if you need to, then grab the band on either side by your chest.
4. Squat down to parallel, driving the hips back.
5. Drive back up out of the squat, pushing through the floor.

Pro Tip

You’ll notice with the band that the resistance will change depending on where you are in the squat. As you get closer to the movement's top, the band will be at its most stretched and at its highest resistance point. Be mindful of that when choosing an appropriate band tension for this variation.

5. Band Zercher Squat

The Zercher squat changes where the load is placed, allowing you better leverage to get deep into the squat.

How To Perform It

1. Step inside the band and grab the other end with your hands.
2. Squat down, and loop the band's end around the elbow's crease.
3. Bring your hands and elbows up towards the ceiling, clasping your hands together.
4. Drive up from the squat, keeping the arms high.

Pro Tip

To make this a more comfortable exercise for your arms, make sure the band lays flat on your arms and doesn’t twist. Additionally, you could wrap a pad or towel around the band.

6. Band Overhead Squat

One of the most challenging squat variations using the band, the overhead squat requires you to use your whole body from your hands to your toes.  

How To Perform It

1. Step on the inner part of the band and grab the other end with your hands.
2. Bend down slightly and bring the band up toward your chest.
3. Adjust your hand position if you need to, and press the band overhead until your arms are locked out.
4. With the band overhead, brace your core and keep your shoulders tight.
5. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower down into the squat.
6. Go as far down as you can with control, then drive up through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

Start with a light band to get used to how your center of gravity changes as you go through the movement.

Also, as you lower down into the squat, keep pressing your arms to the ceiling to maintain tension in the band.

7. RNT Squat

RNT, or reactive neuromuscular training, is a way to use outside resistance with a band to correct or improve technique by pulling you into your weakness.

For example, if your upper body drifts forward during a squat, you could use a band to pull you more into that position, so you have to counteract it by doing the opposite.

How To Perform It

1. How you use the RNT squat depends on what you’re trying to “fix.” If you’re trying to fix a hip shift, you would set up on the side with the band, so the band pulls you more into that shift. If you’re trying to fix leaning forward in your squat, you would set up in front and use the band to pull you into that forward tilt.
2. Use the band set up in the position you wish to correct, where the resistance is noticeable but not overwhelming.
3. Set up in your squat stance and drop down into the squat, resisting the band pulling you.
4. Drive your feet through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

The band you use for an RNT squat doesn’t have to be heavy. You only want as much tension as necessary to cue your body to adjust positions. Using too heavy of a band could pull you more into bad technique, and that would defeat the purpose.

8 Barbell Squats

Barbell squats are the most common, but there are more options than just back squats.

These are the 8 best barbell squats variations :

1. High Bar Back Squat
2. Low Bar Back Squat
3. Heels-Elevated Back Squat
4. Front Squat
5. Barbell Hack Squat
6. Overhead Squat
7. Zercher Squat
8. Anderson Squat

1. High Bar Back Squat

A high bar back squat is where the bar is placed higher on your upper back, usually on top of the shoulders. With this variation in bar positioning, your hips are more underneath you, and your upper body stays more upright.

How To Perform It

1. Set your rack height, grab the bar about shoulder-width apart, and get under the bar, placing the middle of the barbell on your upper traps.
2. Create tension through your upper body by pulling the bar into your upper back, and unrack the bar.
3. Walk back two steps and settle the bar on your back.
4. Reach back with the hips, bend the knees, and lower down into the squat, keeping your core braced and upper body tall.
5. Once you reach depth, drive your feet to the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

One thing often forgotten with this squat is creating tension in the upper body, but it keeps the bar glued to your back as you go through each rep. Without this tension, your form is more likely to break down.

2. Low Bar Back Squats

A low bar squat is one of the types of squats with weights you’ll typically see powerlifters do. It has the bar sitting below the shoulders, across the shoulder blades, which forces you to lean forward more and push your hips back. This variation puts more stress on the hips and glutes than the high bar, which leads to being able to squat more weight.

How To Perform It

1. Set your rack height, grab the bar a little wider than shoulder-width apart, and get under the bar, placing the middle of the barbell on your upper back and rear delts.
2. Create tension through your upper body by pulling the bar into your upper back, and unrack the bar.
3. Walk back two steps and settle the bar on your back.
4. Reach back with the hips, bend the knees, and lower down into the squat, keeping your core braced.
5. Once you reach depth, drive your feet into the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

The tendency with the low bar squat is for the hips to come up out of the bottom before the torso, so it's important to the success of the lift to maintain core tension.

This variation also requires more shoulder mobility to accommodate where the bar sits on your back.

If you have trouble holding onto the bar during low bar squats, check out Can’t Hold Onto the Bar When Low Bar Squatting? (7 Tips).

3. Heels-Elevated Back Squats

If ankle and hip mobility tend to be an issue in performing a back squat to depth, the heels-elevated back squat is the variation to go with.

This variation puts less emphasis on needing hip and ankle mobility at the bottom of the squat and more on using the quadriceps to perform the lift.

How To Perform It

1. Grab a wedge or a small 5-lb plate to elevate your heels, making sure it's set up with your stance and close enough that you don't have to back up far.
2. Unrack the barbell and walk back, placing your heels on the wedge or plate.
3. Start the squat by reaching the hips back and bending the knees until depth is reached.
4. Once depth is reached, push into the ground to stand back up.

Pro Tip

Through raising the heels, there should be a greater amount of range of motion achieved in comparison to a flat-footed back squat. You should be able to squat deeper than you could without the elevation. Because of this ability to hit a deeper squat, leverage differences will place more emphasis on the quads than a regular back squat.

4. Front Squats

Outside of the back squat, the front squat is one of the most commonly performed barbell squat variations. It shifts the weight and the center of mass towards the front, which leads to a more upright position.

This position puts more emphasis on the quadriceps and less force on the spine, making it back-friendly for those with low back trouble. However, it can be complex because it requires a great deal of ankle and wrist mobility.

How To Perform It

There are three options to set up the front squat, depending on what is most comfortable for you and what matches your wrist mobility.  

1. The clean grip: Grab the bar, and rotate the elbows underneath so that the upper arm is parallel to the ground. This requires the most wrist mobility.
2. The clean grip + straps: This variation is similar to the clean grip, except you perform the front squat with a pair of lifting straps and hold onto those instead of the bar. This is easier on the wrists, but stability is a challenge.
3. Cross grip: Place the bar on the front of the shoulders, cross your arms over each other in front, and drive the elbows up so that they are parallel to the ground.  This has the least mobility limitations but is the least stable.

Once the grip is figured out, it's time to squat.

1. Load the bar onto the front of the shoulders, unrack the bar, and take two steps back.
2. Brace the core, sit your hips back, and bend your knees, keeping the chest upright.
3. Once the depth is hit, drive through the floor with your feet, drive the elbows toward the ceiling, and stand up.

Pro Tip

Try all the grips to see which one works the best. Working on your thoracic spine extension mobility can go a long way to improving your front squat as well.

5. Barbell Hack Squat

The barbell hack squat looks more like a deadlift but with the barbell behind you. It is a great variation to use if you’re looking to avoid stressing your lower back but still want to target your quads.  

How To Perform It

1. Set up a barbell on the floor and stand in front of it.
2. Set your feet shoulder-width apart, lower down, and grab the bar with your palms facing away from you.
3. Brace your core, squeeze the bar, and drive into the floor with your feet.
4. Stand up while keeping your upper body straight.
5. Lower back down to the starting position.

Pro Tip

If you’re new to the barbell hack squat, start light to get used to the technique and mechanics of the lift, then level up as you get more comfortable with the lift.

6. Overhead Squats

Overhead barbell squats have a carryover into Olympic lifts, particularly the snatch. The one limiting factor of the barbell overhead squat is how much weight your upper body can support. For this reason, it’s one of the hardest types of squats.

While it is a great exercise for balance and control, it may not be the best option for building maximum strength in your legs.

How To Perform It

1. Grab a barbell wider than shoulder-width apart and unrack it from the rack.
2. Press the weight up above your head, locking out the arms and keeping tension through the shoulders.
3. Reach the hips back and lower down into the squat until you hit a depth that you can control with the lower and upper body.
4. Keep the arms straight overhead and avoid letting them drift forward.

Pro Tip

For mastering the strength and stability necessary for the overhead squat, you should add shoulder strengthening exercises like overhead presses and upper back exercises like reverse dumbbell flys.

7. Zercher Squats

The Zercher squat is a unique type of squat where you hold the barbell in the crease of your elbows. Due to the load being in front of you, it can feel similar to a front squat or goblet squat.

How To Perform It

1. Set the bar height a little higher than your hips, bend down, and scoop the bar out from the rack, placing it in the crease of your elbows.
2. Clasp the hands together for a more secure “grip.”
3. Keeping your upper body upright, squat down, keeping your elbows inside your knees.
4. Once you hit depth, push your feet into the ground and stand up.

Pro Tip

The limiting factor for the Zercher squat is how much weight you can hold with your upper body.  One benefit to the Zercher squat is that it will allow you to get deeper into your squat because of where the load is. Just make sure your elbows go inside your knees to get full depth.

Wondering what makes the Zercher squat different from the front squat? Check out Zercher Squat vs Front Squat: Differences, Pros, Cons.

8. Anderson Squats

Where our other barbell variations start with us standing up to unrack the bar, the Anderson squat has you starting at the bottom of the squat. This variation can help you build squat strength, particularly when getting out of the bottom of the squat.

How To Perform It

1. Set safety pins in the rack at a height near the bottom of your squat.
2. Get under the bar, set it on your back, and set your feet in your squat stance.
3. Brace your core, drive through the floor, and stand up.
4. Bring the weight back down to the safety pins and pause between reps to avoid bouncing off the pins.

Pro Tip

You may have to play around with the pins' position before finding a height that works best for you.

This variation can also be used at other points in your squat that you may need to strengthen. For example, you may find yourself weak at the midpoint of your squat, so setting the pins around that sticking point would be beneficial.

10 Squats With Specialty Equipment

If you have mobility issues, there are ways to still get a great squat workout.

These are the 10 best squat variations with specialty equipment:

1. Safety Bar Squat
2. Hatfield Squat
3. Landmine Hack Squat
4. Cable Squat
5. Cable Goblet Squat
6. Smith Machine Squat
7. Landmine Squat
8. Cambered Squat
9. Belt Squat
10. Counterbalance Squat

1. Safety Bar Squat

For some athletes and lifters, shoulder mobility is a limiting factor in doing barbell back squats. Using the safety bar for squats negates those shoulder limitations and allows you to still load heavy.

Additionally, because of its design and how the load sits on the back, it's easier to maintain a neutral spine throughout the squat.

How To Perform It

1. Position your head between the two pads on each side, with the back pad on the upper back. Then grab a handle with each hand.
2. Unrack the bar by standing up, taking two steps back, and adjusting the feet into your optimal stance.
3. Hold onto the handles, keeping the elbows in tight and hands at shoulder level.
4. Drop back into the squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
5. Hit depth and drive through the floor to stand back up.

Pro Tip

Avoid pulling down on the handles when standing back up, as it can alter the bar path and pull the chest down. Think of pushing up toward the ceiling like you would for a front squat.

Looking to add a safety squat bar to your gym? Check out our top safety squat bar recommendations.

2. Hatfield Squat

The Hatfield squat is a squat variation using the safety bar. With this variation, you hold onto the rack or another form of hand support to stay vertical during the squat, get assistance through weak spots, and ultimately improve your squat strength.

With the vertical torso, there is less stress on the lower back, so it can be a great variation if your lower back flares up with back squats.

How To Perform It

1. Start with a safety bar in the rack, and set up hand supports like a pin or another barbell at hip height.
2. Position your head between the two pads on each side, with the back pad resting on your upper back.
3. Unrack the bar, take two steps back, then grab onto the hand assists and set your feet.
4. Brace your core, lower down into the squat, keeping your upper body vertical, and hold on tight to the assist.
5. Once you reach squat depth, push through the floor and stand back up, maintaining that vertical position.

Pro Tip

While the Hatfield squat is used to overload your lower body, it can reach a point where the upper body does more work than the lower body. Avoid overloading the bar too much and turning this from a squat into an upper body exercise.

3. Landmine Hack Squat

This variation solves two of the concerns that pop up with squats due to the angle of the bar and the angle at which the squat is done. This takes the vertical loading off the spine that you see with back squats and keeps it on the quads.

How To Perform It

1. Place the end of a bar in a corner or use a landmine attachment.
2. Lift the weight, place it on one shoulder, and lean into the plates while facing away from the anchor point.
3. Hold the bar in place with one arm and walk out to a comfortable angle.
4. Squat down without letting the knees drift forward.
5. Go down to 90 degrees, then push through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

Looking at the setup can bring up some hesitation about the safety of the exercise. Find a reliable corner or sturdy attachment. Using larger bumper plates works best because you can lean into them.

4. Cable Squat

This squat variation using a cable machine is a great way to load up the quads without stressing the lower back.

With most squat variations, the force we apply with the feet is up and down into the ground. However, with this variation, force is being applied to the ground at an angle that loads the quads more.

How To Perform It

1. Set the cable machine to its lowest setting and grab the handles.
2. Walk back from the cable machine and set your feet hip-width apart.
3. While keeping your upper back tense and vertical, bend at the knees and lower your hips straight down.
4. Once you hit depth, drive your feet into the ground and push back, keeping that backward lean.
5. It should feel like you’re squatting at an angle.

Pro Tip

I often see two common errors with this variation.

The first is letting the weight of the cables pull you forward, so you end up bending over into what looks like a deadlift.

The second is leaning too far back and losing balance.

Control the movement and find that sweet spot where you load your quads.

5. Cable Goblet Squat

The cable is a great piece of equipment to use for squats, as the resistance stays constant throughout the entire movement. This places a greater challenge on your lower body during the entire squat.

How To Perform It

1. Set a cable machine to its lowest setting and attach either a rope or a neutral grip bar.
2. Lift the attachment up to your shoulders and hold it close to your chest.
3. Walk two steps back from the pulley, brace your core, and lower down into the squat.
4. Push through the floor to stand back up.

Pro Tip

The closer you stand to the weight stack, the more vertical your squat will be. If you move back a few steps from the pulley, you will notice that the cable pulls you forward. The first time testing this variation out, find a spot that works best for you.

6. Smith Machine Squat

Due to the bar being in a fixed vertical path, the Smith machine squat locks you into one path for your squat. This fixed position can feel a bit restrictive for some people.

How To Perform It

1. Adjust the bar height so that it's where you would start with a barbell squat.
2. Get under the bar and place it on the middle of your upper back, like the high bar squat, then grab the bar with your hands.
3. Twist the bar to get it off the rack, set your feet, and squat straight down, keeping your upper body vertical.
4. Hit your depth, then drive into the floor with your feet to stand up.

Pro Tip

Due to the bar being in a fixed path, much of the stabilization you need is done for you by the machine. This can make it a good variation to try before progressing barbell back squats.

7. Landmine Squat

The landmine squat is a variation that uses a barbell at an angle, where one end is tucked into a corner or into a landmine attachment and you hold onto the opposite end to squat. The path of the angled bar is much like a goblet squat and emphasizes keeping an upright torso.

How To Perform It

1. Grab the end of the barbell and hold it by your chest with two hands, keeping the elbows in tight.
2. Take a step back so you lean forward slightly into the bar, then push the hips back and bend at the knees.
3. Lower down into the squat, pushing the knees out and letting the elbows come inside the knees.
4. Get to depth and push through the floor to stand back up.

Pro Tip

Getting the bar into position can be tricky, especially when the weight gets heavier. Stacking the weighted end on a bench or plyo box can help you get into the proper position easier.

8. Cambered Bar Squat

The cambered bar is a specialty bar where the weight sits lower than a barbell, but the biggest benefit is that it takes stress off the shoulders.

How To Perform It

1. Set your rack height with the bar at shoulder level, duck under, and set the bar on your upper back.
2. Grab either the sides of the bar or the top part of the bar, depending on what feels more comfortable.
3. Unrack the bar, take two steps back, and settle the weights, as they might be swinging a bit.
4. Brace your core and push your hips back and down to lower into the squat.
5. Once you hit depth on your squat, push into the floor to stand back up, keeping tension in your upper body as you do.

Pro Tip

Since the weights swing back and forth on this variation, stability becomes an added challenge, but it forces you to create more upper body tension. This will help teach you to create that tension when you use a barbell.

9. Belt Squat

The belt squat is another machine variation that takes the load off your spine and allows you to emphasize your legs. This makes it a great variation if your back tends to flare up with other squat variations.

It’s also a useful variation if you have an upper body issue where you can’t hold onto a weight.

How To Perform It

1. Secure a belt around your waist and either attach the chain to the cable for the belt squat machine or hang a dumbbell on the end of the chain.
2. Set your feet in your squat stance, brace your core, and sit back to lower down into the squat.
3. Hit your depth on the squat, then push into the floor to stand back up.

Pro Tip

There are a few variations of the belt squat. The simplest one requires you to stand on two boxes with a dip belt and hang a weight on the chain. However, there are lever systems and belt squat machines that you can also use.

10. Counterbalance Squat

One of the tricky parts of learning to squat is finding the balance of pushing the hips back and leaning the torso over. Some people stay too far upright, and some fold over.

The counterbalance squat uses a plate as a counterbalance to the hips, which forces you into ideal form.

How To Perform It

1. Grab a weight plate, preferably 10 lbs, and hold it by your chest.
2. Set your feet in a squat position, reach your hips back, and lower down into the squat.
3. As you lower down, push the plate away from you, giving you a counterbalance to your hips.
4. Keep your chest up as you press the plate out.
5. Once you hit your depth, push through the floor and stand up, bringing the plate back in as you do.

Pro Tip

This is a variation you should go light on and use as a technique exercise or as part of your warm-up. Ten to 15 lbs is the max I would go with this exercise before it turns into a shoulder exercise and not a leg exercise.

9 Single-Leg Squat Variations

Single-leg squats not only work your legs but also require balance and stability, thereby strengthening your core.

These are the 10 best single-leg squats:

1. Bulgarian Split Squat
2. Front-Foot Elevated Split Squat
3. Split Squat
4. Cossack Squat
5. Pistol Squat
6. TRX Pistol Squat
7. Skater Squat
8. TRX Bulgarian Squat
9. Curtsey Split Squat

1. Bulgarian Split Squat

The most hated of all the squat variations, the Bulgarian split squat builds unilateral or one-sided strength and power.

For some athletes, doing bilateral squats may cause hip and back issues, so this variation is a great alternative to still load heavy while doing so in a safer manner.

How To Perform It

Setting up the Bulgarian Split Squat might be the hardest part of the exercise. The front foot is either too close or too far away from the bench the first time.

1. Sit on the bench with your knees at 90 degrees.
2. Extend the legs until the knees are straight and the heels are on the ground.
3. Bring the leg that will be on the bench back to 90 degrees, then stand up on the other one.
4. Place the foot on the bench.

Now that the set-up is complete, it's time for the actual exercise:

1. Grab the weight either at your side or at the chest.
2. Slowly lower the back knee toward the ground until the front knee reaches 90 degrees.
3. Push through the floor to stand back up.

Pro Tip

Holding onto a sturdy object like a post is not cheating. It eliminates the limiting factor of balance.

Additionally, changing the angle of the upper body changes the emphasis on certain muscles. A more upright torso will emphasize the quads more while tilting the upper body will emphasize the glutes and hips more.

2. Front Foot-Elevated Split Squat

This variation elevates the front foot, as the name implies, which emphasizes the quads and allows you to lower into a greater range of motion.

How To Perform It

1. Place your front foot on top of an elevated surface and place your back foot behind you.
2. Keep the heel of your back foot up and pointed towards the ceiling for the whole movement.
3. Staying upright, lower your back knee towards the ground, emphasizing pushing through the ground with the front foot.
4. Hit depth, where your back knee almost hits the ground, then stand up.

Pro Tip

A good starting point is to elevate the front foot six inches or the width of a bumper plate so that you can still get a greater range of motion without overextending the back hip.

3. Split Squat

This variation places both feet on the ground on the same level, making it a good starting point for any single-leg variation.

How To Perform It

1. Set your feet in a split position, with one in front of you and one behind you, with the feet hip-width apart.
2. Keep the heel of your back foot up and pointed towards the ceiling for the whole movement.
3. Staying upright, lower your back knee straight towards the ground, emphasizing pushing through the ground with the front foot.
4. Hit depth, where your back knee almost hits the ground, then stand up.

Pro Tip

Make sure you’re dropping straight down for the best results. There can be a tendency to shift forward into the front leg, which causes the knees to go over the toes. While not a bad position, it can cause knee pain for some people.

4. Cossack Squat

This Cossack squat requires mobility, flexibility, and strength all in one simple movement. While one leg does all the work, the adductors on the opposite leg have their flexibility tested.

How To Perform It

1. Start with your feet as wide as you’re comfortable with.
2. Shift your weight to one leg, and squat down on that leg, keeping your upper body upright, heels on the ground, and the opposite leg straight.
3. Make sure your foot, knee, and hip stay in the same line on the squatting leg.
4. As you get closer to depth, turn the straight leg so your foot points to the ceiling and the heel are still on the ground.
5. Once you hit depth, you’ll feel a stretch in the adductors, then push through the floor and stand back up.

Pro Tip

If you find a free-standing Cossack squat too challenging, you can build up to it by using a pole or TRX for assistance as you learn the mechanics of the movement and gain the necessary flexibility.

5. Pistol Squat

One of the more challenging single-leg squat variations, the pistol squat requires strength, stability, mobility, and flexibility.

How To Perform It

1. Stand on one leg, with the opposite leg straight out in front of you off the ground.
2. Brace your core and drop down into a squat on the standing leg, lifting the raised leg up as you lower down.
3. Use your arms as a counterbalance as you lower down.
4. Once you hit a depth you can control, push through the floor and stand up.

Pro Tip

The full pistol squat requires a great deal of ankle mobility. If you struggle to achieve a full squat, that could be a place to start. Take your time with mastering these.

6. TRX Pistol Squat

The pistol squat is a challenging single-leg exercise, but using the TRX for assistance can help with strength and learning the mechanics.

How To Perform It

1. Set the handles of the TRX to mid-length, grab the handles, and face the anchor point.
2. Walk back until there's tension in the straps, and tuck your elbows into your side.
3. Lift one leg off the ground straight out in front of you.
4. Drop down into the squat, using the straps as assistance. As you go down, your arms will come forward a bit.
5. Go down until your lifted leg is parallel to the ground, then push through the ground and stand up.

Pro Tip

Avoid leaning too far back while dropping into the squat. If your butt is coming down into your heels or calf, you’re likely using it as a pendulum and not getting the full benefit of the squat.

7. Skater Squat

Like the pistol squat, the skater squat (also called the shrimp squat) is as pure of a single-leg squat variation as you will find. However, the skater squat emphasizes the glutes more and does not require the same mobility and flexibility, which makes it more accessible.  

How To Perform It

1. Start in a standing position, brace your core, and reach one leg back, keeping the knee bent.
2. As you lower down, bring the arms in front of you as a counterbalance.
3. Tap the ground with your knee, and push with the front leg to stand up.

Pro Tip

Start by holding onto a pole or rack for support and assistance, as this can be a challenging variation for the lower body. You can also place an Airex pad or two as a gauge for the depth you are going to.

8. TRX Bulgarian Split Squat

Much like the regular Bulgarian split squat, the TRX adds instability to the mix. This forces you to put pressure from the back leg into the strap to maintain balance and stability.

How To Perform It

1. Set a TRX in single-handle mode at mid-shin length.
2. Start in a half-kneeling position and place one foot inside the foot cradle, so it rests on top of the foot.
3. Push your front foot into the ground, brace your core, and stand up.
4. Once standing, adjust to the stability of the exercise, and when you’re ready, drop down into the next rep, pushing your back foot into the strap as you lower.
5. Stand back up.

Pro Tip

The first time testing this variation, it would be safe to have something nearby for added stability, like a dowel or chair.  

9. Curtsy Split Squat

This squat variation looks like something you’d do if you met the Queen or bowed after a Broadway performance. It puts demand on the hips, glutes, and adductors.  

How To Perform It

1. Stand in a split stance with your right foot in front and your left foot back, in line with the right foot.
2. Bend your back knee, lowering it to the outside of the right heel, keeping your weight on the front heel.
3. Once you hit depth, drive through the floor and stand back up.

Pro Tip

One of the common errors with this squat variation is putting the back leg too far to the side, which creates unnecessary torque on the front knee. Avoid rotating the hips, and emphasize pushing through the glutes.

Variables to the Basic Squat Variations

In addition to the different squat forms listed above, we can exponentially grow the list by adding variations to basic straight sets.

Tempo Squats

A tempo squat is done by performing the lowering or eccentric phase of the squat at a slower speed than normal. It is usually done with a 3-5 second count.

Tempo squats increase the time you are under tension, which makes it harder than normal. Due to this increase in tension, you’ll see improvement in technique, and it will highlight areas of weakness and lead to bigger and stronger legs.

It is important to note that with the slower tempo, the weight you use will be less than what you would typically squat, so adjust accordingly.

Pause Squats

Similar to adjusting tempo, adding a pause further increases the time you are under tension.

A pause squat is exactly what it sounds like. You add a stop at a point during the squat, typically at the bottom. It usually requires 1-3 second pauses before you push back up to the starting position.

In addition to increasing the time under tension, we also see more increases in strength because we eliminate the stretch-shorten cycle. This is when a muscle immediately wants to actively shorten when you lengthen or stretch it.

In a normal squat, our quads are lengthened when we get to the bottom, which leads to a rebound effect to getting out of the bottom. It’s like a little boost to stand back up.

By pausing, we get rid of that effect, which makes the squat more challenging.

Partial Rep Squats

With partial rep squats, we deliberately eliminate certain ranges of motion that may be weak in or cause pain.

For example, we might squat to a box because full-depth squats cause knee pain, but sitting to a box doesn’t.

This way, we can build strength in that particular range of motion and still get a training effect.

Partial reps can also be a good variation to work on weakness at a certain part of the squat (for example, halfway up) and accentuate building strength in that range of motion.

1.5 Rep Squats

One-and-a-half rep squats can be done in two different ways, depending on how you want to go about it. But like most of these variables, we add time under tension, which is one of the factors that goes into muscle strength and growth.  

The first way to perform these is to go down into the squat, come back up halfway, then back down into the squat, and stand all the way up. That would be one rep.

The second way to perform these is to go halfway down, stand back up, lower into the full squat, and return to standing.

Both have their place, and both can be effective.

Ratchet Set Squats

Imagine taking all of these variables and combining them into one painful set of squats.

A ratchet set is where you perform a ladder of targeted ranges of motion at different squat positions. Start with a full range of motion squat, and then break up, coming up into ¼, ½. ¾ parts. This is what this would look like:

1. Squat down
2. ¼ partial rep up
3. Squat down
4. ½ rep up
5. Squat down
6. ¾ rep up
7. Squat down
8. Full rep up

That's one official ratchet rep. These are great for further increasing the time under tension or if you just plain hate yourself and your legs.

What Squat Stance Should You Use?

Your squat stance will vary, depending on what feels best for you. Generally speaking, shoulder to hip-width apart is where most people will start their foot position. Then you can work from there to find an ideal position that works the best for you and your mobility.

Additionally, changes in stance can affect changes in which muscles are emphasized. For example, if we were to squat with a wide stance, the adductors would be more engaged than if we were to try a squat variation with a narrower stance.

Muscles Worked In Squats

While the different ways to squat will emphasize one muscle group over others, there are a few main muscle groups that all these different types of squats will target.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps muscles on the front side of your thigh comprise four distinct muscle bellies:

• Rectus femoris – This runs down the middle of the leg from the hip to your knee cap.
• Vastus lateralis – This runs on the outside of the leg from your hip to the outside of your knee.
• Vastus medialis – This starts at the top of your leg by the hip joint and runs down and to the inside of the knee cap. This forms the teardrop muscle you see on muscular quads.
• Vastus intermedius – This runs down the middle of the leg, under the rectus femoris, from the top of the leg to the outside of the knee cap.

They will be one of the prime movers during any squat variation, as they are responsible for knee extension and hip flexion.

Glutes

The glutes, or your butt muscles, comprise the largest muscle in the body, the gluteus maximus, and its two friends, the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.

This group of muscles is primarily responsible for hip extension during the squat and, as hip abductors, they keep the knees from caving in.

If you want to build your butt muscles, squats will be high on your list.

Adductors

The adductors are a large group of muscles in the inner thigh that run from your pelvis to various points on your upper leg. They mainly consist of the adductor longus, adductor brevis, and adductor magnus, as well as other smaller muscles.

This group of muscles, especially the adductor magnus, is one of the prime hip extensors for the squat, especially at the bottom.

They make up what you would call your groin muscles, and if you’ve ever had a spasm there after squatting, you know you worked them.

Core & Erector Spinae

Your core muscles are more than your 6-pack ab muscles. They are more of a 360-degree view of the muscles of your trunk.

The core and erector muscles are primarily responsible for ensuring the upper body doesn't fold or collapse when you squat.

When under load, before we begin the descent phase, we brace our core to keep our body stable. This helps to protect our spine while we squat.

Learn more about the muscles used in the squat. If you want to also work the backs of your legs more, check out these squat variations that can help build your hamstrings.

Benefits of Squats

1. Bigger and Stronger Legs

All types of squats, including bodyweight squats variations, put a lot of tension on the lower body muscles, which is required to grow muscle.

Our legs must adapt to the new stimulus as we add more weight or tension to the exercise through a slower tempo. This is what drives them to become bigger and stronger.

2. Core Strength

When lifting more weight, our core muscles must brace to remain stable. Otherwise, we’d fall over or crumple under the weight.

These muscles end up adapting in the same way the leg muscles do.

3. Improved Mobility

Mobility is being able to move through certain ranges of motion, but it's also about being able to control those ranges.

The more we squat, the more we improve our ability to get into those squat patterns, resulting in better hip and ankle mobility.

4. Increased Speed

One of the keys to running faster is how much force you can put into the ground with each stride. Squats help develop that strength and power in the legs.

How to Program Squats

Programming the different kinds of squats into workouts depends on your goals.

Do You Want Maximal Strength?

If strength is your main target, aim for a rep range of 1-5. Also, make the squat your main lift on one of the lower body days.

Do You Want To Build Muscle?

If building muscle is your main goal, aim for 6-12 reps for your squat workouts. In this case, squats can be used as a main lift or a secondary/assistance lift on deadlift days.

Do You Want Endurance?

For more muscular endurance, aim for 12+ reps for the squat. This is also for lifters who like the pain of their muscles burning.

How to Warm Up for Squat Workouts

There are two approaches to warming up for squats at the gym.

The first is a general full-body dynamic warm-up, targeting all body muscles. This primes the muscles, tendons, and, most importantly, the nervous system for what is about to happen.

An example of a lower-body warm-up would be:

• Foam Roll Hip Flexors x 60 seconds
• Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch x 60 seconds
• Unilateral Leg Rock x 30 seconds per side
• Core-Braced Single-Leg Lowering x 5 per side
• Glute Bridge x 10 reps
• Bodyweight Squats x 10 reps
• Vertical Jumps x 5 reps

These should be at a low intensity, enough to loosen and warm up the muscles and joints, but not too intense to exhaust them.

If squats are the main exercise for the workout, the goal of the second part of the warm-up is to ramp up your weights with each set before you get to the working sets.

These are meant to prime and prepare your body for the working sets. If the working weight is 250 lbs, an example of this would be:

• Empty Bar x 15
• 135 x 8
• 185 x 6
• 225 x 2

Then move into the working sets at 250.

Final Thoughts

While not all squat variations will work for everyone, several specific variations will work best for you, depending on what you need to target and what you need to avoid. Take the time to pick the right one to set you up for success and avoid unnecessary pain or injury.

About The Author

Chris Cooper is a certified personal trainer through the NSCA and a massage therapist in New York. He has over 17 years of experience blending the two worlds to work with clients in their pursuit to get stronger and move pain-free as they return from injury. He runs his coaching services through CoachChrisCooper.com.