How to squat with weights for beginners as well as 12 different methods for both beginners and advanced lifters!
If you came to this article you are looking to do just more than your regular body squats, you are looking challenging your squat game. But when it comes to how to squat with weights, there are a variety of different methods you can use. Either one of them will allow you to challenge your balance as well as build more lean muscle in your legs and hamstrings as well as your butt. We created a list that starts with the easiest weighted squat exercise descending all the way to the hardest!
Before we get into the exercises, I want to talk about good squat form. No matter what exercise you choose to do below, you want to do them correctly. The best tips I can give you when it comes to utilizing proper squat form are in the couple short paragraphs below.
How To Squat With Good Form
Drop your but back first, breaking at the knees. Do not try to guide the squat down as this will place a lot of tension on your knees and primarily only work your quadriceps, leaving out your hamstrings and glutes. You will want to do your best to drop your butt between your legs as much as you can.
Try to refrain from pushing your but backwards too far as this will put to much stress on your lower back, and you won’t be engaging the right muscles. Keep your chest up, and your scapula’s pinched, all while keeping your abs tight! Also you want to squat so that you are keeping you knee in light with your big to and the toe next to it.
Also do not let you your knees go past your toes, make sure that they stay behind them. When you are doing your squat, make sure you are emphasizing pushing your weight through your heels the ENTIRE time. Doing this will force your body to recruit the correct muscles as well as allow you to generate the most power.
Lastly, the deeper you go with your squats, the more effective you are going to be at both building muscle as well as going heavier with your weights. Do as deep as you can without shifting the weight to the front of your feet. The more you do your squats, the better you will get and the deeper you will be able to go!
12 Different Weighted Squat Methods!
Weighted Squats With or Without A Ball
This is an excellent place to start when you are first starting out with squats. It will allow you to build a better foundation in the prime movers for squatting. It will also prepare you for the more challenging squatting exercises we talk about below.
So with ball squats you want to put the ball against a while with your mid back placed on the ball. Once you are in this position squat down as low as you can go without discomfort. So with weighted squats you are simply doing the same movement as a ball wall squat but with weights in both hands. You can also do this exercise without a ball.
Goblet Squats
This is another dumbbell squat but with this one you are going to only need ONE dumbbell. So once you have your dumbbell, you want to hold it in front of you with your hands gripping each sides of the top of the dumbbell. Keep the dumbbell close to your body. When you are set with the weight as described, perform your squat reps.
Split Squats
With this exercise, you want to have a dumbbell in each hand. You will want to find a stationary bench and place one foot on the bench in a fashion where the bottom of your foot is facing up on the bench, with your shin facing the ground. From this position do a single legged squat, again keeping the knee in line with your front two twos and not allowing your knee to pass your toes.
High Bar Squats
This is when you are doing a barbell squat in the squat rack. You will want to load the barbell up with a weight you can do for at least 10 reps. You will want to approach the bar and get underneath it. Place it so that it sits on your upper trapezius and upper shoulder. To get the weight off the rack safely, simply egnage your glutes and it will allow you to prop up the weight an inch or two to clear the rack. Do not try to raise it off by doing so with your calves, it can cause you to lose your balance.
When you have gotten the bar off the rack, step back with your right foot then with your left foot. You want to set up so that your feet are shoulder width apart. A slight angle out with your feet are ok, but I prefer to do them with my feet facing straight ahead.
You can also go wider than hip width, performing a wide stance squat. Play with the two to see what feels best for your body and which one allows you to generate the most power. Make sure your elbow and triceps are pointing down to the ground instead of flaring out and back. This will allow you to perform the squat with better form.
Low Bar Squats
You set up is going to be the same as with the high bar squat but with this one, you will want to essentially allow the bar to slowly roll down your back till it reaches the lower trapezius and lower anterior deltoid muscles. This positioning is shown to align the bar with your center of gravity. Squatting in this position will allow the bar to be aligned in the middle of your foot for the entire squat, which is great placement for generating the most power.
Pause Rep Squats
This is an awesome exercise that allows you to ensure that you get a good contraction and eliminate any help from momentum. You will want to do your squat but when you reach the point where you can’t go any lower, you will want to simply pause for a couple seconds then come back up.
Sumo Squats
You will want to start your set with your feet more than hip width apart and your heels turned outward so that your toes are pointed at more than a 45 degree angle. Perform your squat and don’t let your knees cave in. Push through your heels as well as our outer feet to generate the most power.
You can also do this squat exercise in a digressed style by doing them in goblet squat fashion but having your position in the same fashion as described above.
Box Squats
Box squats, also called seated squats, are where you do a regular squat, preferably a high bar squat. But with this one you are going to be sitting down onto a bench or a seat. So yo squat to the seat, and then push up off the seat and from your heels and complete the rep.
Pin Squats
The squat rack at your gym should have bars on each side that are adjustable. With this one you want to place them higher so the are aligned with your belly button. You will want to squat the weight down and allow it to rest on adjustable bars also known as pins, then drive the weight back up from this position. This will allow for a very good contractions and build raw strength. You will actually want to start with the weight loaded on the pins, starting your set from there.
Front Squats
This is another form of squatting that is a forgotten exercise. You will want to place the bar so that is sits on the tops of your shoulders. For your grip, you can either cross your arms in a pretzel style fashion, gripping the bar with your hands on opposing sides of your shoulders, You can also grip it with your elbows sticking straight out in front of you, bringing your hands underneath the bar so that your fingers are facing away from you. A hint with this one is act like you have t-rex arms!
Zercher Squats
This exercise is an advanced form of the squat. With this exercise you will want to do the squat with your legs hip width apart but this time the bar will be resting in front of you and lying between your biceps and inner forearms. Keep the bar close to you, resting against your mid abdominals, squeezing the bar into your body by clenching your fists and pushing into your body with your forearms.
