Hitting a Front Squat PB
Posted by Dave Napper
Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Developing Your Squat Setup
How to set up your squat
- Place hands on the bar, make sure they are symmetrical
- Line yourself up with the centre of the bar
- Get under the bar and position it securely on your back
- Take a big breath, brace hard and drive up to unrack
- Let the bar steady, then walk out from the rack
- Let the bar steady again then take a big breath, brace hard and commence your reps
- Upon finishing your reps, let the bar steady before you walk it back into the rack
- Lower the bar into the rack and get out from under the bar
My custom squat setup
I’ve been squatting for a few years now and over that time have developed a rather unique squat setup that seems to work pretty well for me.
It’s important to understand this setup is unique to me and lifters shouldn’t try to emulate my setup, but rather develop their own by using the basics mentioned above.
Based on those tips above we can see that I have 26 points to my squat routine and set. Nearly all of these happen automatically and without a second thought.
My 26 squat pointers
- Apply chalk to my hands
- Do up my lever belt
- Do up my wrist wraps, left then right
- Position myself behind the barbell
- Place left hand on the bar, then right hand
- Roll bar back in the rack and make it’s secure
- Make sure grip is set and the bar feels good in my hands
- Align head and feet with the centre of the bar
- Chest bump the bar a few times to make sure I’m centre
- Get under the bar and position it lower on my back than is required
- Wriggle bar up my back into position
- Shake my head around a few times and make sure bar feels secure
- Adjust feet as required so they’re under the bar
- Big breath, brace into belt
- Unrack, make sure steady and balanced
- Take three steps back, left foot first
- Lock knees and hips, make sure I’m steady and balanced
- Big breath, brace hard
- Initiate the rep by breaking at hips
- Descend under control and with weight on heels
- Hit depth
- Drive up fast, chest high, elbows forward
- Lockout rep and repeat
- Finish set
- Walk back into rack starting with left foot first
- Hit rack, lower bar, drop right foot back and get out from under the bar
Above you can see me complete 5 sets of 2 reps with 240kg to demonstrate just how similar each of my squat sets look.
Dave Napper is a Personal Trainer & Nutritionist and is the owner & operator of Brisbane North Barbell.
He is a Powerlifting Australia coach & referee and USAPL & APL referee.
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