Related guides: burpee broad jump, goblet lunge, kneeling squat, reverse lunges, v squat, b stance hip thrust
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What is a bench squat?
A bench squat is extremely similar to a normal squat except we’re going to touch a bench with our glutes at the height where we would want our normal barbell squat to stop. It may sound simple but so many people get at least one part of this move wrong. You may also hear this being called a box squat. Whether you use and box or a bench will depend on your height and the equipment you have in the gym. Some people even use a dumbbell instead.
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How to do a bench squat
Form tips
- Set your bench up behind your squat rack at a height that means your femur (upper leg bone) is parallel to the floor when you sit on it. Adjust the bench accordingly (e.g put plates underneath one side) to find this level.
- Grab the barbell a few inches wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Step under the bar and place it just above your shoulder blades and just below your upper trap. The bar should not be above your trap, close to your neck.
- Gripping the bar tightly, pull it onto your back before lifting it out of the rack. Make sure you’re continuously pulling the bar throughout the movement, keeping tension throughout the body.
- Make sure your weight is spread equally through your foot.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath and tense your core. This technique makes your trunk the most stable it possibly could be.
- Begin to hinge at the hips, pushing your pelvis backwards.
- After you’ve started hinging with the hips, allow your knees to bend to help increase the depth.
- Once you reach the bench, touch it with the glutes but keep the tension throughout your body and your weight equal through your foot.
- Drive through your feet and push your hips forward, engaging the glutes to come back to your starting position.
Related guides: burpee broad jump, goblet lunge, kneeling squat, reverse lunges, v squat, b stance hip thrust
Bench squat benefits
This variation teaches the correct squat depth for other squat exercises
When squatting, in most cases we should be looking for (unlocked houses) our femurs to be parallel to the ground at the bottom of the lift. Whilst some prefer to go lower, this is the standard for 1) most people to get enough engagement from each rep and 2) competitions if you’re into that.
When we put our bench at this femur-parallel level, we’re conditioning ourselves to stop here for when we remove the bench, promoting correct form.
The bench can provide some reassurance for new lifters
Barbell squatting can be intimidating, especially if we’re searching for new personal bests. When we use a bench we’re providing a bit of a safety net. Of course, we can use rack guards but some gyms might not have this equipment.
Bench squat common mistakes
Mistake 1: Choosing a bench or box that’s the wrong height
As we’ve discussed, we want our femur (upper leg bone) to be parallel to the floor at the bottom of the squat. If we stop too high, we’re not getting the maximum out of the movement.
If it’s too low we may start to develop a butt wink. This is where our pelvis begins to pull under our torso, rounding the lower back. This compromises the spine and can lead to back injuries. To see where your pelvis begins to wink, squat side-on to a mirror and wait for your pelvis to tuck under. Make sure you’re not doing this during your sets.
Mistake 2: Putting too much weight on the bench or losing tension
When our glutes touch the bench we don’t want to put all of our weight down or lose the tension in our bodies. In fact, some people simply tap the bench which makes sense if we’re teaching ourselves the proper squat depth.
If we put a lot of weight onto the bench or relax onto it, we’re going to see less carryover to our standard barbell squat among other leg exercises.
Mistake 3: Rocking back onto the bench
Similar to the last point but there is a key difference. Some people touch the bench and let their torso straighten. This is a problem for a key reason if we sit down with our spine perfectly upright, we’re going to have to rock forward to get up. Have you ever had a perfectly upright spine when squatting? No, because biomechanically that doesn’t work. We shouldn’t do that here because once again it has no carryover and we’re getting less from the exercise.
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Bench squat muscles worked
Quadriceps
As you may expect with a squat, the main driver of the exercise is the quads.
These muscles work to extend the knee joint. The further we lean forward, the more quad activation we’ll get. You may find this cue helpful, however, we recommend that you keep as balanced as possible with the weight over your centre of gravity.
Glute Maximus
You should be able to feel your glutes the most at the top of the movement. They work to pull the femur (upper leg bone) back, pushing your pelvis forward.
Tip: squeeze your glutes at the start and end of every rep to ensure your pelvis is square on. Some people don’t engage their glutes enough and squat with an uneven pelvis, leading to injuries down the road.
Bench squat variations
Barbell bench squat
This variation is of course going to carry over to one of the big compound movements you should be doing, the barbell squat. With this exercise, you’ll be able to load up the weight comfortably vs a dumbbell variation which will be trickier when we move up to our maximum.
Pistol bench squat
Pistol bench squats are a great way to get started on your road to a complete pistol squat. Try this to get used to the fundamentals of the movement and gradually lower the bench further down as you progress.
Dumbbell bench squat
It’s not uncommon for people to avoid barbells for a number of reasons. One reason would be that there’s an added element of risk with a barbell as we can’t drop them as easily as dumbbells. Furthermore, dumbbells require less set-up time and are therefore more convenient. These are some of the reasons why you may choose this variation.
Additional resources
- The back squat: A proposed assessment of functional deficits and technical factors that limit performance
- How to squat? Effects of various stance widths, foot placement angles and level of experience on knee, hip and trunk motion and loading
- Related guides: burpee broad jump, goblet lunge, kneeling squat, reverse lunges, v squat, b stance hip thrust
Olly is a CIMSPA accredited personal trainer with a BSc degree in sport management from Solent University. He has over 10 years experience helping clients reach their health & fitness goals.
