The squat has a number of variants, some of which can be combined:
Barbell •
Back squat – the bar is held on the back of the body upon the upper trapezius muscle, near to the base of the neck. Alternatively, it may be held lower across the upper back and rear deltoids. In
powerlifting the barbell is often held in a lower position in order to create a lever advantage, while in
weightlifting it is often held in a higher position which produces a posture closer to that of the
clean and jerk. These variations are called low bar (or powerlifting squat) and high bar (or Olympic squat), respectively. • Sumo squat – A variation of the back squat where the feet are placed slightly wider than shoulder width apart and the feet pointed outwards. • Box squat – at the bottom of the motion the squatter will sit down on a bench or other type of support then rise again. The box squat is commonly utilized by powerlifters to train the squat. •
Front squat – the barbell is held in front of the body across the
clavicles and
deltoids in either a
clean grip, as is used in
weightlifting, or with the arms crossed and hands placed on top of the barbell. In addition to the muscles used in the back squat, the front squat also uses muscles of the upper back such as the
trapezius to support the bar. •
Hack squat – the barbell is held in the hands just behind the legs; this exercise was first known as Hacke (heel) in
Germany. According to European strength sports expert and Germanist Emmanuel Legeard this name was derived from the original form of the exercise where the heels were joined. The hack squat was thus a squat performed the way Prussian soldiers used to click their heels ("Hacken zusammen"). The hack squat was popularized in the
English-speaking countries by early 1900s wrestler
George Hackenschmidt. It is also called a
rear deadlift. It is different from the hack squat performed with the use of a squat machine. •
Overhead squat – the barbell is held overhead in a wide-arm
snatch grip; however, it is also possible to use a closer grip if balance allows. •
Zercher squat – the barbell is held in the crooks of the arms, on the inside of the elbow. One method of performing this is to deadlift the barbell, hold it against the thighs, squat into the lower portion of the squat, and then hold the bar on the thighs as you position the crook of your arm under the bar and then stand up. This sequence is reversed once the desired number of repetitions has been performed. Named after Ed Zercher, a 1930s
strongman. •
Steinborn squat – named after the traditional
strongman Henry 'Milo' Steinborn, and performed without a rack, the barbell begins on the floor. The lifter picks up one end, and lifts until it's nearly vertical, before bending to position it against their back, as if in a back squat. They then lower their hips, allowing the top of the bar to lower until the bar is straight across their back, with their body in the bottom of a squat. Normal back squats can be performed from this position. •
Deep knee bend on toes – it is similar to a normal back squat only the lifter is positioned on their forefeet and toes, with their heels raised, throughout the repetition. Usually, the weight used is not more than moderate in comparison to a flat footed, heavy back squat. •
Single leg squat - The single leg squat (SLS), also known as a unilateral squat, involves squatting with one leg instead of two (which is a bilateral squat). Usually the leg which is held off the ground moves behind the person as they squat, but alternatively the person may position it ahead of themselves. Bilateral split squats which significantly increase the work performed by the front leg are sometimes erroneously referred to as single leg squats due to this emphasis. Single leg squats can be used to strengthen a person's stabilizer muscles more so than two legged squats and improve their ability to balance. They can also be used to remove muscle imbalances in the body by ensuring that, when performed alternatively, the right and left leg do the same amount of work. In comparison to two footed squats, the barbell weight only needs to be half of what it would be, minus the lifter's weight for the legs to perform the same amount of work i.e. for an 80 kg lifter, lifting 40 kg using only the left leg, means the left leg is lifting the equivalent of what it does in a two footed squat with 160 kg. This means that the single leg squat can be used in rehabilitation programmes where there is a need to avoid heavier loading of the back. •
Loaded squat jump – the barbell is positioned similarly to a back squat. The exerciser squats down, before moving upwards into a jump, and then landing in approximately the same position. The loaded squat jump is a form of
loaded plyometric exercise used to increase explosive power. Variations of this exercise may involve the use of a trap bar or dumbbells. •
Variable resistance squat – In keeping with variable resistance training in general, a variable resistance squat involves altering the resistance during the movement in order that it better matches, in percentage terms, the respective 1RM for each strength phase the person is moving through i.e. more resistance in the higher stronger phase and less in the weaker lower phase e.g. 60 kg in the lower phase and 90 kg in the higher phase. Such an alteration of resistance can be achieved by the use of heavy chains which are attached to either end of the barbell. The chains are gradually lifted from the floor as the barbell is raised and vice versa when it is lowered. Thick elastic bands which are more stretched in the higher phase and less stretched in the lower phase can also be used. Combining heavier partial reps with lighter full reps can also help to train the stronger and weaker phases of the movement so the percentage of 1RM lifted for each phase respectively is more similar. Training with variable resistance squats is a technique used to increase speed and explosive power. •
Partial rep – Partial rep squats only move through a partial range of movement when compared with full squats which move through a full range of movement. Full range for a squat usually means the higher stronger phase of a squat's strength phase sequence (strength curve), but may also refer to just squatting for the lower weaker phase. When partial squats are used to strengthen the higher ROM this usually involves significantly increasing the weight in comparison to the weight used for a full squat. The percentage lifted of the stronger higher phase's 1RM can therefore be increased and not limited by the requirement to move through the weaker lower range of movement e.g. a person lifts 100% of his 1RM for the higher stronger phase which is 150 kg. If he did a full squat he would only have been able to do about 66% of his stronger phases 1RM because his 1RM for a full squat, including the weaker lower phase, is 100 kg. Training with heavier partial squats can help to improve general strength and power. It can also be more beneficial for sports and athletics as that ROM is more likely to be required in those activities i.e. it is rare to need to perform a full squat in sport, whereas partial squatting happens frequently. Partial squatting with a heavier weight than a full squat allows for can also help to improve a person's 1RM for a full squat. When partial squatting only the lower phase this is usually to strengthen that relatively weak phase of the lift in order to overcome a sticking point i.e. a point a person gets "stuck" at and finds it difficult to progress past. It is commonly recommended that partial squats are best used in conjunction with full squats.
Lunge •
Split squat – an assisted one-legged squat where the non-lifting leg is rested on the ground a few steps behind the lifter, as if it were a static
lunge. •
Bulgarian split squat – performed similarly to a split squat, but the foot of the non-lifting leg is rested on a platform behind the lifter.
Other •
Belt squat – is an exercise performed the same as other squat variations except the weight is attached to a hip belt i.e. a
dip belt •
Goblet squat – a squat performed while holding a
kettlebell or dumbbell on to one's chest and abdomen with both hands. •
Smith squat – a squat using a
Smith machine. •
Machine hack squat – using a squat machine. •
Anderson squat - (aka Pin Squat, Bottoms Up Squat) starting the squat from the bottom position.
Body-weight , performing baithaks (Hindu squats) •
Body-weight or air squat – done with no weight or barbell, often at higher repetitions than other variants. •
Overhead squat – a non-weight bearing variation of the squat exercise, with the hands facing each other overhead, biceps aligned with the ears, and feet hip-width apart. This exercise is a predictor of total-body flexibility, mobility, and possible lower body dysfunction. •
Hindu squat – also called a baithak, bethak, or a deep knee bend on toes. It is performed without additional weight, and body weight placed on the forefeet and toes with the heels raised throughout; during the movement the knees track far past the toes. The baithak was a staple exercise of ancient Indian wrestlers. It was also used by
Bruce Lee in his training regime. It can be performed without any support or with the hands resting on an upturned
club or the back of a chair. Traditionally, baithaks are performed in very high repetitions from several hundred to several thousand. Historically, sets were used to achieve such targets. An alternative form of the baithak, which was also practiced historically, involves coming up from the deep squat position and taking a small jump forwards and then moving immediately from the subsequent landing crouch into a deep squat again. Then coming up and taking a small jump backwards and moving from that landing crouch into a deep squat once again and so forth in an alternating pattern. The distance travelled forwards and backwards is usually about the breadth of one hand although it can be as much as a foot. •
Jump squat – a
plyometrics exercise where the squatter engages in a rapid eccentric contraction and jumps forcefully off the floor at the top of the range of motion. •
Basic single leg squat – the person stands with one foot on the ground and the other foot raised. They bend their standing leg and move downwards. Their raised leg moves behind them with the knee coming close to the heel of the grounded foot. Due to the extra effort required to balance, one legged squats can help to additionally improve a person's sense of balance. As with other forms of one legged exercise performed alternately, they can also help to mitigate against an excessive strength variation between the legs, as both legs are made to perform the same level of work e.g. in a two legged squat a person's right leg may do 55% of the work and their left leg 45%, which may result in an excessively uneven level of strength developing. By switching between using the right leg and left leg in one legged squats, a person can better ensure that each leg is doing the same level of work i.e. the right or left leg does 100% of the work for each respective one legged squat. •
Pistol squat – a bodyweight single leg squat done to full depth, while the other leg is extended off the floor and positioned somewhere in front. Sometimes dumbbells, kettlebells or
medicine balls are added for resistance. Pistol squats may be performed with the foot flat on the floor or with the heel raised. •
Shrimp squat – also called the
flamingo squat, a version of the pistols squat where instead of extending the non-working leg out in front, it is bent and placed behind the working leg while squatting, perhaps held behind in a hand. Shrimp squats may be performed with the foot flat on the floor or with the heel raised. •
Jockey squat - a half-squat, performed by being balanced on the forefeet throughout the repetition, with fingertips touching across the chest. This squat can be performed quickly and in high repetitions. •
Sissy squat – the knees travel over the toes, stretching the quadriceps and the body leans backwards. Can be done in a special sissy squat machine, and can also be weighted. •
Sumo Squat - also known as
Plie Squat, in this variation legs are wider than shoulder width. ==Clinical significance==