Put a safety squat bar in a power rack at about chest height. Get underneath the bar so that it’s resting high on your upper traps, with the pads on top of your shoulders extending forward and angled slightly downward—the intended position of a safety squat bar. Un- rack the bar, step back, and begin in an upright position with your feet hip/shoulder-width apart (just as you would with a standard barbell squat). With your hands, either hold on to the columns of the power rack for support or grasp the ends of the bar in front on your shoulders .
Keeping your back flat, bend your knees to lower yourself straight down as if sitting down in a chair. When your thighs are parallel with the floor, forcefully contract your glutes and quads to stand back up to the start position without locking out your knees at the top. Focus on keeping your weight over your heels throughout; the safety squat bar should make this easier to accomplish.
Trainer’s Tips
The safety bar shifts the center of mass of the weight, taking some of the strain off of your lower back while forcing you to stay upright. You can handle high-volume leg work with the safety bar but be sure to focus on keeping your torso vertical.
