The back squat refers to a squat in which the bar is held on the upper back, behind the neck. This dynamic exercise involves several muscles in the legs, lower back, butt and abdomen. The squat is a simple and effective exercise for building strength in the lower body and providing the foundational strength needed to perform more complicated movements, such as cleans.
Back Squat Technique
Set up a barbell on a rack about chest height. Bend your knees enough to position the bar behind your neck on your shoulder blades. Hold the bar with your hands just wider than shoulder width apart. Step back and take a wide stance. Flex your knees and lower your hips down as if taking an imaginary seat. Make sure to keep your back as erect as possible and keep your abdominal muscles contracted.
Prime Movers
The prime movers, or agonists, for the back squat are the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, hip flexors and calves. Prime movers serve to initiate the movement under their own contraction. Antagonists, on the other hand, resist the force of the prime movers and allow the limb to return to its starting position.
Primary Target
The primary target muscles, or the muscle group most involved in the particular movement, for the back squat are the quadriceps. The quadriceps refer to long muscles that run the length of the top of each thigh. The quadriceps are responsible for extending the lower leg and flexing the hip, and these muscles play a central role in almost every athletic movement involving the legs.
Synergists and Stabilizers
Synergists are muscles that assist the prime movers accomplish their intended outcome. During the back squat, the gluteus, and small muscles in the thigh and calves assist the quadriceps. Stabilizers are muscles that provide extra support to the joints involved in the movement, without contracting on their own. The erector spinae, or the muscles that run the length of the spine, provide postural support to the spine during the back squat.
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