Legs · Barbell
Barbell High Bar Squat
How to do the barbell high bar squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Rack a barbell high across your traps and grip it firmly. Unrack, then squat straight down keeping your torso tall and chest up to at least parallel, and drive through your heels to stand.
- 1Your quads and glutes working as you sit down between your hips
- 2The bar resting solid on your traps with an upright torso
- 3Your heels driving the floor away on the way up
Common mistakes
- Letting your knees cave in or chest drop forward
- Losing tension in your upper back under the bar
- Coming up onto your toes out of the bottom
Muscles worked
The barbell high bar squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell high bar squat for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.