Legs · Barbell
Buffalo Bar Squat
How to do the buffalo 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
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground, keeping your chest up. Drive through your heels to return to standing.
- 1With the buffalo bar resting comfortably across your shoulders, sit back and down so you feel your glutes and quads working
- 2The bar's curve should allow a stable position across your upper back; maintain even pressure
- 3Drive through your heels and keep your knees tracking over your toes as you rise
Common mistakes
- Don't let your knees cave inward or lean too far forward during the squat
- Avoid collapsing your chest or losing tension in your upper back
- Don't allow the bar to roll or shift, keep it secure across your shoulders
Muscles worked
The buffalo bar squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Buffalo Bar Squat strength standards
See how your buffalo bar squat ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM155 lb
Silvere1RM225 lb
Golde1RM307.5 lb
Platinume1RM392.5 lb
Diamonde1RM442.5 lb
Champione1RM482.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the buffalo 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 April 2026.