A beginner’s guide to the squat rack

do squats This is standard advice for getting stronger, and if you’re interested in working with a barbell, the talk usually starts with “do barbell squats.”However how Are you really ready for squats? Today, I’m going to walk you through the steps in a way that even a complete beginner can understand, and cover a few things that even experienced gym-goers often overlook. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be using the squat rack in less than 60 seconds.

What is a squat rack?

There are several types of squat stands, racks and cages. I won’t go into their differences except that I’m looking for the following.

• Hook for holding the barbell at shoulder level
• Place the bar or other horizontal support lower, about mid-thigh, for safety

There are also squat stands that have no safety device and only hooks.These work fine If you know how to bail safely (How to drop the bar back without injuring yourself). But we talk about safety for that kind.

Some squat racks have two upright posts, each with one hook and one safety arm. Others are cages with four posts (often called squat cages, power cages, or power racks). The hooks are on two posts and point inwards towards the cage. The safety device is a bar, strap, or chain suspended between the front and rear posts on each side.

these are all hook When safetywhich is the important part.

First, adjust or select your hook

The barbell starts at the hook, so the hook should be at the proper height. To begin the squat, place your feet under the bar, your shoulders touching the bar, and your hips under the bar.. at this point, The bar is superimposed over your hips on your legs. My hips and knees are bent. Next, hold the bar with your hips and knees straight as if you were doing a mini squat.

Importantly, At this point the bar should be off the hookIf you hit or graze the hook when backing up, the hook is too high. If you have to go on your toes to avoid hitting the hook, the hook is too high. If you’re somewhere between heights where one setting is too high and another is too low, use what you think is too lowIf you share the rack with others, set the hooks to a height suitable for short people.

Here are some typical ways to get your hooks to the right height.

• If your upright is a tall post with holes in the front and back, and the hook is a “J-Cup”, rotate the J-Cup to the side (along the pin that holds the J-Cup in the hole) . Once rotated, you can pull it out and put it back in another hole.
• Some racks have another mechanism to lock the hooks in place. For example, a pin is inserted into the hook from the back. It’s usually hard to understand just by looking at it, but if you don’t understand it, ask someone.
• If the upright has different hooks and they don’t move, don’t adjust the hooks. Just pick the one you want to use.

this video Here’s a trick for moving J-cups without completely removing the bar from the rack.I would No We recommend doing this with a fully loaded bar (at least not on your first day at the gym). But this is a good way to adjust the hooks on an empty bar and shows what I mean about rotating and moving J-cups. they.

If your hook is set up properly for a squat, it will usually be a few inches below your shoulders, perhaps mid-chest level.

Then put the barbell on the hook

Well, I need a bar to squat on! Power bars or Olympic bars are typical choices. Women’s Olympic bars are lighter (15 kg instead of 20 kg) but made to fit in standard size racks. Other types of bars, such as curl bars, do not fit in standard racks. Don’t try to make any of these work.

Once the bar is hooked, get under it so you can walk safely without shrugging or tipping over. Now would be a good time for him to do a squat exercise or two. Either way, you’ll want to do an empty bar squat as part of your warm-up, but more importantly, you’ll need to do another set-up step.

Set safety

This is the part that many people forget. Safety is important for two reasons. one is safe: iIf you get to the bottom of your squat and can’t get up, you can rest the bar on the safety or drop it a few inches above the safety. You may hear a loud “chunk” sound.’ But at least it doesn’t fall on your body.

Another important reason is that you can confidently sink fully into a squat without fear of getting stuck in the squat. know You can lower the bar of safety. Beginners often have an undue fear of failing, and this can prevent them from gaining weight confidently as they get stronger. Take your time setting up your safety.

Racks with only two posts can be fitted with safety devices in a manner similar to J-cups. In such cases, Secondary pin through safety, in addition to the main one to use when adjusting it.if you conduct If you need to drop weight quickly, it’s this secondary pin that takes most of the weight.

In cages with four posts, the safety is usually a bar that goes through both the front and back posts. There may be an inner tube and an outer tube. In other cases the safety may be a strap or chain rather than a bar. Again, if you can’t find it after looking, ask someone. sThe same applies if the cage seems to have no safety at all. The cage has a safety and that’s kind of the pointHowever, they are sometimes deleted or misplaced. Look around, ask around.

The proper height for the safety equipment is just below the lowest point the barbell reaches when squatting. This is why practicing squats with an empty barbell is so important. Hitting safety at every rep is too expensive.

Don’t forget to practice bailing. In an empty bar, squat down completely and pretend you’ll never get up again. lower the bar. Too low and it will be difficult to do this. Find the right height before putting the bar back on the hook and loading it in for the next set.

Unfortunately some racks have one fixed safety bar. If this isn’t the right height for you, you’re kind of out of luck. If that doesn’t work, see if your gym has another rack that fits you.

Head to the bar and back off

Now that your hooks and safety gear are properly aligned, it’s time to squat! Face the bar, place your hands roughly where you want them, and bend your head under the bar. Set your shoulders and line up your feet under the bar, then bring your hips under the bar. Brace yourself and stand up.

Take a step back, then take another step with the other foot. The bar is far enough off the hook and ready for squats. (You can also do a third step to make sure your feet are in the correct position if you like. No need to do more.)

The reason I step back when I prepare for squats is because after the set: we can walk Forward To replace the rack barThen you can congratulate yourself on your successful squat set. BTW, before you go :MMake a note in your training journal of the settings you used for hooks and safety. (Many racks have numbers by the holes.) This will help you set up faster next time.