Primary muscle
legs
Equipment
barbell
Secondary muscles
glutes, back
Start standing with the bar at hip height, feet hip width apart. Soften your knees slightly and keep them there. This is a hip hinge, not a squat. Push your hips back and let the bar travel down the front of your legs, staying close to your body. Descend until you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, usually around mid shin, without rounding your lower back. Drive your hips forward to return to standing. Common mistakes: bending the knees to turn it into a deadlift, letting the bar drift away from the legs, and rounding the lower back to chase depth.