Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBarbell
- MechanicsCompound
- Force TypePush (Bilateral)
- Experience LevelIntermediate
- Secondary Muscles
Abs, Adductors, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip Flexors, Lower Back
Target Muscle Group
Quads
Narrow Stance High Bar Back Squat Overview
The narrow stance high bar squat is a variation of the high bar squat used to focus on building bigger and stronger quads.
As a member of the squat “family”, the narrow stance high bar squat is an excellent and complete leg builder you can add to your leg workout.
The narrow stance high bar squat is a variation generally used to help people maintain a more upright position during the squat movement while emphasizing a push through the quads to complete the movement.
The narrow stance and bar positioning used for narrow stance high bar squats isn’t for anyone. Experiment with your squatting technique to find the perfect squat variation for you.
Narrow Stance High Bar Back Squat Instructions
- Position the bar just below shoulder level and adjust the safety stops right above knee height.
- Place your pinkies on the smooth ring of the barbell.
- Get under the bar and position at the base of your traps looking straight ahead.
- Unrack the bar, take 2-3 steps back and position your feet just inside of shoulder width.
- Take a deep breath and keep your elbows in line with your torso.
- Descend by simultaneously pushing the hips back and bending the knees.
- Once your thighs reach parallel with the floor, begin to reverse the movement.
- Keep your abs braced and drive your feet through the floor.
- Finish the lift by exhaling as you fully extend the hips and knees.
Narrow Stance High Bar Back Squat Tips
- Toe angle is highly individual - experiment to see what feels best for you.
- Bend the bar over your back by pulling it down into your traps.
- Experiment with a “false” (i.e. thumbless) grip as this helps to eliminate elbow and wrist issues in some folks.
- Drive through the whole foot - you want 3 points of contact: big toe, little toe, and heel.
- Imagine you’re trying to drop your back pockets straight towards your heels. Down, not back.
- Some forward translation of the knees over the toes is alright provided that the knees don’t deviate excessively inward or outward. Those with longer femurs will have to allow their knees to come farther forward if they want to remain upright.
- Drive your traps into the bar and try to squeeze your elbows in towards your body as you reverse the movement out of the hole.
- Neck position is highly individual as well - some prefer a neutral neck position (i.e. keeping the chin tucked throughout the lift) while others do well with looking straight ahead. Experiment with each and see which one works best for your anatomy.
- Low bar positioning will require the lifter to sit back into the hips with more forward lean at the torso to recruit the posterior chain more effectively.
- Don’t push the knees out excessively but ensure they track roughly over or slightly outside the 2nd toe.
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