Pause Back Squat (Barbell)
The Pause Back Squat is a barbell strength exercise where you descend into a squat, hold the bottom position for a set duration, and then explode up. This variation eliminates momentum to build starting strength, improve depth consistency, and target the quadriceps and glutes.
Pause squats tax the central nervous system significantly due to the loss of the stretch reflex; the AI analyzes your daily HRV and sleep data to determine if your recovery status supports this high-intensity variation or if a standard tempo is safer today. By monitoring your RPE and bar speed indirectly through performance inputs, the app can adjust the pause duration in real-time to ensure you are building explosive power without compromising your form or risking injury.
Form Cues
- Brace your core tightly before descending
- Squat down until thighs are parallel to the floor
- Stay completely motionless for the full pause duration
- Drive violently upward from the dead stop
- Keep your chest up and back flat throughout
- Don't bounce or use momentum to stand up
- Don't relax your core or legs during the pause
- Don't let your knees collapse inward
- Don't exhale your air while at the bottom
Common Mistakes
- Counting the pause too fast
- Bouncing out of the hole
- Losing back tightness at the bottom
- Shifting weight onto toes
- Rising hips faster than chest
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the quadriceps and glutes, forcing them to generate force from a dead stop without the aid of the elastic stretch reflex. It also places significant demand on the core and erector spinae to maintain a stable, upright torso while under static load at the weakest point of the movement.
Primary
Secondary
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