by Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN

It’s safe to say that most people have a love/hate relationship with leg day. You know that getting under the bar and doing barbell squats is going to have you crawling up stairs and rethinking your life decision.

But… we also know that we can’t skip leg day or barbell squats.

Sure, you can do hack squats, pendulum squats, leg press and just about any other leg exercise or machine in the gym, but there’s nothing that seems to quite compare to our beloved barbell squats.

After all, the gym bros always want to know your numbers on the main lifts, and barbell squats just happen to be one of them.

Despite the pain and DOMS that follow, there are actually some valid reasons why you can’t skip barbell squats on leg day.

In this article, we will dive deeper and discuss the benefits of barbell squats and why there’s no running away from them on leg day.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. You should speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.

Which Muscles to Barbell Squats Work?

Barbell squats are one of the most important compound movements, and here’s why:

• Quadriceps: A group of four muscles, including rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and last but not least, the vastus intermedius.
• Glutes: Consisting of gluteus maximum, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus.
• Hamstrings: Consisting of the biceps femoris (long and short head), semitendinosus, and semimembranosus.
• Calves: With two major muscles-the gastrocnemius and the soleus.
• Core: Includes muscles such as the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques, and the erector spinae.

6 Reasons Why Barbell Squats Are Essential to Your Leg Day

Barbell squats are one of the most unique exercises for your lower body and help you achieve goals with such rapidity that other lower body exercises just can’t catch up with.

They allow the skeletal muscles to develop, burn fat, and build lower body strength.

Below are some of the benefits that make barbell squats an absolute necessity:

1.     Builds strength

For powerlifters, success in squats equates to success in their lifting in a huge way. It maximizes the building of lower body strength, as one-third of the powerlifting movement is a squat movement.

A 2016 study proved that a barbell squat was more effective in building lower body strength than a leg press.

However, people fail to understand as they look at plates on a leg press machine with rose-tinted glasses that being able to press more doesn’t equate to more strength, and it’s mostly an ego boost.

2.     Burns calories

It’s only logical that when so many muscles are activated and working together at a high intensity, cardiac functioning increases, helping you burn calories and creating a caloric deficit that later translates to fat loss.

3.     Improves athleticism

It’s a common exercise in strength training and helps improve the performance of any athlete in their respective sport. Conditioning your body to the process and outcome of the barbell squat helps athletes push boundaries.

So, whether you are a track athlete looking to enhance your top speed or a basketball player who wishes to increase your vertical jump height, consistent barbell squatting is the way to a better version of yourself and your abilities.

4.     Efficient use of time

Due to the time constraints of a busy lifestyle, not everyone has the luxury of opting for a long and stretched-out leg day (and not that it even sounds like fun — more like punishment).

In that case, barbell squats are an efficient use of gym time, as you can center your entire leg day around this exercise with almost guaranteed gains.

Barbell squats cover all your bases as they train your hamstrings, glutes, abductors, and core, and at the same time, your hip, knee, and ankle joints go through a full range of motion.

5.     Prevents injuries

While most gym rats focus on the muscle-building aspect of barbell squats, very few also consider what it does in the grand scheme of things. A stronger lower body ensures that we can lift with the correct form and balance.

The American Council on Exercise also says that working the tendons, ligaments, and joints prevents injuries in these tender areas when lifting heavy objects.

6.     Builds core strength

A strong core helps us in our daily lives. From regular functions like turning, bending, and standing for long hours, a strong core also helps us improve our posture.

A study conducted in 2018 found that core strength was better developed in a squat than a plank. A strong core developed with consistent squatting helps you to stay away from lower back injuries.

Things You Should Remember When You Perform Barbell Squats

While barbell squats can almost guarantee gains and, in all honesty, are amongst the favorites of a lot of IFBB pros, here are the things you should remember:

• Lower yourself only as far as you are comfortable
• Stand on a solid base
• Avoid rounding of shoulders and the back
• Don’t forget to tighten your core

While there are other measures to ensure, if you follow these, you will have a very brutalizing and effective leg day.