Major muscles involved: Gluteus maximus, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, iliopsoas
Starting position (athlete):
Step under bar, feet parallel.
Grasp bar with closed, pronated grip.
Place bar in balanced position on upper back/shoulders.
Elbows up to create shelf using upper back and shoulder muscles.
Hold chest up and out, head slightly up.
Signal spotter, lift bar.
Take two or three steps backward.
Starting position (spotter):
Stand close but do not distract athlete.
Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly flexed.
At athlete’s signal, assist with lift-off and walk backward with athlete.
Hands near athlete’s hips, waist, or torso.
Forward movement phase (athlete):
Take one exaggerated step forward.
Keep torso erect, allow trailing knee to slightly flex.
Plant lead foot flat, pointing straight ahead/slightly inward.
Forward movement phase (spotter):
Step forward with same leg as athlete.
Keep lead foot aligned with athlete’s.
Plant lead foot 12–18 inches behind athlete’s.
Flex lead knee, torso erect.
Hands near hips, waist, or torso.
Assist only if necessary.
Backward movement phase (athlete):
Backward movement phase (spotter):
Push backward with same leg in unison.
Bring foot next to trailing foot without stutter-step.
Pause, alternate legs, assist if needed to re-rack bar.
Major muscles involved: Gluteus maximus, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, rectus femoris
Starting position (athlete):
Use a 12–18 inch (30–46 cm) box to reach 90° knee angle.
Grasp bar with closed, pronated grip.
Step under bar, feet parallel.
Bar in balanced position on back.
Elbows up, chest up, head up.
Signal spotter, lift bar.
Move near front of box.
Starting position (spotter):
Stand close but not distracting.
Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly flexed.
At signal, assist with lift-off.
Walk with athlete to position.
Hands near hips, waist, or torso.
Upward movement phase (athlete):
Step up with lead leg to place foot on top of box.
Keep torso erect.
Trailing foot stays in start position, shift weight to lead leg.
Extend hip and knee to stand fully on box.
Upward movement phase (spotter):
Take small step forward with lead leg.
As athlete steps up, bring trailing leg near.
Hands close to hips/waist.
Assist only if needed.
Downward movement phase (athlete):
Shift body weight to lead leg.
Step off box with trailing leg.
Maintain erect torso.
Place trailing foot at same distance as start.
Shift weight to trailing leg.
Step off box with lead leg.
Downward movement phase (spotter):
Step back with the same leg as the athlete.
As athlete steps down, step back with opposite leg.
Pause in start position.
Assist only if needed.
Major muscles involved: Gluteus maximus, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, erector spinae
Starting position:
Grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip.
Step under the bar and position the feet parallel to each other.
Place the bar in a balanced position on the upper back and shoulders above the posterior deltoids at the base of the neck (using a handgrip only slightly wider than shoulder-width).
Lift the elbows up to create a “shelf” for the bar using the upper back and shoulder muscles.
Hold the chest up and out.
Tilt the head slightly up.
Position the feet shoulder-width apart (or wider), even with each other, with the toes pointed slightly outward.
Extend the hips and knees to lift the bar off the supports.
Take two or three steps backward.
All repetitions begin from this position.
Downward movement phase:
Begin the exercise by slowly permitting the hips to flex. The buttocks should move straight back during the descent.
Maintain a neutral spine and high elbow position; do not round the upper back during the descent.
Keep the knees slightly flexed and the feet flat on the floor during the descent.
Continue the downward movement until the torso is approximately parallel to the floor.
Upward movement phase:
Raise the bar by extending the hips.
Keep the back neutral and the knees slightly flexed during the ascent.
Continue extending the hips to reach the starting position.
At the end of the set, step toward the rack and place the bar in the supports.
Major muscles involved: Gluteus maximus, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, rectus femoris
Starting position:
Stand with the feet flat and placed between hip- and shoulder-width apart with the toes pointed slightly outward. \
Squat down with the hips lower than the shoulders (farther than shown in the first photo), and grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip. If the load is too heavy to hold the bar with a pronated grip, change to a closed, alternated grip.
Place the hands on the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, outside of the knees, with the elbows fully extended.
Place the feet flat on the floor and position the bar approximately 1 inch (3 cm) in front of the shins and over the balls of the feet.
Position the body with the:
back neutral or slightly arched,
scapulae depressed and retracted,
chest held up and out,
head in line with the vertebral column or slightly hyperextended,
heels in contact with the floor,
shoulders over or slightly in front of the bar, and
eyes focused straight ahead or slightly upward.
All repetitions begin from this position.
Upward movement phase:
Lift the bar off the floor by extending the hips and knees.
Keep the torso-to-floor angle constant; do not let the hips rise before the shoulders.
Maintain a neutral spine position.
Keep the elbows fully extended and the shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar.
As the bar is raised, keep it as close to the shins as possible.
As the bar rises just above the knees, keep the shoulders over the bar and extend the hips to keep the bar close to the body.
Continue to extend the hips and knees until the body reaches a fully erect torso position.
Downward movement phase:
Allow the hips and knees to flex to slowly lower the bar to the floor.
Maintain the neutral spine position; do not flex the torso forward.
Major muscles involved: Gluteus maximus, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, erector spinae
Starting position:
After performing the deadlift exercise to lift the bar off the floor, slightly to moderately flex the knees and keep them in this position throughout this exercise.
All repetitions begin from this position.
Downward movement phase:
Begin the exercise by forming a neutral spine; then flex at the hips to lower the bar slowly, and under full control, toward the floor.
Keep the knees in the same slightly or moderately flexed position with the back neutral or slightly arched and the elbows fully extended during the descent.
Lower the bar until the plates touch the floor, the back cannot be held in the neutral position, the knees fully extend, or the heels rise off the floor.
Upward movement phase:
Extend at the hips to return to the standing starting position.
Keep the knees slightly flexed and the torso in a neutral spine position.
Do not jerk the torso backward or flex the elbows.
Major muscles involved: Gluteus maximus, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, erector spinae
Starting position:
Place the hands on the bar in a closed, pronated position using either a clean or snatch grip.
After performing the deadlift exercise to lift the bar off the floor, slightly to moderately flex the knees and keep them in this position throughout this exercise.
All repetitions begin from this position.
Downward movement phase:
Begin the exercise by flexing the hips and pushing them backward, allowing the torso to move forward, keeping the bar in contact with the thighs.
Keep the knees slightly flexed as the hips flex.
Maintain a rigid torso, neutral spine, and keep the shoulders retracted until the barbell is aligned with the patella tendon and the torso is parallel to floor. (Note: If using a snatch grip with this exercise, the torso will be slightly below parallel, depending on the athlete’s anthropometrics.)
Keep a normal lordotic position throughout the movement.
Upward movement phase:
Extend the hips, raising the torso back to the starting standing position.
Keep the knees slightly flexed and the torso in a neutral spine position.
Make sure the barbell maintains contact with the thighs throughout the movement.
Do not hyperextend the back or flex the elbows.
Major muscles involved: Vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, rectus femoris
Starting position:
Sit down in the machine and press the back firmly against the back pad.
Place the feet behind and in contact with the roller pad.
Position the legs parallel to each other.
Align the knees with the axis of the machine. If necessary, adjust the back pad or the roller pad to position the legs correctly.
Grasp the handles or the sides of the seat.
All repetitions begin from this position.
Upward movement phase:
Raise the roller pad by fully extending the knees.
Keep the torso erect and the back firmly pressed against the back pad.
Keep the thighs, lower legs, and feet parallel to each other.
Maintain a tight grip on the handles or the sides of the seat.
Do not forcefully lock out the knees.
Downward movement phase:
Allow the knees to slowly flex back to the starting position.
Keep the torso erect and the back firmly pressed against the back pad.
Keep the thighs, lower legs, and feet parallel to each other.
Do not allow the buttocks to lift off the seat.
Maintain a tight grip on the handles or the sides of the seat.
Major muscles involved: Semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris
Starting position:
Sit down in the machine and press the back firmly against the back pad.
Place the ankles on top of and in contact with the roller pad.
Position the legs parallel to each other.
Align the knees with the axis of the machine. If necessary, adjust the back pad to position the legs correctly.
Grasp the handles or the sides of the seat.
All repetitions begin from this position.
Downward movement phase:
Curl the roller pad below the seat by fully flexing the knees.
Keep the torso stationary and the hips and torso firmly pressed against the pads.
Do not allow the hips or low back to lift off the pads.
Maintain a tight grip on the handles or the sides of the seat.
Upward movement phase:
Allow the knees to slowly extend back to the starting position.
Keep the torso stationary and the hips and low back firmly pressed against the pads.
Maintain a tight grip on the handles or the sides of the seat.
Do not forcefully lock out the knees.
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