Dumbbell Squat To A Bench
Trains the Quads.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and either a flat bench or an adjustable bench
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Set a bench behind you at a height that puts your thighs at or just below parallel when seated.
- Stand in front of it holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- Set your feet about shoulder-width apart with the toes slightly out.
- Squat down under control until your backside touches the bench.
- Touch without sitting, keeping the chest up and the trunk braced.
- Drive back up through the whole foot.
Common mistakes
- Sitting down between repetitions. The touch is a depth marker; taking the load off the legs makes each repetition a fresh start from a dead position, which is a different exercise.
- Letting the dumbbells pull the shoulders forward. They hang at the sides, so the torso should stay upright — rounding forward is usually the grip tiring rather than the legs.
- Reaching back with the hips to find the bench. The hips travel back as part of the squat, not as a search; if you have to reach, the bench is too far behind.
- Choosing it as an easier squat and then stopping short. The bench is what makes the depth honest, and a bench set high removes the only advantage it has.