Jefferson Squat
Trains the Quads.
- Equipment
- A barbell
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
- Set a loaded barbell on the floor and straddle it so it runs between your legs, one foot ahead of the other.
- Turn the front foot out and the back foot out, so you stand at an angle across the bar.
- Squat down and take the bar with one hand in front of you and one behind.
- Set your back flat and your chest up, with the bar roughly under your hips.
- Stand up by driving through both legs, keeping the bar travelling straight.
- Lower under control, then swap which foot leads for the next set.
Common mistakes
- Never swapping sides. The stance is asymmetric by definition, so a set led by one foot loads the two hips differently — matching sets each way is not optional here.
- Letting the torso rotate toward the front hand. The bar wants to turn you; holding the shoulders square across it is a large part of the work.
- Loading it like a squat or a deadlift. It is neither, the grip is awkward, and the balance is unusual — the weight is what you can keep square rather than what your legs can lift.
- Starting with it as a main lift. It is a strongman and old-time lifting movement with a real learning curve, and the position is worth rehearsing empty.