Lower Body Workouts
The Squat, Supercharged
Learn about this crucial move, and then choose the right variation to reach your goal
By
The Editors of Men's Health
Image: Beth Bischoff
Back Squat
BEST FOR Functional Lower-Body Strength
Decades of sports science has correlated squat strength with speed, power, and athletic performance. With the back squat, you generate a lot of force through your leg muscles—so with practice, you'll be able to squat a lot of weight.
AVOID IF You've had back pain or injury. The bar on your shoulders compresses your disks.
RANK
Force: 3 out of 4
Quadriceps: 1 out of 4
Hamstrings: 3 out of 4
VIDEO: Watch how to perform the perfect back squat