Smith Chair Squat
Learn how to perform Smith Chair Squat, a Legs exercise, with setup, breathing and common mistakes.
Smith Chair Squat · Preview
Setup
Place a chair or box behind you, set the bar on your shoulders, and fix your foot position. Keep your torso strong and treat the support as a guide for consistent depth.
Start phase
Send your hips back and lower slowly. Control your speed so you do not fully rest on the box and your quads and glutes keep working.
End phase
Lightly touch the box, then immediately drive through your feet to rise. Stand using your lower-body strength without momentum or leaning on the box.
Target muscles
Check that your quads and glutes keep working through the same depth each rep. The controlled depth makes this useful for learning your bottom position.
Common mistakes
Putting your weight on the box and resting breaks muscle tension. Use it only as a light touchpoint and control the descent all the way.
Breathing
Inhale as you lower and exhale as you rise. Matching your breath helps keep your torso stable at the lowest point.
Coach tip
Adjust the box height gradually to find your reference depth. Once you can repeat that depth consistently, your form will stay steadier as you add weight.
