Quads
Anderson Squat
The Anderson Squat is a strength exercise with a barbell for your quads. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: gluteus maximus 20%, quads (vastus lateralis) 18% and quads (vastus medialis) 14%.
Also known as: pin squat
How to do it
- Set the safety pins in a rack so the bar sits at your bottom squat depth and rest a loaded bar on them.
- Squat down under the bar, set it on your upper back and grip it just outside your shoulders.
- Set your feet shoulder-width apart, brace hard and tighten your upper back against the bar.
- Drive up from a dead stop until you are standing tall with hips and knees locked out.
- Lower the bar under control back onto the pins, let it settle, and reset before the next rep.
Tips
- Build full-body tension before you push: the bar should not jerk off the pins.
- Keep the chest up so the hips and shoulders rise together.
Common mistakes
- Setting the pins too low so the start position rounds the lower back.
- Dropping the bar onto the pins instead of lowering it.
- Letting the hips shoot up first out of the bottom.
Muscles worked by the Anderson Squat
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Knees and hips flex and extend together under load: the vasti and glute max are the prime movers, the adductors extend the hip from the bottom, and the erectors hold the torso.
Anderson Squat alternatives
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Anderson Squat work?
Mainly the gluteus maximus, quads (vastus lateralis) and quads (vastus medialis). The adductors, spinal erectors (lower back) and quads (rectus femoris) assist.
Is the Anderson Squat good for beginners?
The Anderson Squat is rated advanced. If you are new, learn the Hatfield Squat first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Anderson Squat?
For example the Band Squat, Cable Squat and Double Pause Squat. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
Sources
- Escamilla 2001, MSSE 33(1):127-141 (knee biomechanics of the squat)
- Kubo et al. 2019, Eur J Appl Physiol 119(9):1933-1942 (squat depth and adductors)
- Gullett et al. 2009, JSCR 23(1):284-292 (front vs back squat)
Log your sets in Zulta
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