Pause Squat

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Intermediatesquat

Home Setup

Use a heavy backpack or weighted vest and perform goblet pause squats with a heavy object held at chest level, pausing for 3 seconds at the bottom

Heavy backpackFilled water jugsSandbagHeavy dumbbell or kettlebell

💡 Pro tip: Focus on maintaining tension during the pause by actively pushing knees out and keeping chest up rather than relaxing at the bottom

Gym Setup

Squat rack with adjustable safety bars set just below your pause depth, barbell loaded 60-80% of your 1RM back squat

Safety: Always use safety bars or spotters as the pause significantly increases difficulty; reduce weight by 20-30% compared to regular squats initially

💪 Muscles Worked

QuadricepsGlutesErector SpinaeAdductorsCore Stabilizers

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Pause squats eliminate the stretch reflex and force you to generate power from a dead stop, directly addressing the most common sticking point in competition squats. This variation builds tremendous strength out of the hole, improves positional awareness and control, and teaches proper tension maintenance throughout the entire range of motion.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Box Squat

barbell + squat rack + box or bench

Provides physical feedback for depth and allows brief deload of weight, easier to learn pause mechanics

2. Goblet Pause Squat

dumbbell or kettlebell

Lighter load with counterbalance makes it easier to maintain upright torso during pause

3. Tempo Squat (3-0-3)

barbell + squat rack

Builds time under tension without requiring a complete pause, easier to maintain tension

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Long Pause Squat (5+ seconds)

barbell + squat rack + weight plates

Extended pause time increases difficulty and builds greater isometric strength

2. Pause Squat with Chains

barbell + squat rack + chains + chain collars

Accommodating resistance makes the concentric portion harder while maintaining pause difficulty

3. Double Pause Squat

barbell + squat rack + weight plates

Two pauses (mid-depth and bottom) dramatically increase time under tension and control requirements

↕️ Similar Movements

Pin Squat

Similar dead-stop training but bar rests on pins, removes eccentric component entirely

Anderson Squat

Starts from bottom position on pins, trains same concentric strength without eccentric loading

Tempo Squat

Uses controlled eccentric and concentric speeds without pause, complementary time-under-tension work

Competition Squat

The primary movement this variation supports; pause squats directly improve competition performance

Front Pause Squat

Same pause principle with front rack position, emphasizes quad development and upright torso

Form Checklist

✓Descend with control, hit depth, then count '1-2-3' before driving up

✓Maintain active tension during pause - push knees out, chest up, core braced, don't relax

✓Keep weight balanced mid-foot throughout the pause, don't shift forward onto toes

✓Take a big breath at the top and hold it through the entire rep including the pause

✓Drive through the entire foot simultaneously coming out of the pause, don't let hips shoot up first

Common Mistakes

•Relaxing or 'sitting' into the pause instead of maintaining active tension throughout
•Using too much weight and cutting the pause short or not reaching proper depth
•Shifting weight forward onto toes during the pause, making it harder to drive out of the hole
•Losing upper back tightness during the pause, causing the chest to collapse forward
•Hips rising faster than shoulders out of the pause, creating a 'good morning' squat pattern

📈 When to Progress

When you can perform 3 sets of 3-5 reps with a 3-second pause at 70% of your regular squat 1RM while maintaining perfect position and tension throughout the pause, or when pause squats no longer feel significantly harder than regular squats at the same weight