Six Best Alternatives to the King of Exercises (The Back Squat)

I’m not one to proclaim that you HAVE to do any one exercise. Yes, the barbell back squat is the “King of Exercises” and I’m as big a fan of the move as anyone. But if for whatever reason you don’t want to do back squats and/or you feel that doing them increases your risk of injury to an extent you’re not comfortable with, then don’t do squats in the traditional sense.

I do strongly recommend, however, that you include some form of squatting motion in your training program on a regular (at least weekly) basis, as it’s a fundamental movement not only in the realm of training and athletics, but in real life as well.

I know barbell squats can be tough on people’s lower backs and knees – trust me, I’ve had some major back issues myself. But there are many different squatting variations that can relieve the strain on these vulnerable areas and provide a stimulus to the glutes, quads, hamstrings, core and the rest of the body comparable to putting a barbell on your back and banging out reps.

Below are six such exercises. Plug any one of these moves into your leg routine or any of my featured programs where “squat” shows up and you can reap (mostly) the same strength and muscle-building benefits offered by the “king.” (Note: To see photos of the movements, simply click on the exercise name of the one you want to see.)

SQUAT ALTERNATIVE #1: FRONT SQUAT

Why It’s Sub Worthy: It’s still a barbell squat, but the position of the bar on the front of the shoulders makes a huge difference. First off, front squats place a higher proportion of tension on the quads versus the glutes as compared to back squats, so it’s a great exercise for anyone looking to bring up his or her thighs. But more importantly for those with lower back issues, front squats force the torso to remain more upright than do back squats (otherwise the bar will fall forward and drop to the floor), thus relieving some of the strain on the spine.

How To Do It: Stand inside a power rack with a barbell resting across your front delts and upper chest. Cross your arms over your chest to build a “shelf” for the bar, unrack it and step back to clear the rack. (Feel free to use a clean/rack grip if that’s your preference.) Keep your chest up and back flat, eyes focused forward. With your abs tight, bend your knees and hips as if to sit in a chair until your thighs are past parallel with the floor. Reverse direction by driving through your heels and pressing your hips forward.

Extra Point: For a great leg routine that features front squats instead of back squats, check out this downloadable workout. You'll also notice a couple other exercises from this article (#2 and #5 below) in the workout.

SQUAT ALTERNATIVE #2: BARBELL HACK SQUAT

Why It’s Sub Worthy: At first glance, this exercise may look a bit odd, like I’m doing a deadlift the wrong way – because the bar is behind my legs instead of in front. But this is by design; in fact, the barbell hack squat has been around for many decades, a lot longer than the hack squat machine you see at most commercial gyms these days. What I like about this move is that, because the weight is behind you, there’s less strain placed on the lower back compared to a standard deadlift because you’re not forced to lean so far forward – the hack squat makes it much easier to keep your weight back over your heels, just as you’d want it be when doing a regular barbell squat. This is a key benefit for anyone with lower back issues (like myself).

How

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