Barbell Pin Squat
- Target muscle
- —
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Body part
- Thighs
- Type
- Strength
The barbell pin squat is a strength exercise for the thighs in which you squat down until the bar rests on the safety pins at a set depth, pause in a full dead-stop, then drive back up. It primarily works the quadriceps, with the glutes and hamstrings assisting. Because the dead-stop kills the stretch reflex out of the bottom, it builds raw starting strength and exposes any weak point in your squat.
How to do the Barbell Pin Squat
- 1Set the safety pins in a power rack at the height that matches the squat depth you want to train, then position the barbell on the supports at upper-chest height.
- 2Step under the bar and rest it across your upper back (high-bar) or rear delts (low-bar), gripping it firmly just outside shoulder-width.
- 3Unrack the bar, take one or two steps back, and set your feet around shoulder-width with your toes turned slightly out.
- 4Brace your core, keep your chest up, and squat down under control until the bar settles fully onto the pins.
- 5Relax the downward drive for a moment so the bar sits dead on the pins, releasing all stretch and bounce out of the bottom.
- 6From the dead-stop, drive your feet into the floor and stand the bar back up explosively until your hips and knees are fully extended.
- 7Reset your brace at the top, then lower into the next rep.
- 8Once you finish your reps, step forward and re-rack the bar onto the supports with control.
Form tips
- Set the pins to the exact depth you want to overload — a touch above parallel for raw strength, or at full depth to attack your sticking point.
- Keep tension in your whole body while the bar rests on the pins; stay braced rather than fully collapsing so you can explode off the dead-stop.
- Lower under control to the pins instead of dropping onto them, which protects your spine and keeps the rep honest.
- Always train inside a power rack with the safety pins set, and use a spotter when working close to your limit on this heavy free-weight lift.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing or rebounding off the pins, which reintroduces the stretch reflex and defeats the whole point of the dead-stop.
- Letting the torso pitch forward and the hips shoot up first out of the bottom, shifting load off the quads and stressing the lower back.
- Setting the pins too low and losing your brace at the bottom, so you collapse instead of staying tight for the drive up.
- Letting the knees cave inward as you press out of the dead-stop, which strains the knees and leaks power.
- Crashing the bar down onto the pins rather than lowering it under control, jarring the spine and the rack.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the barbell pin squat work?
It is a thigh exercise that primarily works the quadriceps, with the glutes and hamstrings assisting as you stand the bar back up out of the dead-stop.
What is the point of squatting to pins?
Resting the bar on the pins creates a full dead-stop that removes the stretch reflex and any bounce out of the bottom, so each rep starts from a standstill. That builds starting strength and trains your weakest position in the squat.
How is a pin squat different from a normal squat?
A normal squat uses the elastic rebound at the bottom to help you stand up. The pin squat eliminates that rebound by pausing the bar dead on the safety pins, making the concentric drive harder and more honest.
How wide should my stance be?
About shoulder-width with your toes turned slightly out works for most lifters. Adjust until you can reach the pin depth comfortably while keeping your heels down and knees tracking over your toes.
Is the barbell pin squat good for beginners?
It is best once you are comfortable with a regular barbell squat, since it loads a dead-stop position. Start light, set the pins inside a power rack, and add weight gradually.
