Safety Notes

• Use a power rack and safety spotters, especially when lifting heavy.
• Ensure proper foot spacing to maintain balance and avoid knee strain.
• If balance is an issue, start with bodyweight or dumbbells.

Spotting

Stand close behind the lifter. Place hands under the bar or on the lifter's torso if necessary, ready to assist upward on the concentric phase.

Common Mistakes

• Leaning excessively far forward over the front knee.
• Allowing the front knee to collapse inward.
• Using too short of a stance, limiting range of motion.
• Bouncing the back knee off the floor.

• Acute knee or hip joint pain.
• Severe balance limitations.

• Adequate hip flexor length on the back leg.
• Ankle dorsiflexion mobility in the front leg.

Build Up First

• Competency with the bodyweight split squat.
• Ability to brace the core under axial load.