The pause squat removes the elastic rebound at the bottom of the squat, forcing the muscles to produce force from a dead stop. It exposes and strengthens weaknesses in the hole — the hardest part of the squat.
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Form Guide
Step-by-step: Pause Squat
1Execute the squat exactly as you normally would.
2At the bottom, pause completely for 2–3 seconds — do not relax. Maintain full brace.
3Drive up from the paused position.
Common Mistakes
What most people get wrong
Relaxing the brace during the pause: you should feel the muscles working harder during the pause, not taking a break.
Too long a pause: 2–3 seconds is standard. Longer approaches a specialized lift variation.
Programming
How to program the Pause Squat
3–4 sets of 3–5 reps at 75–80% of your squat 1RM. Use for 4–6 weeks to address bottom-of-squat weakness. The pause squat is a training tool, not a long-term competition lift.