Traditionally there are two types of Rack Squats, both of which are underused in my opinion. The first variation of the Rack Squat involves lowering the bar down to the pins inside of a power cage and pausing for just a few seconds then exploding back up with the weight. The second variation is the harder variation (and utilized even less) and involves starting the lift with the bar resting on the pins. Both have value under the right circumstance. The first variation of the lift we shall just call the Rack Squat which is differentiated in namesake from the second variation: the Dead-Stop Rack Squat. In this article we will look solely at the first variation of the Rack Squat where the bar is actively lowered to the pins on each rep.
By and large the Rack Squat has been driven out of mainstream use due to the popularity of the box squat which accomplishes a very similar purpose. Both the
pins and the box can be set to a predetermined height so that the trainee has a quantitative indicator of where he/she should pause with the weight. Any sort of paused squat variation can be useful in developing power out of the hole on a traditional squat that utilizes a hard stretch reflex. Take the stretch reflex away, the lift gets harder, and hopefully you get stronger. It generally does work.
HOWEVER, it has been my experience in my own training and in the training of my clients that box squats do not always have carryover for the raw lifter. It isn’t that box squats don’t work to get the lifter stronger, they do, but they can also create a dependence on the surface area of the box at the bottom of the squat. Lifters who train too often with a box can start to lose the subjective feel for what the bottom of the squat should feel like. So even though they may have gotten stronger by training the box squat, we often see this cancelled out by the loss of proprioceptive “feel” for the bottom end of the squat. What you will find is that lifters get tentative and hesitant at the bottom of the squat when the box is taken away. Is this universal? No. I know several raw lifters who do lots and lots of work off a box with no negative consequences. But there are enough problems created by box squats for a raw lifter that an alternative method is useful to havein your hip pocket.
Enter the Rack Squat.
The Rack Squat gives a marker for depth just as the box does, but since the pins come into contact with the bar and not the butt, the lifter doesn’t seem to develop the same dependence for finding the bottom of the squat.
In my opinion, for paused squat work of this nature, the Rack Squat is superior to the Box Squat for the raw lifter. A couple of interesting comparative notes. At the same level of depth and for the same length of the pause, the Rack Squat will utilize less weight than the Box Squat. This is almost universal, and may be further evidence that it is the more useful exercise. As I allude to in Practical Programming 3rd Ed I tend to favor exercise variants that “underload” movements rather than “overload” them.
Part of the reason for the weight differential is because the Box allows the lifter to rock back (even if it is very subtle) and gather momentum for the ascension. The Rack Squat holds the bottom position of the squat completely immobile. There is no ability to rock back or forwards, and momentum is absent from the lift.
Lifters will also find a difference in where they get sore from each lift. Rack Squats traditionally create much more quad soreness than Box Squats, which tend to create more soreness in the glutes and hamstrings. Again, much of this has to do with how much the box allows the lifter to sit back into the squat, often getting the bar behind the middle of the foot. In a box squat this is acceptable because the box is there to “catch” you, and it allows you to rock forward to get the bar back over the middle of the foot where it can be lifted. The Rack Squat tends to follow the mechanics of a regular back squat a little closer.
Programming
Rack Squats can be used for singles for up to sets of 5. Rack Squats are a pure strength and power exercise and getting out of this range is getting out of the strength and power range. Below are several ways in which Rack Squats could be programmed into some traditional training splits:
Back Off Sets: After your main work set or sets of Squats do 1-2 back off sets of Rack Squats with lighter weight. So a trainee who squatted 500x3 for his main work set, might strip the bar down to 405 and do 2x5 for added volume.
Substitute: If a trainee does 5x5 sets of squats once per week as part of his heavy training day, he might alternate every other week with 5x5 sets of rack squats. 
Medium Day: If using a Heavy Light Medium routine, Rack Squats make an excellent medium day exercise. Just be careful with total volume because they are very stressful. In fact, they are too stressful to every be considered a light day exercise.
Dynamic Effort Sets: Most of those who use Dynamic Effort method sets utilize a box. Next time you do your Dynamic Effort Squat workout, try doing Rack Squats instead of box squats for 8-12 doubles on the clock. You can still use bands and chains with Rack SquatsMax Effort Work: If you have a rotation of max effort squat/deadlift exercises, plug these into the rotation. Rack Squats work great for heavy singles.
Last Tip:
Use a coach, training partner, or cell phone camera to find the right height for the pins of the power cage. The temptation with the Rack Squat is to go high and use a lot of weight. Take the pins low enough so that you can sink down to just below parallel. The crease of your hip joint should be just below the top of your knee. Do NOT bounce the bar off the pins. We want to pause at the bottom for about 2-3 full seconds. The bar should be motionless before you come back up. It’s supposed to be hard!
With over 13 years of dedicated strength coaching experience, Andy Baker is one of the most sought after private strength coaches in the industry. Andy has provided strength & conditioning coaching to dozens of elite athletes and hundreds of clients who want to change their lives through his methods. Andy is the owner of Kingwood Strength & Conditioning, a private gym dedicated to training athletes and members of the general public. Andy has been a featured speaker at several prominent industry events, and is the co-author of the best-selling Practical Programming for Strength Training. Andy is a former U.S. Marine and while serving on active duty received his undergraduate degree in Health & Sport Science from the American Military University. Andy also holds the industry’s highest credentials available from the National Strength & Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting, and is a certified Starting Strength Coach. Andy resides in Kingwood TX with his wife Laura, and 2 children.
Contact Andy through his blog at: www.BakerStrengthCoaching.com
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