Jefferson Squat
The Jefferson squat is a barbell lift in which you straddle the bar, grip it with one hand in front of your body and one behind, and stand up with the bar between your legs. It works the quads, glutes and adductors like a squat, and the off-centre grip makes the trunk work hard to resist twisting.
Also called: Jefferson Deadlift, Straddle Deadlift, Straddle Lift, Straddle Squat · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: squat
Step by step
- Load the bar on the floor and stand astride its middle so it runs front to back between your feet, with one plate in front of you and one behind.
- Take a stance wider than shoulder width with your toes turned out. Some lifters set one foot slightly ahead of the other.
- Squat down between your legs with your chest up and back flat. Grip the bar with one hand just in front of your hips and the other just behind them, often with one palm facing you and one facing away.
- Centre your hips over the middle of the bar, take a big breath and brace your trunk hard.
- Push the floor away and stand up, bringing your hips and chest up together while the bar travels straight up between your legs.
- Stand tall with your hips and knees straight and your trunk braced against the bar's pull to one side.
- Squat the bar back down to the floor under control, keeping it centred, then reset your brace for the next rep.
- Between sets, swap which hand is in front, and which foot leads if you stagger your stance.
- Bar centred under your hips
- Brace and resist the twist
- Chest up, squat between your legs
- Drive both feet through the floor
- Swap your front hand each set
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Prime mover | C |
| Adductors | Secondary | C |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | C |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Stabiliser | C |
| Quadratus lumborum | Stabiliser | C |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Torso twisting as the bar leaves the floor
Fix: Brace hard before each rep and keep your hips and shoulders square.
Bar drifting off-centre
Fix: Set your hips over the middle of the bar and keep it tracking straight up.
Back rounding at the bottom
Fix: Squat only as deep as you can reach the bar with a flat back and chest up.
Always using the same hand in front
Fix: Swap your front hand, and lead foot if staggered, each set for equal work.
Knees caving in
Fix: Push your knees out in line with your toes as you stand.
What the research says
StrengthMuscle growthSport performance
- The evidence gap — There is no published research on the Jefferson squat itself. Its use comes from strongman and old-time strength training, where it is a specialty lift rather than a main one.
- Load by goal — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads, while muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. In this lift, balance and trunk bracing usually limit the load before the legs do.
- Effort — Studies show strength gains are largely insensitive to how close to failure sets are taken, and training to failure gives no strength advantage on average.
- Both sides — Because each set loads the body unevenly, programmes commonly alternate the front hand each set so both sides get equal work.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the jefferson squat in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.