Pin Squat
The pin squat is a barbell back squat taken down to safety pins set at a chosen height: the bar settles on the pins for a moment, then you drive it up from a still start. It works the quads, glutes and adductors, and the pin height lets you train one chosen part of the squat.
Also called: Dead Squat, Pin Squats, Dead-Stop Pin Squat, Rack Squat · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: squat
Step by step
- Set the safety pins or straps in the rack at the height you want to drive from, and set the bar in the hooks at about mid-chest height.
- Step under the bar, place it across your upper back on the muscle just below the base of your neck, grip it firmly and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
- Stand up to unrack and step back only far enough for the bar to sit directly over the pins. Set your feet about shoulder-width apart with your toes turned out slightly.
- Take a big breath into your belly and brace your trunk hard.
- Squat down under control until the bar settles evenly on the pins, keeping it over the middle of your foot.
- Let the bar rest on the pins for a moment while you hold your position, keeping your back tight and resetting your brace.
- Drive the bar up off the pins by pushing the floor away, with your hips and chest rising together, until you stand tall.
- After the last rep, walk the bar forward until it touches the uprights, then bend your knees to set it down into the hooks.
- Brace again before every drive
- Set the bar on the pins, never drop it
- Push the floor away from a still start
- Hips and chest rise together
- Bar over the middle of your foot
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus medialis | Prime mover | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Adductors | Secondary | C |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Dropping the bar onto the pins
Fix: Squat down under control and let the bar settle softly on the pins.
Losing the brace on the pins
Fix: Keep your back tight on the pins and take a fresh brace before you drive.
Bar landing off-centre
Fix: Step back until the bar sits directly over the pins before the first rep.
Hips rising before the chest
Fix: Drive your hips and chest up together from the pins.
Pins set higher than intended
Fix: Set the pins at your chosen depth before loading the bar.
What the research says
Strength · first choicePowerMuscle growthSport performance
- 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.
- Effort — Studies show strength gains are largely insensitive to how close to failure sets are taken.
- Range and pin height — Full-range training has produced greater strength and leg muscle growth than partial-range training. Squat strength gains also tend to be specific to the depth trained, so pin height decides which part of the squat the set works.
- Pin squats vs other squats — There is no direct research on pin squats. Lifters use them to practise driving from a chosen height without a bounce.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the pin 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.