How to Do the Belt Squat

The belt squat loads your hips with a belt, so you can squat heavy without any weight on your spine or shoulders. It suits lifters who want to train legs hard around a sore back or tight shoulders.

Quads Glutes MachineIntermediate

Log every set of your Belt Squat in Superlift

Muscles worked

Primary

Quads
Glutes

Secondary

Hamstrings

How to do the Belt Squat

1
Fasten the belt snugly around your hips and attach it to the machine.
2
Stand on the platforms with your feet about shoulder width apart.
3
Stand tall to take the weight, and brace your core.
4
Squat down until your thighs are parallel or lower.
5
Keep your chest tall and knees in line with your toes.
6
Drive through your feet to stand back up.
7
Re-rack or unhook the belt safely.

Form cues to remember

Chest tall, belt hanging below
Knees track over toes
Drive through the whole foot
Control the bottom

Belt Squat video tutorial

the BELT SQUAT is an S-TIER Exercise! · Renaissance Periodization on YouTube

Common mistakes

Cutting depth short

Squat to parallel or deeper if comfortable.

Letting the knees cave in

Push your knees out in line with your toes.

Leaning forward

Stay upright with your chest up.

Loosening the belt

Cinch it snugly so it doesn't pinch or slide.

Sets and reps

Muscle growth	3–4 sets of 8–15 reps, 90 sec rest
Strength	3–4 sets of 5–8 reps, 2 min rest

The belt can pinch the hips, so pad it well. Stop if you feel knee pain or lower-back strain, and lower the load.

Superlift for iPhone

Track your Belt Squat and watch it go up

Superlift shows what you lifted last time, times your rest, and charts your strength week by week, so you always know what to beat. Every exercise in this library is built in, with the same demos and tutorials.