Beyond the Back Squat: Three Ways to Load a Squat That Feel Better in Your Body

There’s a piece of squat history I find genuinely interesting, and it changes how you think about the whole exercise.The back squat — the version most people mean when they say “squats” — was essentially invented by a man who loaded the bar in the bottom position. He’d get under it from below, set himself, and stand up. The movement began from the floor.That’s very different from what we do now: stand under a racked bar, unrack it onto your back, and then descend into the squat. The setup has been reversed. And setup dictates everything — how you sense the load, what your body does with it, how the whole thing feels.This isn’t an argument against back squatting. It’s an argument for noticing that the back squat isn’t the only way to squat under load, and that for many bodies, it isn’t even the best one.Here are three alternatives I use regularly — two with a barbell, one with a sandbag — along with a detail about the feet that makes all of them work better.The Zercher SquatYou take the bar in the crook of your elbows rather than across your back. I like to get into it from the bottom: squat down, rest the bar on your thighs, slide your elbows underneath, and stand up. Come back down the same way.Because the load is in front of and below your center of gravity, your body recruits differently. Your back isn’t working to resist forward pull — it’s working with the weight. Most people find it surprisingly comfortable once they stop anticipating discomfort.The Sandbag Front SquatTake the bag from the floor in a position that’s still basically a Zercher — held at the chest, elbows under. Same mechanics, different texture. The sandbag shifts slightly as you move, which asks your stabilizers to keep responding rather than bracing once and holding.The Single-Shoulder Sandbag SquatSame setup from the floor, but you take the bag to one shoulder. The asymmetrical load changes what your spine and hips have to do — in a useful way. It’s closer to how you’d actually carry something heavy in real life.The feet note that changes everythingBefore you squat down or stand up: sprawl the balls of your feet — not your toes, the balls — and set your ankles. This is a small action that has a large effect. It changes what you’re pushing from. Once I started cueing this, everything else in the movement organized itself better.If your goal is to add numbers to a back squat, these aren’t substitutes. But if your goal is to feel strong and move well in your body — they might actually serve you better.Give one a try and notice what’s different. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jennpilotti.substack.com/subscribe