Pendulum Squat
A machine squat that swings you along an arc: with your back against the pad and your shoulders under the supports, you lower yourself deep and drive back up.
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Adductors
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
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Why do it
The pendulum squat guides you along an arc that supports your torso and lets your knees travel far forward, so you can train your quads deep in the range with little balance demand. The bottom of each rep is the hard part, which makes it popular for quad-focused leg days, and it's simple enough for beginners. It's less common than the hack squat; if your gym has one, it's an easy swap.
How to do it
Get into the machine with your back against the pad and your shoulders under the supports, and grip the handles.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform. A slightly wider stance brings in more glutes, a narrower one more quads.
Release the safety handles and lower yourself until your thighs are at least parallel to the platform.
Drive back up, stopping just short of locking your knees. The arc keeps the load steady through the whole range, so the bottom is much harder than in a free squat.
Common mistakes
Stopping high at the bottom
The bottom is hard, so it's tempting to stop short. Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the platform, and lighten the load if you can't.
Heels coming up
Pushing through your toes shifts the load onto the front of your feet. Keep your whole foot flat and press through your midfoot.
Locking your knees at the top
Snapping straight at the top gives your quads a rest. Stop just short of lockout and start the next rep.
Hips sliding off the pad
As you tire, your hips can come away from the back pad and change the path. Keep your back and hips pressed in so the arc does its job.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
