Heel-Elevated Back Squat

Raising the heels on a wedge increases knee flexion and quad range of motion with a more upright torso: it shifts emphasis from the glutes and hips to the quads, and is one of the best squats for quad development.

• Compound
• Barbell
• Intermediate

How to do it

• Heels on a wedge or 1–2 cm plates, feet hip-width apart
• Descend vertically with an upright torso and knees travelling forward
• Go below parallel to reach full quad range of motion
• Push through the whole foot, keeping the heel on the wedge

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 6–10 reps for hypertrophy · 1–2 RIR

Tempo: Lower for 2–3 s under control, brief pause, drive up with intent

Common mistakes

• Leaning the torso too far forward (it loses the quad emphasis)
• Using wobbly or overly high wedges that compromise your balance

Muscles worked

Primary

• Quads

Secondary

• Glutes
• Core / abs

Alternatives

• Barbell Back Squat
• Hack Squat (machine)
• Front Squat