Legs · Compound

1.5 Rep Barbell Squat

A squat variation that adds a half-rep at the bottom of each full squat, increasing time under tension for the quads and glutes. The extra half rep doubles the time you spend in the hardest part of the range, which is exactly the part most lifters rush through. It works best as a second squat movement in a muscle-building block rather than as a replacement for your main heavy squat.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Intermediate Barbell Compound Squat
1-5-rep-barbell-squat-poster
  • Level Intermediate
  • Equipment Barbell
  • Primary Muscles Abs, Adductors, Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads
  • Movement Compound Squat

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the 1.5 Rep Barbell Squat

  1. Set up exactly as you would for a normal barbell squat, with the bar across your upper traps and your feet just wider than your hips.
  2. Brace and squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
  3. Drive up to roughly the halfway point, then lower back down to the bottom under control.
  4. From the second bottom position, drive all the way up to standing. That full sequence is one rep.
  5. Re-brace at the top and repeat for your target reps.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

legs
Primary muscles
Adductors Hamstrings Quads
Secondary muscles
Abs Glutes

Do This

Form Cues

  • Count the sequence as down, halfway up, down, all the way up. That is one rep.
  • Hit the same depth on both bottom positions.
  • Stay braced through the whole sequence rather than resetting halfway.
  • Use the halfway point as a checkpoint: chest up and knees tracking over the toes before you descend again.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Using a normal squat weight. Expect to drop 20 to 30 percent from your usual load.
  • Turning the half rep into a quarter rep once fatigue sets in.
  • Rushing the bottom half instead of controlling it, which is the whole point of the variation.
  • Using it for heavy low-rep work, where the half rep just caps the load without adding much stimulus.

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