Yep, curling in the squat rack....it's one of THE biggest "sins" you can commit in the gym...especially if somebody is waiting to do actual squats in it!

So I know how strange it sounds for me to actually RECOMMEND you do a curl in the squat rack.

Don't worry, though...

Even though it's sort of a "curl", it's NOT for your biceps. It's actually one of THE best overall abdominal/core strength and stability exercises I've EVER used.

Enter: The Curl Squat...

A squat done with the bar held in the top curl position...that puts MASSIVE support-tension on your entire core.

It's literally one of my favorite core-strength exercises and I think you're going to love/hate it, just like me.

Set the squat rack up so that the racking hooks are one notch below where you would normally set them for squats. With the racks a little lower, you'll have an easier time getting the bar back onto them when you're done.

Step in front of the bar and hold it in the top position of the barbell curl. Now stand up, unracking the bar. Your feet should be outside shoulder width, toes pointed out about 30 degrees.

Don't allow your elbows to brace against your midsection. This will take away from the supporting tension on the abs. Take a step and get your feet set fairly wide apart for balance and optimal stability.

Now, holding the bar in that top curl position, squat down as far as you can then come back up.



Important note...you don't actually CURL the bar while doing the squat, you just hold it in the top curl position.

Hold your breath during the majority of this movement to keep greater stability in your core. Start holding as you start to go below the halfway point and continue to hold it until you're about halfway back up.

If you don't want to or are unable to hold your breath, exhale through pursed lips (as though you're blowing up a balloon). Keeping the breath held will maximize core stability and allow your abs to function more effectively during the movement.

Since this exercise uses relatively light weight compared to a regular squat, holding your breath is not nearly as potentially dangerous. If you do feel lightheaded, however, rack the bar and rest.

Holding the resistance in front of your body, as you do in the exercise, takes away the shoulder support that you would normally get with a front squat (which has a similar effect on the core).

All this requirement for supporting tension goes directly onto the muscles of the core, all of which will have to contract HARD throughout the entire movement in order to keep the barbell from falling forward.


This exercise also helps you to get a feel for using the abs during a squat, which is extremely important for maximizing your squat strength.

Using the abs while squatting is something that does not come naturally and is very rarely taught or explained to trainers. It also helps to greatly strengthen the abs for that specific purpose, making this a very powerful core and overall strength building exercise.

When doing the exercise for the first time, start with just the bar, no matter how strong you are. This will help you get a feel for how the movement goes, where to set the safety rails and how far down you can comfortably go.

When you're comfortable, work your way up slowly from there as fatigue will come quickly. It's a movement your body will be totally unused to, no matter how many abdominal exercises you've done in your training career before this.

If you're able to, go all the way down until your elbows touch your knees. This will give you the fullest range of motion. Tense the abs hard, especially at the bottom as you're coming back up. For extra resistance, pause at the bottom for a few seconds. This will give you the best feel for how the abs should be used when squatting.


Another great benefit to this exercise is that your "breathing" muscles (the intercostals) never get a chance to relax during this movement.

From top to bottom and back up (even while you're "resting" at the top), these muscles are being challenged because of they weight they are being forced to support.

This can build up great lung capacity and breathing strength (excellent for athletes who need cardio capacity) and carries directly over to your work capacity in the regular barbell squat.

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This exercise is one of my favorites...and yes, it's one of the ONLY times I give you permission to do a "curl" in the squat rack :)

This exercise (along with 76 others) can be found in my book "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of".