V-Squat: Muscle Map, Form Cues, Swaps & Workout Builder

How to do the V-Squat

Set up. Step into the V-squat with your shoulders under the pads and your feet on the platform about shoulder width apart.

Release the safety and squat down under control.
Go as deep as you can with a flat back.
Drive back up through the whole foot.

Form cues

Keep your back against the pads.
Keep the knees tracking over the toes.
Keep the heels down.

Common mistakes

Locking the knees hard at the top.
Cutting the depth short.

Muscles worked

Main target: Quads. The quadriceps are four muscles at the front of the thigh. They straighten the knee: squats, lunges, leg presses and every stair.

On the way: Glutes and Hamstrings.

Its other side: Hamstrings and Glutes, in the knees and hips pattern.

What to pair it with

Movements that round out a workout with the V-Squat, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.

Cable Romanian Deadlift Superset partner: it trains the other side of the knees and hips pattern, so the two can alternate.
Seated Calf Raise Same legs session: it trains the calves.
Cossack Squat Same legs session: it trains the adductors.
Hip Abduction Often left out: it trains the abductors, a job the moves above leave undone.

A complete workout around it

5 movements, the V-Squat first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.

V-Squat 3 × 8 to 15 reps
Cable Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8 to 15 reps
Seated Calf Raise 3 × 10 to 25 reps
Cossack Squat 3 × 5 to 15 reps
Hip Abduction 3 × 12 to 25 reps

Alternatives and swaps

The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.

Home or dumbbell swap
Broad Jump
Bodyweight
Gym or cable swap
Smith Machine Squat
Smith machine

A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.

Working weight and 1RM calculator

Enter a set you did: the weight, the reps and how many more reps you had left in you. The estimate is the formula the StatBlockFit app uses for its records, weight × (1 + (reps + reps in reserve) ÷ 30); above 12 reps it is rough.

Training zones

Training zones
Zone	Share of 1RM	Usual reps
Strength	85 to 90 %	3 to 6
Muscle growth	70 to 80 %	6 to 12
Endurance	60 to 65 %	15 to 20

A warm-up before the working sets: 50 % for 5, 70 % for 3 and 85 % for 1, each rounded down to a plate.

Common starting points, not a prescription: the right weight is the one you can lift with good form for the reps you planned.

Variations and preparation

A variation of: Hack Squat.

Other variations of the Hack Squat: Pendulum Squat.

Do before it: Ankle Mobilisation (ankle range), Deep Squat Hold (same movement, lighter), 90/90 Hip Switch (hip range) and Bodyweight Squat (same movement, lighter).

Track it in StatBlockFit

In the StatBlockFit app the V-Squat is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.

Questions

How do you do the V-Squat?

Set up: Step into the V-squat with your shoulders under the pads and your feet on the platform about shoulder width apart. Steps: 1. Release the safety and squat down under control. 2. Go as deep as you can with a flat back. 3. Drive back up through the whole foot. Form cues: Keep your back against the pads. Keep the knees tracking over the toes. Keep the heels down. Common mistakes: Locking the knees hard at the top. Cutting the depth short.

What muscles does the V-Squat work?

It trains the quads as its main target and works the glutes and hamstrings on the way.

What can I do instead of the V-Squat?

At home: Broad Jump. In a gym: Smith Machine Squat. Each trains the same main muscle.

What should I pair the V-Squat with?

Good partners in the same workout are Cable Romanian Deadlift, Seated Calf Raise, Cossack Squat and Hip Abduction.

How heavy should the V-Squat be?

Pick a weight you can lift for the planned reps with one or two left in reserve. As a common starting point, sets of 3 to 6 reps use about 85 to 90 percent of your one-rep max and sets of 6 to 12 reps about 70 to 80 percent; the calculator on this page does the arithmetic.

V-Squat