Pause Squat
Squat paused at the bottom. Removes the bounce reflex. It works mainly the quads, glutes and adductors, with help from the lower back and calves.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 1.7× bodyweight (135 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 1.2× (72.5 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Pause Squat
- Take the bar on your upper back, brace and step back into your normal squat stance.
- Squat down with control to full depth, keeping the chest up and the whole foot on the floor.
- Hold the bottom position for a clear two to three seconds without relaxing; the core stays braced and the knees stay out.
- Stand up through the mid-foot. Use less weight than a normal squat; the pause removes the bounce.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Quads | Quadriceps femoris |
| Primary | Glutes | Gluteus maximus |
| Primary | Adductors | Adductores |
| Secondary | Lower back | Erector spinae |
| Secondary | Calves | Triceps surae |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- The base of leg size
- Whole-body strength and a real metabolic cost
- Bracing that transfers to every other lift
Strength standards for Pause Squat
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 1.1× | 0.8× | 87.5 kg | 47.5 kg |
| Gold | 1.7× | 1.2× | 135 kg | 72.5 kg |
| Platinum | 2.25× | 1.55× | 180 kg | 92.5 kg |
| Diamond | 2.8× | 1.95× | 225 kg | 117.5 kg |
| Obsidian | 3.5× | 2.45× | 280 kg | 147.5 kg |
| Painite | 4.2× | 2.95× | 335 kg | 177.5 kg |
| Antimatter | 5.6× | 3.9× | 447.5 kg | 235 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Pause Squat, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Pause Squat work?
It works mainly the quads, glutes and adductors, with help from the lower back and calves.
How do you do Pause Squat?
Take the bar on your upper back, brace and step back into your normal squat stance. Squat down with control to full depth, keeping the chest up and the whole foot on the floor. Hold the bottom position for a clear two to three seconds without relaxing; the core stays braced and the knees stay out. Stand up through the mid-foot. Use less weight than a normal squat; the pause removes the bounce.
What is a good Pause Squat for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 1.7× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 1.2× for women, Diamond at 2.8× and 1.95×. For an 80 kg man that is a 135 kg and a 225 kg one-rep max.
Try it free
Free on Google Play and the App Store. The whole log is free; PRO is optional.