The Hatfield squat could be the best variation you've ever heard of. It’s named after Dr. Hatfield, aka. "Dr. Squat",” you can guess it's an effective exercise, and it is. While you need a minimal amount of special equipment, if you have it, the Hatfield squat will almost certainly become part of your regular rotation. We love this exercise and so we’re breaking down the Hatfield squat so you can start benefiting from it too.
Image and exercise demo courtesy of T-Nation
What Is The Hatfield Squat?
The Hatfield squat is a squat variation that uses a safety squat bar and a set of handles. The safety squat bar allows the load to rest on the lifter's shoulders giving them the ability to hold on to a set of handles. Ultimately, this allows the lifter to use their upper body to assist with the squat.
It’s unique set-up gives it a wide array of benefits including:
- Less stress on the back
- Increase training volume
- Allow for overloading
- Improve or learn squat form
- Target the quadriceps
We’ll get into these details further below. But first, let’s look at who the “Hatfield” is of the Hatfield squat.
Who Is Dr. Hatfield?
The Hatfield Squat is named after the elite, record-setting powerlifter Dr. James Hatfield. And by "record-setting," we mean he broke literal barriers in powerlifting and athletics and played an intricate part in driving the sport of powerlifting and human performance.
Some of his accolades include:
- PhD in Sports Science
- Co-Founder Of International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)
- 2 IPF World Powerlifting Championships (1983 & 1986)
- World Record Squat @ 1014lbs (1987)
Dr. Hatfield has some insane squat numbers, but his other lifts were huge, too. Collectively, his best lifts include:
- Squat: 1014lbs
- Bench: 523lbs
- Deadlift: 766lbs
- Snatch: 275lbs
- Clean & Jerk: 369lbs
Now, there tends to be some confusion about him being the first to squat over 1,000 lbs. While he was one of the first, Lee Moran is credited with the first official 1000lb+ squat, which was performed a few months earlier. In addition, at least one other lifter, Waddington, had a 1000lb+ squat earlier, but it was done in an informal environment.
However, what was special about Dr. Hatfield was he performed his 1000lb+ squat at a light weight (relative) of 255 lbs and the age of 45!
You can check out a video of him here squating 1,008lbs!
Why Did Dr. Hatfield Use The Hatfield Squat?
So why did Dr. Hatfield create the Hatfield squat? Well, there were quite a few reasons, including;
- Overload the squat
- Mitigate fatigue
- Save stress on the back
The primary reason is that the Hatfield squat allowed him to use similar biomechanics to the barbell back squat in a safer and less fatiguing manner.
Using the safety bar and handles, the Hatfield squat allowed Dr. Squat to increase more volume, including heavy volume, on his entire lower body. At the same time, it saved his back from stress and possible injury.
He typically used the off-season to effectively build training volume and prepare his body for peak performance later in the season.
How To Perform The Hatfield Squat
So, let's go through how you will perform the Hatfield squat. The major difference occurs in the general set-up while the actual squat uses a relatively similar movement pattern.
In terms of the biomechanics of the squat, it differs slightly due to the safety squat bar which allows a significantly more erect torso. This takes stress off the back, mitigates hip flexion, increases depth and transfers activation to the quadriceps.
Equipment Needed
- Safety Squat Bar
- Barbell
- Rack
- Two sets of J-hooks
1. Set Up the Safety Squat Bar or Barbell
- The Hatfield squat's set-up is unique and sets it apart from other squats.
- First, set up the safety squat bar on a set of J-hooks at the normal height for a squat, just below shoulder level.
- You'll then need to set up the barbell on the second pair of J-hooks slightly above waist level. Be sure the bar is secure, as you will grab it with your hands for support.
2. Unracking The Bar
- Once set up, you'll first get under the safety squat bar and grab the handlebars.
- Standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, drive up and unrack the bar.
- Take 1-2 steps back and stabilize yourself.
- You'll now let go of the safety squat bar handles and grab the other barbell.
3. Initiate the Squat
- You'll then squat as normal.
- Take a deep breath and tighten your core.
- Begin the squat by pushing your hips back as you bend your knees and lower your torso.
- Keep your chest upright by pulling your shoulder blades together and engaging your lats.
- As you descend, maintain an upright torso. Since you're using the safety squat bar, this will be more pronounced than in a barbell squat.
- Use the handles for support, but try not to pull on them too much.
- Descend until you reach the bottom of the squat. Most people can lower the Hatfield squat while keeping good form.
4. Ascent
- Push your feet into the ground, focusing on driving through your heels while keeping your chest lifted and core tight.
- Use the handles to help maintain posture as you come up. This allows you to focus on your legs.
- You can also use your arms to help propel yourself up if needed or when performing overload squats.
Benefits Of The Hatfield Squat
Above, we discussed why Dr. Hatfield used the Hatfield squat. All of those benefits are 100% valid and definitely apply to us as well. In addition to those benefits, here are other reasons you might want to use the Hatfield Squat.
Increase Muscle Hypertrophy
Most squats fail because lifters hit their sticking point, where they can no longer overcome the resistance. At this point, your muscles are tired but haven't fully exhausted all available muscle fibers. Stopping the set here means cutting it short and missing out on potential gains.
You can extend the set beyond your typical failure point by using your arms for assistance as your legs begin to tire. This helps increase muscle tension and metabolic stress, key drivers of hypertrophy (muscle growth). Building muscle relies on accumulating volume, working through a full range of motion, and pushing sets close to failure.
The Hatfield squat is an excellent choice for achieving these hypertrophy goals. It allows you to:
- Increase the weight (more volume) since you can use your arms for balance.
- Maintain a full range of motion more easily, thanks to the reduced balance demands.
- Push through sticking points by helping yourself lift when your legs tire.
In short, the Hatfield squat enables self-spotting, giving you the benefits of forced reps even if you're training alone. This allows for more productive sets and maximizes muscle growth.
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Increase Quadricep Involvement
The barbell back squat is going to hit the entire lower body. However, due to the barbell placement lower on the back, more hip flexion occurs to keep the load over the ankles. Ultimately, this requires greater involvement of the hip extensors on the posterior of the body.
Training the back side is definitely not a bad thing. In fact, developing the glutes and hamstrings is crucial for health and performance and is a critical part of your overall training.
That said, it's always a good idea to rotate major quad-dominant exercises. The safety squat bar allows this in a big way because it allows you to load the exercise with heavier loads and more volume while the quads are the major movers.
Increase Squat Form And Depth
The Hatfield squat is a great variation to improve your overall squat form and depth.
The combination of the safety squat bar and arm assistance makes the Hatfield squat significantly more stable than traditional barbell squats. As you can hold onto a barbell or handles, a lifter can reach optimal depths while keeping good form.
Further, the safety squat bar promotes a more upright torso (study), which naturally allows a lifter to hit deeper depths due to less hip flexion.
Because of these benefits, Hatfield squats are an excellent way to improve your squatting form. When you return to regular squats in your workouts, you'll likely find them much more manageable and your technique more solid.
Overload The Squat
The Hatfield Squat can be used as an overload exercise for experienced lifters. Overloading, in this context, means using heavier weights than you would usually with the barbell squat.
The key difference that allows overloading with the Hatfield squat is that it provides more stability and balance to produce force. Additionally, the handles or safety bar allows a lifter to concentrate on driving up while keeping good form. Further, you could also use the handles to assist in standing up from the bottom position.
Because of these factors—reduced balance requirements and the ability to leverage the arms for support—lifters can often lift more weight in the Hatfield squat than in the traditional back squat.
Keep in mind that when only using the safety squat bar in isolation (without handles), lifters can generally lift more weight with the back squat (but there’s always variation between lifters) (study).
Train Around Back Injuries Or Rehab Your Back
Many lifters who use the safety squat bar report that it helps reduce discomfort in their back. This is likely because the bar's design encourages a more upright torso than the traditional back squat.
The effect is even more pronounced with the Hatfield squat. By using the handles for additional balance, lifters can maintain an even more vertical torso angle than with the safety bar squat.
As a result, the Hatfield squat is an excellent variation for reducing stress on the lower back while still allowing for heavy loading, making it a great option for those looking to minimize lower-back strain during squatting.
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How To Program The Hatfield Squat
The Hatfield squat is a unique squat variation that really has no comparison. Perhaps the belt squat comes the closest in terms of function but the Hatfield squat resembles the back squat more as the load is placed on the shoulders.
Regardless, while you could technically use any rep scheme with the Hatfield squat, its primary benefit is to allow more volume meaning it’s used with lighter weights and higher reps – this is assuming you're not using it because of injuries.
Now, you can also use it to overload the muscles as well. Some people find that using the Hatfield squat with heavier loads helps prepare them to back squat the same load.
Either way, the Hatfield squat is usually used in two manners:
- As a second primary squat exercise (i.e. Back squat on Mondays and Hatfield squats on Thursdays)
- As an accessory movement after the back squat with high reps
When we say “high reps” we mean that some people like to use the Hatfield squat when performing 20 rep sets. This can depend on your needs but a common use is to perform these ultra-high rep.
Final Say On The Hatfield Squat
If you’ve never tried the Hatfield squat, we strongly encourage you to try. From personal experiences, it’s one of the most comfortable exercises we’ve ever done. This is true even when performing lifting heavy loads. It’s almost like using a leg press due to the increased stability of the handles except it’s a free weight exercise. It’s smooth, sturdy and strong thus building muscle mass, strength and confidence.
Related: Back Squat Workout Program
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