6 Unconventional Squat Rack Exercises For Improved Muscle And Strength

There’s more total-body benefits to be gained inside the squat rack than just everyone’s favorite legday staple, the squat. And, no, we’re not talking about biceps curls, but other heavily effective moves not quite mainstream yet that you should be aware of.

At one time, the squat was considered a bit unconventional. Henry “Milo” Steinborn, a German immigrant who arrived in America after World War I, is recognized as the inventor of the modern squat. Because of the difficulty of getting a heavy barbell on your back, many lifters use dumbbells and lighter barbells “cleaned; into position to squat.

But Henry figured out an awkward way to get a heavy barbell on the back without performing a clean.  Steinborn put an Olympic barbell bar perpendicular to the floor, bent to the side to slide the weight on his shoulders, and squatted down to put the entire barbell on his back and squatted up.

When other lifters saw what he was doing, squats almost overnight became a standard among lifting exercises in gyms and competitions. Steinborn has been credited for squatting over 500 pounds using this method.

Then back in the 1940s, barbell manufacturers like Bob Hoffman and Joe Weider made the first squat racks commonplace in gyms today because only some were freaky strong like Steinborn.  If you liked this trip down memory lane, you will love these six unconventional squat rack exercises bought for you by some of the best coaches in the business.

Let’s dive in.