Pendulum Squat

How to perform the Pendulum Squat

1. Position your back against the pad and set your feet on the platform of the pendulum machine.
2. The arced pendulum path keeps the load balanced over the feet and takes shear off the spine, sparing the lower back.
3. Release the handles and lower by bending the knees, letting the platform swing through its fixed arc.
4. Descend deep until the thighs pass parallel, keeping the back flat against the pad the whole way.
5. The arc keeps constant tension on the quads through a very deep range, so control the bottom rather than crashing into it.
6. Drive the platform back up through the mid-foot, stopping short of locking the knees at the top.

Suggested working range: 8–12 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Crashing into the deep bottom instead of controlling the arc under tension.
• •Letting the lower back round off the pad at the deepest point.
• •Locking the knees out hard at the top of the arc.
• •Letting the knees cave inward as the platform swings back up.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.