The Belt Squat is a beginner-friendly machine strength exercise that targets the quadriceps, with the glutes, hamstrings and abdominals working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesQuads
Secondary musclesGlutes, Hamstrings, Abs
EquipmentMachine
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Belt Squat
Fasten the hip belt around your pelvis and attach it to the machine.
Stand on the platform so the attachment point sits directly between your feet.
Set your feet at about shoulder width with the toes turned out slightly.
Take the weight, release the safeties and hold the frame lightly for balance.
Drop your hips straight down until your thighs reach roughly parallel.
Drive through your whole foot to stand tall and repeat.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Loads the legs hard while keeping low back moments lower than a back squat.
Removes the shoulder and wrist mobility demand of racking a bar.
Lets lifters keep squatting when spinal loading has to be limited.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Standing off center so the cable pulls to one side, which twists the hips.
Pulling on the frame with the arms, which quietly removes load from the legs.
Loading it like a leg press, which overwhelms the belt position and cuts the range short.
Letting the hips travel backward instead of straight down, which turns it into a hinge.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Belt Squat, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
