Pendulum Squat

Quads, glutesPendulum Squat Machine

A quad and glute exercise performed in a machine with a curved pendulum arc. The arc path lets you squat at a comfortable torso angle, cutting joint stress while building legs with low spine pressure.

How to do it

1Place your shoulders under the pads, press your back flat against the pad, and place your feet shoulder-width apart.

2Unlatch the safety catch and lower smoothly by bending your knees.

3Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the footplate or as deep as comfortably possible.

4Drive through your quads and glutes to extend your legs back up without snapping your knees straight.

Common mistakes

Lifting your heels off the footplate, putting unwanted stress on your knee joints.

Rounding your lower back at the bottom, losing spinal stability.

Hard-locking your knees at the top, taking tension off the muscles and stressing the joints.

Breathing

Inhale on the way down into the squat. Exhale as you drive up to the top.

Make it harder or easier

To make it easier, reduce your squat depth.

To make it harder, pause for two seconds at the bottom of every rep.

This is general guidance, not a medical opinion. Listen to your body: if it hurts, stop. If you have an injury or a chronic condition, talk to a doctor first.