- Quads
- Machine
- Beginner
Pendulum squat
The pendulum squat works your quads, with your glutes and inner thighs helping. Start with 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, stopping with about 3 reps in reserve. To build muscle, do 2 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps.
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- Tip 1Back glued to the pad
- Tip 2Go deep and slow
- Tip 3Whole foot on the platform
Where you should feel it
In the front of your thighs, working hardest at the bottom. Your glutes and inner thighs help. If you feel it more in your lower back, don't go as deep.
- Main muscles
- Vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and rectus femoris
- Also working
- Gluteus maximus, adductor magnus, and adductors
How to do it
Set your back against the pad, fit your shoulders under the pads and place your feet in the middle of the platform, hip-width apart.
Push up slightly to take the weight off the safety, release it and hold the side handles.
Bend your knees and lower slowly, letting them travel over your toes, until your thighs pass parallel if you can control it.
Drive the platform away with your whole foot until your knees are almost straight, without locking them. Reset the safety at the end of the set.
Common mistakes
Mistake
Heels lifting off the platform at the bottom.
How to fix it
Move your feet a little higher on the platform and push through your whole foot. Only go as low as your heels stay down.
Mistake
Your lower back peels off the pad and your pelvis tucks under at the bottom.
How to fix it
Stop just before that point. Only go as deep as your whole back stays on the pad, and add depth gradually.
Mistake
Dropping fast and bouncing out of the bottom.
How to fix it
Lower over 2 to 3 seconds, with no bounce at the bottom, and only then drive up.
Sets and reps for your goal
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Reps in reserve | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Getting started | 2 to 3 | 8 to 12 | 3 | 60 to 120 s |
| Muscle and definition | 2 to 4 | 6 to 12 | 1 to 3 | 1.5 to 3 min |
| Max strength | 3 to 5 | 3 to 6 | 2 to 3 | 2.5 to 4 min |
Max strength (3 to 6 reps) only once your form is solid, always with 2 to 3 reps in reserve.
Reps in reserve: how many more reps you could still do with good form when you end the set.
Variations
Same movement, other equipment
Hack squat
Your back is also supported, but the track is straight. A good swap when the pendulum is taken.
45-degree leg press
Seated, you push the platform away instead of moving your body. Your whole torso is supported.
Smith squat, feet forward
The guided bar on your back with your feet slightly in front of you keeps more of the work on the front of your thighs.
At home or with more support
At home: heels-elevated goblet squat
Rest your heels on a thick book or a sturdy board, hold a dumbbell at your chest and lower deep and slow, letting your knees travel forward.
Prefer more stability? 45-degree leg press
Prefer to sit? On the 45-degree leg press, your back and hips rest on the seat and you only push the platform.
Taken? Swap it for one of these
They work the same main muscle.
Hack squat
Quads · Machine
Beginner45-degree leg press
Gluteus maximus · Machine
BeginnerSmith machine squat
Gluteus maximus · Smith machine
Beginner
Keep exploring
Quads
31 exercises
Leg exercises on machines
15 exercises
Sources
Sets and reps
Currier BS, D'Souza AC, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2026;58(4):851-872.
Technique
Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, et al. Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019;119(9):1933-1942.
Muscles worked
Neto WK, Soares EG, et al. Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(1):195-203.
Variations
Haugen ME, Vårvik FT, et al. Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance - a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2023;15(1):103.
Review
Draft. This guide is waiting for review by a certified strength and conditioning professional.
Updated October 31, 2026