The belt squat machine is a surprisingly versatile for building muscle and strength. Here are seven exercises you can do with the belt squat machine for a full-body workout.
I’m not going to lie: the belt squat machine is one of my all-time favorite pieces of gym equipment!
As an athlete who’s dealt with lower back injuries for years, it’s an excellent alternative to maxing out lower body training volume while still protecting my spinal muscles.
But over the years, I’ve discovered that it’s useful for so much more than just squats. I’ve started using it for all sorts of exercises and have been loving it.
In this article, we will look at the best belt squat machine exercises to include in your next workout sessions.
Let’s jump right in and get to squatting!
Belt Squat Machine – Overview
Before we get into the individual exercises, I think it’s a good idea to take a closer look at what belt squat machines are and how they work.
A belt squat machine is actually a beautifully simple piece of equipment: two elevated platforms/foot rests with a space between them, and a bar that connects the chain suspended from your belt to the machine carrying the load (barbell plates).
All you have to do is set the right amount of weight, hook your belt onto the bar, and get squatting.
There are a lot of benefits of belt squats you need to know about:
Benefit #1: Total focus on your lower body.
With your standard squat, the load is placed on your shoulders, meaning your entire upper body and core has to work together to support it. This can lead to more engagement of the abs and lower back, but also higher risk of injury in your spinal muscles.
Not so with the belt squat machine. With this machine, all of the weight rests on your hips/waist (where the belt is secured), so your lower back is virtually removed from the equation.
The total focus on your lower body leads to more effective quad, glute, and hamstring training but also an exponentially lower risk of spinal muscle injury.
Benefit #2: Equal engagement, less stress.
Multiple studies have compared belt squats to front and back squats, and the results are pretty clear: belt squats lead to equal engagement of the lower body but place less stress and strain on the trunk muscles.
As one study summed up: “Our results suggest belt squatting provides similar muscular demands for the quadriceps, hamstrings, and plantar flexors, but is less demanding of trunk stabilizers, and gluteal muscles. Belt squats may be a suitable alternative to back squats in order to avoid stressing low back or trunk musculature.”
I’m all for anything that will reduce strain on the skeletal system and joints while still maximizing muscle engagement!
Benefit #3: Better focus on form and posture.
When performing front or back squats, you’ve got to worry about your whole body form and posture.
That means focusing on keeping your knees in line with your toes, not leaning too far forward, keeping your spine straight, relaxing your neck and shoulder muscles, and more. It’s a full-body lift that can be surprisingly complex—and, if performed incorrectly, can lead to a significantly higher risk of injury.
With belt squats, fully half of the muscles are removed from the equation. Your abs have to do a bit of work to keep you stable, but your lower back remains virtually unengaged throughout. The focus is almost entirely on your quads, with some engagement of the calves, hamstrings, and glutes.
See also: Belt Squats: How to Do It, Muscles Worked, and Variations
Because of this, it’s easier to focus on your lower body form, ensuring your knees track straight, your toes don’t flare outward, you drive through the heels, and you finish each movement with a forward thrust of your hips to engage your glutes.
Far fewer moving parts, so you’ll find it much simpler to pay attention to your form to really get it right. And because of that, it will translate into better form across all squats.
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons to love using the belt squat machine for belt squats. But if used correctly, it can be a surprisingly versatile piece of equipment!
Belt Machine Exercises
Let’s talk about all the ways the belt squat machine can be included in your workout.
And we will start out with the reason it was created: the belt squat.
Belt squat
Belt squats, as I explained above, are the safer, more back-friendly alternative to standard front and back squats.
They engage all the same lower body muscles—your quads first and foremost, but also your glutes, hamstrings, calves, and hip extensors—along with your abs to keep your upper body stable.
However, the fact that it removes your lower back from the equation makes it an ideal inclusion in your Leg Day training sessions!
To perform this exercise:
- Load up your desired amount of weight on the belt squat machine.
- Hook your belt to the bar, grip the two support handles, and stand straight to lift the weight from its cradle.
- Lean back slightly (to compensate for the load in front of you) and keep your back straight and head up as you bend at the knees into the squat.
- Inhale as you descend, and make sure your movements are controlled. Keep your knees in line with your toes.
- Stop descending when your knees reach a 90-degree angle.
- Drive through your heels and exhale forcefully as you press back up. Fight to keep your knees over your toes—if your knees flare out, you’ve got too much weight so your legs are trying to compensate by bringing in your hips.
- Press back up until your legs are fully extended, but do not lock out your knees.
- Finish the movement with a forward thrust of your hips to engage your glutes.
- Pause for a 1-count before the next squat.
- Repeat as desired.
Calf raises
Yet another great use for the belt squat machine!
With the calf raise machine, the weight is typically resting on your shoulders (or knees, in the case of the seated calf raise machine).
However, using the belt squat machine will ensure that the weight rests squarely on your hips, again removing your lower back from the equation—a great choice for anyone who wants to train heavy with a back injury.
This exercise focuses entirely on the two muscles in the back of your leg: the soleus and gastrocnemius.
Training the calves improves walking, running, and jumping performance, but can also improve your standing posture.
To perform this exercise:
- Load up your desired amount of weight on the belt squat machine.
- Hook your belt to the bar, grip the two support handles, and stand straight to lift the weight from its cradle.
- Shift your weight forward until it’s entirely on the balls of your feet/your toes.
- Take a deep breath in, then exhale as you push upward onto your toes, lifting your heels off the platform.
- Lift your heels as high as you can, but stop just before you feel all the weight settling onto the bones of your feet. You’ll feel the moment when your calf muscles stop engaging and your foot bones bear the weight. That’s when you know you’ve gone too far!
- Lower your heels slowly and under control to the platform, but stop just before they make contact.
- Pause for 1-count to inhale, then repeat.
Bulgarian split squats
Bulgarian split squats are a game-changer for anyone who wants to focus on training one leg at a time.
It’s highly effective at engaging all your leg muscles—not just the quads, but also the hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
It also forces your core to work hard to maintain your balance, but because the weight is on your waist, there’s a significantly lower risk of lower back injury.
To perform this exercise:
- Load up your desired amount of weight on the belt squat machine.
- Hook your belt to the bar, grip the two support handles, and stand straight to lift the weight from its cradle.
- Shift your feet on the platform so your right foot is extended forward and your left is extended behind you. Raise your left foot and place it onto a bench (or even higher-elevated platform).
- Bend your right knee as you lower into the split squat, and inhale as you descend under control.
- Lower until your left knee is close to touching the ground and your right knee is bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Exhale as you push back up. Rise until your right leg is almost straight, but stop before your knee locks out.
- Pause for a 1-count, then repeat.
- Repeat for 10-12 reps on the right leg, then switch legs (left foot forward, right leg extended behind and resting on an elevated bench/platform) for another 10-12 reps.
Belt marches
The belt march is a fascinating exercise!
It’s intended to help strengthen your lower body muscles in a walking movement rather than a standing position, so it engages the hips, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quads in a very unique way as you march in place with the weight loaded on your hips.
It’s particularly useful for anyone training for a Strongman event, specifically the yoke walk.
The marching movement engages one leg at a time, forcing your body to engage to maintain your balance and stay supported with each step.
To perform this exercise:
- Load up your desired amount of weight on the belt squat machine.
- Hook your belt to the bar, grip the two support handles, and stand straight to lift the weight from its cradle.
- With your upper body as straight as possible, lift your right foot slightly off the ground and stamp it down firmly (not forcefully) on the platform.
- Lift your left foot slightly off the ground and stamp it down firmly on the platform.
- Alternate between your right and left feet, lifting your knees higher as you feel comfortable.
Trainer’s Note:
If you teeter or wobble, try holding a barbell plate against your chest as a counterbalance to help maintain your equilibrium.
Bent over row
The bent-over row is one of the best upper and lower back exercises around.
Your lower back muscles engage in supporting your upper body in the bent-over position, and your upper back (including the lats, traps, and rhomboids) and arm muscles (biceps and forearms) do all the work of rowing the weight to your chest.
It’s typically done with free weights like dumbbells or a loaded barbell, but you’ll find it can also be performed using the belt squat machine.
To perform this exercise:
- Load up your desired amount of weight on the belt squat machine.
- Connect a handle/handles to the belt squat machine center bar. Plant your feet farther back on the platform and bend forward until your face is roughly on the level of the support handles.
- Grab the handle/handles firmly in both hands, and pull it in a smooth rowing motion toward your chest.
- Row as high as you can (as the machine allows and as feels comfortable for your shoulder joints), exhaling with the effort.
- Inhale as you lower the bar back down to the full extension of your arms.
- Repeat as desired.
Box squats
Box squats are an interesting variation of the standard squat.
Your stance is a bit wider, and because you end up sitting down on the box at the bottom of each rep, there’s a split-second of rest that forces your muscles to re-engage to press back up.
The unique movement leads to more activation of your hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, and lower back muscles along with your calves.
Using the belt squat machine rather than a barbell removes the lower back from the equation, however, so it’s entirely lower body-focused. It’s also significantly gentler on your knees than regular squats—a great choice for any athlete recovering from knee injuries.
To perform this exercise:
- Load up your desired amount of weight on the belt squat machine. Place a box jump/plyo box directly behind the platform.
- Hook your belt to the bar, grip the two support handles, and stand straight to lift the weight from its cradle.
- Inhale as you bend your knees and lower into the squat. Control your descent and move slowly, paying close attention to your form.
- Lower until your knees just crack the 90-degree angle. The box should be at the right height that you’ll be sitting down at this point.
- The instant you feel your legs relaxing (with the box bearing your weight), exhale and press upward to stand straight. This momentary relaxation followed by engagement will increase fast twitch muscle activation.
- Rise until your legs are fully extended, and finish the movement with a forward thrust of your pelvis.
- Repeat as desired.
Stiff leg deadlifts
Stiff leg deadlifts are all about your hamstrings, though it hits your glutes and lower back with some engagement of your upper back.
Using the belt machine is similar to performing any machine-based deadlift, and can be a great way to take the direct load off your body back while still maximizing muscle engagement.
To perform this exercise:
- Load up your desired amount of weight on the belt squat machine.
- Connect a handle/handles to the bar, and stand with your feet farther back so the load is directly in front of you.
- Hinge your hips backward and bend at the waist, keeping your legs as straight as possible as you reach down for the bar.
- Gripping the bar, straighten at the waist until your upper body is upright. Make sure your legs remain stiff throughout—you’ll feel the burn in your glutes and hamstrings more than your lower back. Inhale as you straighten.
- Lower once more under control, exhaling as you do.
- Repeat as desired
The Bottom Line
The belt squat machine can be your best friend at the gym—not just for Leg Day, but in a variety of workouts.
It’s a unique and truly effective piece of equipment that will help to change up the way you train, shifting the focus entirely to your lower body and removing your back from the equation for a safer high-volume training session.
More Belt Squat Guides and Articles
The Best Belt Squat Machines for Epic Lower Body Workouts. Looking for the top belt squat machines on the market for home gyms? Here’s a detailed look at the best options right now, including key features, where to buy, and more.
6 Benefits of Belt Squats (And Disadvantages). Belt squats are an excellent exercise for developing lower body muscle and strength. Here are the main benefits of this powerful squat alternative.
4 Hack Squat Alternatives for Building Monster Quads (for Home and at the Gym). Looking for some ways to mix up your leg day routine? Here are my favorite hack squat alternatives for building strong and muscular legs.
