Pause Squat
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Set up exactly as a back squat — bar on upper back, feet shoulder-width. Descend under full control to the bottom position (hip crease below knee). STOP completely — eliminate all bounce. Pause for 3 full seconds. During the pause: stay braced, knees out, chest up. Do not relax. Drive back to the top — this is harder than any regular squat. Breathe at the top between reps. Don't rush.
Why It Works
The pause squat (3-5 second hold at the bottom) eliminates the stretch-reflex bounce that most athletes rely on, forcing the muscles to produce force from a dead stop — identical to the demand of a skating start from a stationary position. It builds the bottom-position quad and glute strength that is significantly undertrained in normal squatting and directly improves first-step quickness from a standstill.
Hockey Transfer
Eliminates the bounce — trains true strength from a dead stop. Three reps × four sets at 70%. Pause squats teach patience. Pause squats also expose every weakness in the bottom position.
Coaching Cues
- "Squat to parallel"
- "Pause 3 seconds"
- "No bounce"
- "Drive explosively up"
Common Mistakes
Bouncing even slightly out of the hole — any bounce defeats the purpose. Relaxing the core during the pause — stay fully braced throughout. Too heavy — pause squats require 10-20% less load than regular squats. Short pause — 3 seconds minimum. Count it out loud if needed.
Progression / Regression
Tempo squat (5s down, 3s pause, explosive up) — adds eccentric control to the pause.
Goblet squat with pause — lighter load, easier to maintain upright torso.
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
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