For quad growth
For quad growth, safety bar squat rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints.
Reverse Nordic keeps more of the work on the quads.
Both are good choices, and they train the quads differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Reverse Nordic. Leaning back from the knees loads the quads, rectus femoris included, in a long stretch. Hard to add weight.
Safety Bar Squat. A more upright squat than a back squat, which suits the quads and spares the shoulders.
For quad growth, safety bar squat rates higher on our research criteria: easier to progress, easier on the joints. Reverse Nordic keeps more of the work on the quads. Both are good choices, and they train the quads differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both take some practice.
Reverse Nordic needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere. Safety bar squat needs a barbell and a squat rack, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Safety bar squat: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for reverse Nordic.