Front Squat
A squat with the weight held at the front of your shoulders: you sit down with an upright torso and high elbows, then drive back up, putting most of the work on your quads.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Lower back
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Lower back
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Lower back
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
Holding the load in front forces an upright torso, so the front squat leans harder on your quads and asks less of your lower back than a back squat at the same depth. It suits lifters who want quad strength, Olympic lifters practicing the clean catch, and anyone whose back squat turns into a forward lean. The barbell rack position takes wrist and upper back mobility; dumbbells or kettlebells at your shoulders are an easier way in.
How to do it (Barbell)
Set the bar at chest height and rest it across your front delts. Use a clean grip with your hands just outside your shoulders and elbows pointing forward, or cross your arms over the bar if your wrists don't allow it.
Lift your elbows high, unrack the bar and step back with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly.
Squat down with your torso as upright as you can, keeping your elbows up so the bar doesn't roll forward.
Go to at least parallel, then drive back up. Front squats fail when the elbows drop, not usually when the legs give out.
Hold a dumbbell at each shoulder with your elbows pointing forward and your feet shoulder-width apart.
Brace your core and squat down, keeping your torso upright and your elbows up.
Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
Drive back up through your whole foot. The front load forces an upright torso, so the quads do most of the work.
Clean two kettlebells to the rack position, handles in the base of your palms and the bells resting on your forearms, elbows tucked.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, brace your core and squat down with your torso upright.
Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
Drive back up through your whole foot. With one kettlebell, hold it in the rack on one side and keep your torso from leaning.
Common mistakes
Elbows dropping
When your elbows sink, the bar rolls forward and drags your chest down. Drive your elbows up, especially as you come out of the bottom.
Holding the bar in your fists
Trying to grip the bar tightly strains your wrists and pulls your elbows down. Let it rest on your front delts with just your fingers under it, or cross your arms.
Shifting onto your toes
With the weight in front, it's easy to drift onto the balls of your feet. Keep your whole foot planted and drive up through your midfoot.
Losing your brace at the bottom
Relaxing your upper back at the bottom lets your torso tip forward. Take a big breath before each rep and stay tight until you're standing.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
