Quads · Barbell

Barbell Front Squat

Quad torcher that keeps you upright and bulletproofs your core.

Barbell Front Squat exercise demonstration
QuadsSecondary: CoreBarbell

How to do it

  1. Rack the bar across your front delts with elbows high in a clean grip.
  2. Unrack and set your feet about shoulder width.
  3. Brace hard and squat straight down, keeping your torso tall.
  4. Drive up through your heels and midfoot to stand.

The one cue that matters

Keep those elbows pointed high the whole rep, drop them and the bar rolls off.

Muscles worked

Racking the bar on your front delts shifts the load ahead of your spine, which forces a bolt upright torso and drives the knees forward, putting the quads through a savage range of work. Your core is the anchor, bracing hard the entire time to stop the bar folding you in half. It is the squat variation that builds legs and honest bracing strength in the same rep.

FAQ

The front rack hurts my wrists, what can I do?

You only need fingertips under the bar, it sits on your shoulders, not in your hands. Loosen your grip, widen your hands, and work on lat and wrist mobility. Meanwhile a cross arm grip or straps looped around the bar work fine.

Front squat vs back squat, what is the actual difference?

The front rack keeps your torso vertical, so the quads and upper back work harder while the hips and lower back get off lighter. You will lift less than your back squat, and that is normal, it is a different stimulus, not a weaker one.

Why do I dump the bar forward out of the bottom?

Your elbows are dropping. The moment they point down, the bar rolls and the upper back rounds. Drive the elbows up aggressively out of the hole, and if they will not stay up, the weight is ahead of your mobility.

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