Legs
Front squat
The front squat holds the bar on the front of your shoulders, which keeps your torso upright and puts more of the work on the quads.
- Primary
- Quads
- Secondary
- Glutes, Upper back
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Type
- compound
Why it earns a spot
The front-loaded bar forces a tall posture and a hard brace, so it exposes trunk and mobility limits that a back squat can hide.
How to do it
- Rest the bar across the front of your shoulders, touching your throat lightly, with elbows high and pointing forward.
- Use a clean grip with fingertips under the bar, or cross your arms in front if your wrists complain.
- Set your feet shoulder width, brace, and keep your elbows up so the bar stays on your shoulders.
- Sit straight down between your knees until your hip crease passes your knees.
- Stand up by driving through the whole foot, keeping your elbows high the entire way.
Common mistakes
- Dropping the elbows, which rolls the bar forward and dumps the rep; think elbows to the ceiling.
- Heels lifting off the floor; widen your stance slightly or use flat shoes with a firm sole.
- Loading too heavy too soon; you will usually use 15-25% less than your back squat.
How to program it
| Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 3-8 | 2-3 min |
Progress in 2.5 kg (5 lb) steps once all sets reach the top of the range. If the bar slides forward, drop back a step and rebuild.
Routines that use it
Swaps and alternatives
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Log every front squat set.
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