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Front Squat 9s · no sound

Front Squat

A barbell squat with the bar racked on the front delts, forcing an upright torso and a quad-dominant descent.

Primary muscle
Quads
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Movement
Squat
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How to do it

  1. Set the bar at upper chest height and step under it in the rack.
  2. Rest the bar across your front delts and drive your elbows high.
  3. Stand the bar out and set your feet just inside shoulder width.
  4. Brace your trunk and descend by bending the knees and hips together.
  5. Lower until your thighs are at least parallel, keeping the chest tall.
  6. Push through the whole foot and drive the elbows up to stand.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows drop, which rolls the bar forward and dumps you out of the rack.
  • Rising onto the toes, which shifts the bar ahead of the midfoot and stalls the lift.
  • Rounding the upper back out of the bottom, which loads the spine instead of the legs.
  • Letting the knees travel far inside the toes, which strains the joint and cuts quad force.

Muscles worked

Primary
Quads
Secondary
AbsAdductorsGlutesHamstringsTraps

Same movement, other equipment

Dumbbell Squat Intermediate Dumbbell Squat Quads Dumbbell Machine Goblet Sissy Squat Intermediate Machine Goblet Sissy Squat Quads Bodyweight Sissy Squat Intermediate Sissy Squat Quads Bodyweight Step-Down to Balance Intermediate Step-Down to Balance Quads Bodyweight

Plans that include the Front Squat

Strength Essentials
Strength Essentials
Days a week
3× a week
Session
~45 min
Level
Intermediate
Equipment
Gym
 Olympic Lift Power Block
Olympic Lift Power Block
Days a week
4× a week
Session
~60 min
Level
Advanced
Equipment
Gym
 Upper / Lower Strength
Upper / Lower Strength
Days a week
4× a week
Session
~45 min
Level
Intermediate
Equipment
Gym

Similar exercises

Barbell Banded Back Squat Intermediate Barbell Banded Back Squat Quads Barbell Barbell Hack Squat Intermediate Barbell Hack Squat Quads Barbell Barbell Squat Intermediate Barbell Squat Quads Barbell Heel Elevated Dumbbell Front Squat Intermediate Heel Elevated Dumbbell Front Squat Quads Barbell One Leg Barbell Squat Advanced One Leg Barbell Squat Quads Barbell

Good to know

What muscles does the Front Squat work?
Mainly the quads. It also works the abs, adductors, glutes, hamstrings and traps.
What equipment do you need for the Front Squat?
It uses a barbell. Without it, the Dumbbell Squat and the Machine Goblet Sissy Squat train the same muscles the same way.
Is the Front Squat good for beginners?
GymVim rates it intermediate. For a beginner-rated exercise on the same muscle and movement, see the Band Squat.

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