Description
A front squat is a lower-body exercise that will strengthen your legs, hips, and glutes. It requires you to hold a barbell in front of your body, across your shoulders, and squat down and up.
How to Do Barbell Bench Front Squat
- 1Setup
Stand facing the barbell, positioning it across the front of your shoulders and collarbones, slightly above your clavicles.
- 2Setup
Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, ensuring your elbows are pointing forward and high to create a stable shelf for the bar.
- 3Setup
Unrack the bar by extending your knees and hips, then step back to a comfortable squat stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly pointed out, maintaining a tall chest and engaged core.
- 4
Initiate the squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, keeping your chest upright and elbows high, descending until your thighs are parallel to the floor or deeper if mobility allows.
- 5
Drive through your heels and midfoot, extending your hips and knees powerfully to return to the standing position, exhaling as you ascend and maintaining a braced core.
Tips
- Maintain an upright torso throughout the entire movement by actively pushing your elbows up and keeping your chest proud and elevated.
- Keep your core braced and tight, as if preparing for a punch, to protect your spine and provide crucial stability for the heavy load.
- Focus on driving your knees out slightly during the descent to engage your glutes and ensure proper knee tracking over your toes.
- If wrist mobility is an issue, use a thumbless grip or cross your arms over the bar to secure it, always ensuring your elbows stay high.
Common Mistakes
- ×Rounding the upper back occurs when elbows drop, causing the bar to roll forward; fix this by actively keeping your elbows high and chest up throughout the entire movement.
- ×Knees caving inward (valgus collapse) happens when glutes aren't engaged; fix this by consciously driving your knees out over your toes as you descend and ascend.
- ×Lack of squat depth limits muscle activation and range of motion; fix this by focusing on maintaining an upright torso and pushing your hips back to achieve at least parallel thighs.
Variations
Barbell Low Bar Squat
Build powerful glutes and hamstrings with the Barbell Low Bar Squat. This compound lift places the bar lower on your back, maximizing posterior chain
Barbell High Bar Squat
Master the Barbell High Bar Squat for powerful quads and glutes. Learn proper form, bracing, and movement patterns for maximal strength and muscle growth.
Barbell Front Bench Squat
Master the Barbell Front Bench Squat for powerful quads and glutes. This variation uses a bench to ensure perfect depth and improve form.
Barbell Full Squat
Master the barbell full squat to build powerful legs and glutes. This compound exercise deeply targets quads, hamstrings, and glutes for superior lower
Related Exercises
Barbell Overhead Lunge
Master the Barbell Overhead Lunge to build full-body strength, enhance balance, and improve core stability. Target quads, glutes, and shoulders.
Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift
Perform a unique single-arm deadlift variation targeting glutes and quads, while powerfully engaging your core for stability.
Barbell Lunge
Master the barbell lunge to build powerful legs and glutes. This compound exercise enhances lower body strength, balance, and muscle definition safely and
Barbell Squat (with hanging band technique)
Master the Barbell Squat with hanging bands to boost stability and strength. This advanced technique challenges your core and lower body, improving
Dumbbell Complex Push-up Row Clean and Press
The ultimate full-body dumbbell complex combining a push-up, row, clean, and overhead press in one flow.
Dumbbell Renegade Row to Squat
Build total-body strength with this demanding complex combining renegade rows and explosive squats.
Track Barbell Bench Front Squat in your workouts
Log sets, reps, and weight. See your progress over time.
Get Ellim — Free