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Exercise library · Quads

Front squat

Squat pattern for the quads with a barbell.

How to do it

1 of 3

Bar on your shoulders, elbows high

  1. Starting position

    Rest the bar on the front of your shoulders, grip it just outside your shoulders, lift your elbows, and stand shoulder-width apart.

  2. The movement

    Bend your knees and hips, lower with your chest upright, and stand by pressing your whole feet into the floor.

Most common mistake

Don't let your elbows drop, keep them high so the bar stays on your shoulders and your chest remains upright.

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Muscle group
Quads
Equipment
Barbell
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

Your quads do the main work, taking a bigger share than in the back squat. With the bar in front, your torso has to stay more upright and your knees travel further forward. Your glutes and adductors help, especially at the bottom. Your upper back and abs work hard to keep you upright, and that is often where a front squat fails first. Most people lift less here than in the back squat, but the legs still work hard.

Common mistakes

  • Holding the bar with your hands. The bar should rest on your shoulders, with your fingers only keeping it in place. If your wrists take too much, two or three fingers under the bar is enough.
  • Sitting back. If you push your hips back as in a back squat, your upper body tips and the bar wants to roll forward. Sink straight down between your feet and let your knees travel forward over your toes.
  • Heels lifting. The front squat demands good ankle mobility, and heels tend to rise at the bottom. Try a slightly wider stance with your toes turned out, or shoes with a raised heel, and only go as deep as you can with your whole foot down.

Variations and alternatives

  • Back squat: the bar on your upper back. Choose it to lift heavier and give your glutes more of the work.
  • Goblet squat: the same upright position with a dumbbell at your chest. Good for learning the movement, also at home.
  • Hack squat: a machine with plenty of quad work and no bar to hold.

Sets and reps

For strength, 3 to 6 reps over 3 to 5 sets with plenty of rest works well. To build muscle, the lower half of 6 to 12 suits it best, around 6 to 10 reps, because long sets often end with your upper back giving way before your legs are tired. For endurance sets of 12 to 20 reps, the goblet squat or hack squat usually suits better. The guide to sets and reps explains how to choose.

Start with an empty bar or a light weight until the rack position feels stable, then add weight in small steps. When every set is done with elbows high and chest up, go up, for example by 2.5 kg. Log the weight and reps every session, as that is the basis of progressive overload.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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