Barbell Front Squat

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Set the barbell in a rack at mid-chest height and step under the bar.
2. Rest the bar across your front deltoids, creating a 'shelf' near the clavicle, and lift your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Use a clean grip (fingertips under the bar) or a cross-arm grip to secure the barbell.
4. Step back from the rack and set your feet shoulder-width apart with toes slightly pointed outward.

How to do it

1. Inhale deeply, brace your core, and descend by simultaneously hinging at the hips and bending the knees.
2. Lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, keeping your elbows pointed forward and up to prevent the bar from rolling.
3. Exhale as you drive through your mid-foot to return to the starting position, maintaining a tall chest throughout the ascent.
4. Maintain a controlled 2-second eccentric (lowering) phase and an explosive 1-second concentric (upward) phase.

Form checklist

• Keep elbows high and parallel to the floor at all times.
• Maintain a neutral spine and avoid rounding the upper back under the load.
• Keep your heels firmly planted on the ground throughout the entire movement.
• Ensure your knees track in line with your toes and do not cave inward.

Pro tips

• Think about 'driving your elbows to the ceiling' during the hardest part of the ascent to keep your chest from collapsing.
• If wrist mobility is a limitation, use lifting straps looped around the bar as handles to maintain the front rack position.

Make it harder

• Implement a 3-second pause at the bottom of the rep to increase time under tension and eliminate momentum.
• Use a 4-0-1-0 tempo (4 seconds down, 1 second up) to maximize quadriceps recruitment.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the barbell front squat work?

The barbell front squat primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the erector spinae as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the barbell front squat?

The barbell front squat uses barbell.

Is the barbell front squat good for beginners?

The barbell front squat is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

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