Barbell front squat

1. 1

   Set the bar in the rack at chest height and the safety pins a little below the bottom of your squat.

2. 2

   Rest the bar on the front of your shoulders, against your neck, fingertips under the bar and elbows pointing forward.

3. 3

   Lift the bar off the hooks, take two steps back and set your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out.

4. 4

   With your elbows high and your torso upright, sit down between your legs until your thighs reach parallel or below.

5. 5

   Drive up through your whole foot, leading with your elbows. When the set is done, walk the bar back into the hooks.

• Mistake

  Elbows dropping and the bar rolling forward.

  How to fix it

  Drive your elbows up on the way down and up. If the fingertip grip won't let you, widen your hands a little or cross your arms over the bar.

• Mistake

  The bar sits in your hands, with your wrists holding all the weight.

  How to fix it

  The bar rests on your shoulders, against your neck. Your fingers only keep it in place; if your wrists don't bend that far, keep just two or three fingers under it.

• Mistake

  Your hips rise before your chest and your torso tips forward on the way up.

  How to fix it

  Bring your chest and hips up together, thinking about driving your elbows to the ceiling. If you can't, take some weight off.

Max strength (3 to 6 reps) only once your form is solid, always with 2 to 3 reps in reserve.

Reps in reserve: how many more reps you could still do with good form when you end the set.

• Goblet squat

  The load also sits in front of you, with one dumbbell at your chest. Great for learning the position.

• Smith machine front squat

  The guided bar rests on the front of your shoulders. It takes away the balance work and has safety hooks.

• Dumbbell front squat

  One dumbbell resting on each shoulder, elbows forward. A good swap when the rack is taken.

• At home: goblet squat at home

  Hug a dumbbell, a weighted backpack or a water jug to your chest, torso upright and elbows down.

• Prefer more stability? Hack squat

  Prefer your back supported? On the hack squat your torso rests on the pad and the machine guides the path, with the same work on the front of your thighs.

• Goblet squat

  Gluteus maximus · Dumbbell

  Beginner

• Barbell back squat

  Gluteus maximus · Barbell

  Intermediate

• Hack squat

  Quads · Machine

  Beginner

• 

  Quads

  31 exercises

• Leg exercises with a barbell

  6 exercises

• Sets and reps

  Currier BS, D'Souza AC, et al. American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2026;58(4):851-872.

  Full textPubMedDOI

• Technique

  Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, et al. Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019;119(9):1933-1942.

  PubMedDOI

• Muscles worked

  Neto WK, Soares EG, et al. Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(1):195-203.

  Full textPubMed

• Variations

  Haugen ME, Vårvik FT, et al. Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance - a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2023;15(1):103.

  Full textPubMedDOI