Front Squat

Quads, Glutes, HamstringsBarbell

Barbell compound exercise resting the load on your front shoulders, heavily engaging the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. The front rack position demands an upright torso.

How to do it

1Rest the barbell across your front delts using fingertips or a cross-arm grip, lifting your elbows parallel to the floor.

2Unrack the weight, step back, and set your feet shoulder-width apart.

3Inhale and lower into a squat, sending your hips back while keeping your chest high and torso upright.

4Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor or lower, mobility permitting.

5Exhale and drive through your whole foot to stand back up smoothly.

Common mistakes

Letting your elbows drop, which rounds your upper back and dumps the bar forward.

Allowing your knees to cave inward, placing improper force on the knee joints.

Lifting your heels off the floor, shifting your center of gravity and ruining stability.

Breathing

Take a deep breath before squatting down, hold through the bottom, and exhale halfway up.

Make it harder or easier

To scale down, place small plates under your heels or use lighter weight; to scale up, add a two-second pause at the bottom.

This is general guidance, not a medical opinion. Listen to your body: if it hurts, stop. If you have an injury or a chronic condition, talk to a doctor first.