How to do it
- Rack the bar across the front delts with the elbows high, either in a clean grip or crossed arms.
- Squat straight down with a vertical torso until the hips break parallel.
- Drive up while keeping the elbows pointed forward.
Cues that matter
- Elbows high is the whole lift. If they drop, the bar rolls forward.
- It demands more quad and less lower back than a back squat.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbows fall and the chest cave.
- Loading it like a back squat.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Quads
- All four heads
Also works
- Core
- Upper back
- Glutes
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Front Squat in a session, with 150 seconds between sets.
- Strength
- 4–6 reps
- Build muscle
- 6–10 reps
- Endurance
- 12–20 reps
Same muscle, different kit
Movements that train the same part of the quads with different equipment — for a day the barbell is taken, or a gym that does not have one.