How to do it
- Clean two kettlebells to the front rack so they rest on the forearms with the elbows tucked in.
- Brace hard against the front load and squat down between the hips, staying upright.
- Drive up through mid foot, keeping the bells locked to your chest the whole way.
Cues that matter
- The front rack forces an upright torso — that is what makes this so hard on the quads.
- Keep the elbows down and in; letting them drop forward dumps you onto your toes.
Common mistakes
- Letting the chest collapse and turning it into a hinge.
- Holding the bells away from the body instead of resting them on the forearms.
Muscles worked
Primary
- Quads
- Rectus femoris
- Vastus medialis
Also works
- Glutes
- Core
- Upper back
Sets and reps
What to do with it depends on what you are training for. These are the ranges MuscleMap uses when it puts Kettlebell Front Rack 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 kettlebell is taken, or a gym that does not have one.