IntermediateCompoundGym

Front Squats: Upright, Braced, and Honest

The front squat keeps the trunk more upright and asks a lot of the quads while the glutes still work to stand you back up.

Front squat side view: start, squat, and return with barbell in front rack — Front Squat movement illustrations

The prescription

Sets: 3–4 sets
Reps: 5–8 reps
Rest: 2 min 30 sec
Time: About 15 min

Equipment. Barbell, Squat rack

Muscles. quadriceps, gluteus maximus. Also core, adductors

Starting position

Rack the bar across the front of the shoulders.
Use a clean grip or a crossed-arm grip. Elbows point forward and slightly down.
Feet are about shoulder width, with enough toe-out that the knees can track freely.

How to move

Take a breath and brace before you descend.
Sit straight down between the hips, keeping the elbows high enough that the bar does not roll.
Keep the heels heavy. Stand when you reach a depth you can control.
Exhale as you pass the hardest part of the rep, then reset the brace.

Common mistakes

Dropping the elbows so the bar pulls the chest forward.
Letting the knees cave inward on the way up.
Using a grip so uncomfortable that the wrists, not the legs, end the set.

Variations

Cross-arm front squat
Goblet squat
Tempo front squat

Progressions

Add load in small jumps.
Pause for one second just above your deepest position.

Regressions

Goblet squat
Front squat to a box

Safety

Stop if you feel sharp pain, joint pinch, or symptoms that are not ordinary muscle effort.
This is general technique education, not a personal clearance to train through an injury.
If the wrists complain, use the crossed-arm grip or a goblet hold instead of forcing a clean rack.

All Cheeked Up publishes general fitness education. It is not medical advice, physical therapy, or a promise that your body will change. Stop any exercise that causes pain and talk with a qualified professional about injuries, pregnancy, or health conditions before you train.

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