Legs · Barbell · Compound · Advanced

Front Squat

The front squat puts the bar on the front of your shoulders, which forces a more upright torso than a back squat. That puts more of the work on the quads and asks a lot of the upper back and trunk to hold the bar in place.

Front Squat, start position
Start
Front Squat, end position
End
FrontBack
PrimarySecondary
Main muscles
Quads
Also working
Glutes, Core, Upper Back

How to do it

  1. Set the bar in a rack at about upper-chest height, and set the safety pins just below the depth you will reach.
  2. Choose a rack: clean grip, with fingertips under the bar and elbows high, or cross-arm, with arms crossed and hands holding the bar against the shoulders.
  3. Step under so the bar sits on the front delts close to your throat. The shoulders carry it; the hands only keep it in place.
  4. Lift your elbows until your upper arms are close to parallel with the floor, stand up to unrack, and take a step or two back.
  5. Set your feet about shoulder-width with toes slightly out, breathe into your belly and brace.
  6. Squat straight down between your legs, keeping the elbows up and the knees tracking over the toes, to whatever depth you can hold that position.
  7. Stand up through the mid-foot, pushing the elbows up as you leave the bottom.

Cues

Short phrases to think during a set.

  • “Elbows up”
  • “Bar on the shoulders, not the hands”
  • “Sit between the legs”
  • “Lead with the elbows out of the bottom”
  • “Ribs down, brace hard”

Common mistakes

  • Elbows dropping out of the bottom, which rolls the bar forward. Push them up hard as you start to stand; if they still sink, the weight is too heavy for your upper back.
  • Holding the bar in a full grip so the wrists take the load. Open the hand to a fingertip grip and let the shoulders do it.
  • Tipping forward as in a back squat. With the bar in front, leaning forward means losing it. Stay over the mid-foot.
  • Fighting a rep that is going forward. Let the bar go forward onto the safety pins and step back rather than rounding to save it.
  • Forcing a clean grip with stiff wrists and lats until it hurts. Use cross-arm or straps around the bar while you work on mobility.

The short version

The front squat usually sits alongside the back squat rather than replacing it. The upright torso shifts work toward the quads and away from the hips, and the upper back usually gives out before the legs do. You will front squat noticeably less than you back squat, and the gap varies a lot between lifters.

The main debate is grip. Clean grip holds the elbows higher and matters if you do Olympic lifts, but needs wrist, lat and triceps flexibility. Cross-arm is easier to get into, at the cost of elbows that drop more easily under heavy loads. Wrist discomfort in the first few weeks is common and usually fades as the rack gets better and the grip loosens.

Why people do it

  • Puts more of the load on the quads than a back squat at the same depth
  • The more upright torso puts less load on the lower back than a back squat
  • Trains the upper back and trunk to hold position under load
  • The rack position and squat carry straight over to the clean
  • Missed reps are dumped forward onto the safety pins, which many lifters find easier to bail from than a back squat

Drawbacks

  • The front rack can be uncomfortable on wrists, elbows and shoulders until mobility improves
  • Loads are lower than a back squat, so it trains less total posterior chain
  • The bar pressing near the throat bothers some lifters, especially while bracing
  • Needs a rack with pins; cleaning heavy weights to the shoulders is a separate skill

Sources

Questions

Clean grip or cross-arm for front squats?+

Clean grip holds the elbows up better and is standard for Olympic lifters, but it needs flexible wrists and lats. Cross-arm is a reasonable choice if that position hurts. Straps looped around the bar are a middle option.

Why do my wrists hurt front squatting?+

You are probably holding the bar with your hands. Open to a fingertip grip, push the elbows up so the bar sits on your shoulders, and work on wrist and lat flexibility. If it still hurts, switch to cross-arm or straps.

How much less should I front squat than back squat?+

Expect noticeably less. The gap depends on your proportions, your rack and whether you back squat high-bar or low-bar, and it often narrows as the rack position improves.

Why do my elbows drop in front squats?+

Usually the upper back cannot hold the position at that weight, or the rack is too tight to keep the elbows high. Lighter sets with pauses at the bottom are a common way to build it.

Can front squats replace back squats?+

For quad growth or Olympic lifting, they can be your main squat. If your goal is the heaviest possible squat or powerlifting, the back squat stays the main lift.

Swaps on other equipment

Each has the quads as its main muscle and is also a push, on a different piece of equipment.

Variations

Barbell Back Squat · Zercher Squat · Goblet Squat · Clean Grip Front Squat · Cross-Arm Front Squat

Other quad exercises

Written for this site from the sources listed above. Last reviewed October 20, 2026. How this site is put together · Report a mistake