Front Squat Guide: Technique, Muscles, and Form Tips
Master the front squat with our expert guide. Learn correct form, avoid common mistakes, and build quadricep strength with this barbell staple.
How to Perform
- Set the barbell in a power rack at shoulder height and approach it with your chest upright.
- Place the bar across your front deltoids and clavicles, securing it with either a clean grip or a cross-arm grip.
- Lift your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor to create a secure shelf for the weight.
- Step back from the rack and position your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width with toes pointed slightly outward.
- Inhale deeply into your abdomen and descend by hinging at the hips and knees simultaneously while keeping your chest vertical.
- Lower yourself until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, ensuring your elbows remain high throughout the movement.
- Drive through the mid-foot to return to the starting position, exhaling once you have passed the sticking point.
Common Mistakes
- Allowing the elbows to drop toward the floor during the descent.
- Letting the upper back round forward under the weight of the bar.
- Shifting the weight primarily into the toes rather than the mid-foot.
- Failing to maintain a vertical torso, which turns the lift into a back-dominant movement.
Muscles Worked
Primary movers
- Quads
Stabilizers
- Upper Back
- Glutes
- Core
- Adductors
Related Guides
- 1 Leg Box Squat — Legs
- Abductor Machine — Legs
- Adductor Machine — Legs
Quads · Legs