Open Exercise

Development draft, v0. Formats and IDs may change.

Catalogue

Barbell Front Squat

oec:barbell-front-squat

A barbell squat variation where the weight rests across the anterior deltoids, emphasizing the quadriceps and upper back strength.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: Front Squat, Front Squats

How to do it

Setup

  1. Set the barbell in a rack at approximately mid-chest height.
  2. Step up to the bar and secure a front rack position, resting the bar across the front of the shoulders and clavicles with elbows driven high forward.
  3. Support the bar lightly with two to three fingers or a full clean grip as mobility allows.
  4. Unrack the bar, take two steps back, and set feet roughly shoulder-width apart with toes turned slightly outward.

Movement

  1. Inhale deeply into the abdomen, brace the core, and keep the chest and elbows elevated.
  2. Descend by bending at the knees and hips simultaneously, sitting straight down between the heels while keeping the torso upright.
  3. Continue descending until the hip crease dips below the top of the knees.
  4. Drive forcefully through the mid-foot to stand, actively pressing the elbows up to keep the bar from rolling forward.
  5. Complete the repetition by extending hips and knees fully at the top.

Breathing

Inhale and brace intra-abdominal pressure before descending, hold through the sticking point, and exhale near the top of the repetition.

Cues

  • Elbows up
  • Chest tall
  • Sit between your knees

Common faults

Dropping the elbows during descent, causing the bar to roll forward off the shoulders.
Focus on driving the elbows toward the ceiling throughout the entire repetition, especially out of the hole.
Excessive forward torso lean shifting the load into the lower back.
Stay more upright by pushing knees forward over toes and sitting straight down rather than hinging hips far back.
Heels lifting off the floor during deep knee flexion.
Improve ankle dorsiflexion mobility, wear weightlifting shoes, or widen the stance slightly with toes turned out.

Safety

  • If balance or the rack position is lost, dump the bar forward away from the body onto safety pins or rubber flooring; never try to catch it with wrists or knees.

Muscles

  • Quadriceps prime mover
  • Gluteus maximus prime mover
  • Adductor magnus synergist
  • Soleus synergist
  • Erector spinae stabilizer
  • Rectus abdominis stabilizer
  • Upper back stabilizer

Joints

  • Hip: Flexion, Extension
  • Knee: Flexion, Extension
  • Ankle: Dorsiflexion, Plantarflexion
  • Thoracic spine: Isometric stabilization
  • Lumbar spine: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement
Squat
Modality
Strength, Hypertrophy, Olympic weightlifting
Mechanics
compound
Force
push
Laterality
bilateral
Kinetic chain
closed
Level
intermediate
Equipment
Barbell; Squat rack or Power rack
Record
Repetitions and Load
Load
external, total

Related

Sources

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

barbell-front-squat.json