{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "DB Front Squat",
      "kind": "abbreviation"
    },
    {
      "text": "Dumbbell Squat with Shoulder Hold",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "quadriceps",
        "role": "prime-mover"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-maximus",
        "role": "prime-mover"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "adductor-magnus",
        "role": "synergist"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "soleus",
        "role": "synergist"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "erector-spinae",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "rectus-abdominis",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "deltoid-anterior",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "hip",
        "actions": [
          "flexion",
          "extension"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "knee",
        "actions": [
          "flexion",
          "extension"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "ankle",
        "actions": [
          "dorsiflexion",
          "plantarflexion"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "lumbar-spine",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "thoracic-spine",
        "actions": [
          "isometric-stabilization"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "strength",
      "hypertrophy"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "squat"
    ],
    "mechanics": "compound",
    "force": "push",
    "kinetic_chain": "closed",
    "laterality": "bilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "dynamic"
    ],
    "level": "beginner"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "required": [
      [
        "dumbbell"
      ]
    ]
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "1640"
  },
  "id": "oec:dumbbell-front-squat",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Stand with feet roughly shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward.",
      "Clean or lift two dumbbells to rest one end of each dumbbell on the front of your shoulders, with elbows pointing forward and slightly up."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Brace your core and initiate the descent by bending at your knees and hips simultaneously.",
      "Lower your hips under control until your thighs reach at least parallel to the floor, keeping your torso upright and elbows elevated.",
      "Push through your midfoot and heels to reverse the movement and stand back up to full hip and knee extension."
    ],
    "breathing": "Inhale and brace your core before descending; exhale as you push past the sticking point on the ascent.",
    "cues": [
      "Keep the elbows high.",
      "Sit between your heels.",
      "Stay tall through the torso."
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Elbows dropping, causing the chest to collapse forward.",
        "correction": "Actively drive your elbows up throughout the squat to keep the upper back extended."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Heels lifting off the floor during the descent.",
        "correction": "Distribute weight evenly across the entire foot and work on ankle dorsiflexion mobility or elevate heels slightly."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Knees caving inward (valgus collapse) on the ascent.",
        "correction": "Track your knees in line with your toes throughout the movement."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "If you lose balance or reach failure, safely dump the dumbbells forward away from your body onto the floor."
      ],
      "spotter": "not-needed"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "load": {
      "convention": "per-implement",
      "implements": 2,
      "kind": "external"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "reps",
          "load"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "rpe",
          "tempo"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {
      "e1rm": true,
      "volume": true
    },
    "reps_counted": "total"
  },
  "name": "Dumbbell Front Squat",
  "provenance": {
    "generated": [
      "/name",
      "/summary",
      "/classification",
      "/anatomy",
      "/equipment",
      "/measurement",
      "/instructions",
      "/setup",
      "/relations"
    ],
    "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
    "review": {
      "status": "machine-generated",
      "model": "gemini-3.8-flash",
      "at": "2026-10-31"
    },
    "sources": [
      {
        "title": "wger: Dumbbell Front Squat",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/1640/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
        "author": "AlucardEvil40"
      }
    ]
  },
  "relations": [
    {
      "type": "substitute-for",
      "target": "oec:barbell-front-squat"
    },
    {
      "type": "regression-of",
      "target": "oec:barbell-front-squat"
    },
    {
      "type": "substitute-for",
      "target": "oec:double-kettlebell-front-squat"
    },
    {
      "type": "progression-of",
      "target": "oec:dumbbell-goblet-squat"
    },
    {
      "type": "part-of",
      "target": "oec:dumbbell-thruster"
    }
  ],
  "setup": {
    "grip": {
      "orientation": "neutral"
    },
    "load_position": "front-rack",
    "position": "standing",
    "range": "full",
    "stance": {
      "kind": "parallel",
      "width": "shoulder"
    }
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "A bilateral squat variation holding a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height in a front-rack position to emphasize the quadriceps and core."
}