Front Squat Form

Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your front squat reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.

How to do it

1. Set the bar in the rack at about collarbone height.
2. Step in so the bar sits across the front of your shoulders, against your throat, with your fingertips under the bar just outside your shoulders.
3. Lift your elbows up and forward until your upper arms are close to parallel with the floor. The bar rests on your shoulders, not your hands.
4. Unrack, step back and set your feet about shoulder width apart, toes slightly out.
5. Brace and squat straight down, keeping your elbows high and torso upright, to a depth you control.
6. Drive up leading with your elbows and chest.

Coaching cues

Elbows up

High elbows keep the bar on the shelf of your shoulders and your back upright.

Fingers, not fists

Two or three fingers under the bar is enough. The shoulders hold the weight.

Sit between your heels

Going straight down, rather than back, matches the upright torso.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Elbows dropping

Low elbows tip the torso forward and the bar rolls off your shoulders. Fix: Lead every rep up with the elbows and keep the weight manageable.

Gripping the bar tightly in fists

Forcing a full grip strains wrists that are not flexible enough yet. Fix: Use fingertips only, use straps around the bar, or use the cross-arm grip.

Sitting back like a back squat

Pushing the hips back tips the torso and loses the bar. Fix: Squat down with knees forward and chest up.

Upper back rounding

The upper back is not strong enough to hold the bar upright. Fix: Lighten the load and build up with paused front squats.

Heels lifting

Stiff ankles stop the knees going forward. Fix: Use squat shoes or small plates under the heels while you work on ankle mobility.

Muscles worked

Main: Quads, Glutes. Also: Abs, Traps, Inner thighs, Lower back.

Who should take care

If your wrists or elbows complain in the front rack, use the cross-arm grip or a goblet squat instead. See a doctor or physiotherapist about any pain that lingers.

Variations

• Goblet Squat: Easier: the same upright pattern with a single weight.
• Front Barbell Squat: Alternative grip: arms crossed over the bar, easier on stiff wrists.
• Front Squats With Two Kettlebells: Alternative: two kettlebells in the rack.
• Barbell Squat: Alternative: the back squat, which usually allows more load.

Filming your front squat

Prop the phone side-on at hip height, two to three metres away, so you can see your elbows and torso angle at the bottom. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.

Questions

How do I stop wrist pain in front squats?

Hold the bar with fingertips only, try a wider hand position, use lifting straps looped round the bar, or switch to the cross-arm grip.

Is the front squat better than the back squat?

Neither is better. The front squat is more quad and upper back focused and more upright; the back squat usually lets you lift more.

Why does the bar feel like it is choking me?

It sits close to your throat. With the elbows high, it rests on the shoulder muscles and pressure eases. It takes a few sessions to get used to.

See the Front Squat (Clean Grip) exercise guide with a 3D figure.

More form guides

• Squat form
• Deadlift form
• Lunge form
• Romanian Deadlift form
• Hip Thrust form

General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.