Barbell Front Squat
What Barbell Front Squat really gives you is control through the whole range, driven by heavy bilateral barbell loading.
How to do Barbell Front Squat
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
- Hold the barbell in front of your shoulders, resting it on your collarbone and shoulders.
- Engage your core and keep your chest up as you lower your body down into a squat position, pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
- Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as you can comfortably go.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Front Squat Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
5 sets of 2-4 reps with 3-5 minutes of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Hypertrophy
4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Endurance
3-4 sets of 18-25 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Common Barbell Front Squat Mistakes
Bouncing the bar to get through the hardest inch
Pause briefly so the muscle, not the rebound, does the work.
Letting a nearby joint take over as the set gets hard
Stop the set as soon as the working joint stops leading the movement.
Easier and Harder Than Barbell Front Squat
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Barbell Front Squat — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Barbell Front Squat?
Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Hold the barbell in front of your shoulders, resting it on your collarbone and shoulders. Engage your core and keep your chest up as you lower your body down into a squat position, pushing your hips back and bending your knees. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Barbell Front Squat work?
The Barbell Front Squat primarily targets the glutes. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Front Squat should I do?
For muscle growth: 4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Barbell Front Squat good for beginners?
Not usually. The Barbell Front Squat is an advanced movement that assumes existing strength and joint control. Build up through easier legs progressions first, then add this once the basics feel comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Barbell Front Squat?
Try the Sled Hack Squat, Smith Deadlift or the Exercise Ball One Legged Diagonal Kick Hamstring Curl. Each trains the glutes with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
