Front Barbell Squat

An advanced compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

Front Barbell Squat — Starting position Starting position
Front Barbell Squat — End position End position
Difficulty Advanced
Type Strength
Equipment Barbell
Primary Muscle Quads
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Front Barbell Squat

  1. This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes. To begin, first set the bar on a rack that best matches your height. Once the correct height is chosen and the bar is loaded, bring your arms up under the bar while keeping the elbows high and the upper arm slightly above parallel to the floor. Rest the bar on top of the deltoids and cross your arms while grasping the bar for total control.
  2. Lift the bar off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso.
  3. Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head up at all times as looking down will get you off balance and also maintain a straight back. This will be your starting position. (Note: For the purposes of this discussion we will use the medium stance described above which targets overall development; however you can choose any of the three stances described in the foot positioning section).
  4. Begin to slowly lower the bar by bending the knees as you maintain a straight posture with the head up. Continue down until the angle between the upper leg and the calves becomes slightly less than 90-degrees (which is the point in which the upper legs are below parallel to the floor). Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: If you performed the exercise correctly, the front of the knees should make an imaginary straight line with the toes that is perpendicular to the front. If your knees are past that imaginary line (if they are past your toes) then you are placing undue stress on the knee and the exercise has been performed incorrectly.
  5. Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor mainly with the middle of your foot as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Front Barbell Squat does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Front Barbell Squat

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Barbell Squat To A Bench

    Barbell Squat To A Bench

    An advanced compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    advanced Barbell
  2. 2 Front Barbell Squat To A Bench

    Front Barbell Squat To A Bench

    An advanced compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    advanced Barbell
  3. 3 One Leg Barbell Squat

    One Leg Barbell Squat

    An advanced compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    advanced Barbell
  4. 4 Barbell Full Squat

    Barbell Full Squat

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  5. 5 Barbell Squat

    Barbell Squat

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  6. 6 Kettlebell Pistol Squat

    Kettlebell Pistol Squat

    An advanced compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a kettlebell.

    advanced Kettlebell
  7. 7 Wide Stance Barbell Squat

    Wide Stance Barbell Squat

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  8. 8 Barbell Hack Squat

    Barbell Hack Squat

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  9. 9 Barbell Side Split Squat

    Barbell Side Split Squat

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  10. 10 Front Squat (Clean Grip)

    Front Squat (Clean Grip)

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the quads, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do front barbell squat work?

Front Barbell Squat primarily works the quads. The calves, glutes and hamstrings assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for front barbell squat?

Front Barbell Squat uses barbell.

Front Barbell Squat: is it suitable for beginners?

Front Barbell Squat is rated advanced. High skill or high load. Worth earning rather than starting with.

What can I do instead of front barbell squat?

Barbell Squat To A Bench, Front Barbell Squat To A Bench, One Leg Barbell Squat train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my front barbell squat reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; front barbell squat can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Front Barbell Squat with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.