Barbell Front Squat

Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the barbell in front of your body at shoulder height, with your palms facing upwards. Engage your core and keep your torso upright throughout the movement. Bend at your knees and hips, lowering your body into a squat position while keeping your chest up and back straight. Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or as low as your mobility allows. Pause briefly at the bottom, then push through your heels to stand back up to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Barbell Front Squat

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Front Squat using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your quadriceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your quadriceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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Variations of Barbell Front Squat

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