Barbell Front Chest Squat

Setup

1. 01Set the bar at upper chest height in the rack.
2. 02Step in and rack the bar across the front delts, close to the throat.
3. 03Use a clean grip with elbows driven high, or cross the arms over the bar.
4. 04Unrack, step back, and set a shoulder-width stance with toes slightly out.

Execution

1. 01Brace and sit straight down between the hips.
2. 02Keep the elbows high so the bar stays seated on the shoulders.
3. 03Descend to at least parallel with the torso as vertical as possible.
4. 04Drive up through the whole foot, leading with the chest and elbows.

Checkpoints

• -Elbows stay high throughout; the bar rests on the shoulders, not the hands.
• -Torso stays notably more upright than in a back squat.
• -Knees track forward and out over the toes.
• -Bar stays over the mid-foot from top to bottom.

Common mistakes

• -Letting the elbows drop and the bar roll down the arms.
• -Gripping the bar hard and stressing the wrists instead of resting it on the shoulders.
• -Leaning forward out of the hole, turning it into a good morning.
• -Cutting depth because the rack position feels unstable.