Dumbbell Front Squat
A squat with a dumbbell held at each shoulder, front loading the body to keep the torso upright.
How to do it
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your toes turned out slightly.
- Hold a dumbbell at each shoulder with the palms facing inward and elbows high.
- Lift your chest, brace your abdominals and take a deep breath.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees, keeping the dumbbells stable.
- Lower until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor.
- Press through your midfoot and drive your hips forward to stand tall.
Key technique cue
Elbows high; don't let the dumbbells pull your chest down.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Dropping the elbows, which pulls the dumbbells forward and rounds the upper back.
- ✕ Letting the knees cave inward instead of tracking over the toes.
- ✕ Rising onto the toes because of limited ankle range or an excessive forward lean.
- ✕ Stopping short of parallel, which cuts the range the quads are being trained through.
Benefits
- ✓ Front loading enforces an upright torso and a more quad dominant squat.
- ✓ Avoids the wrist and shoulder mobility a barbell front rack requires.
- ✓ Trains the abdominals and upper back to resist flexion under load.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Dumbbell Front Squat
- Heel Elevated Dumbbell Front Squat
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Step 2 -
Step 3
About the exercise
The dumbbell front squat puts the load in front of the body instead of on the back. Holding a dumbbell at each shoulder with the elbows high forces an upright torso, because letting the chest drop sends the weights forward and out of position. That upright posture shifts more of the work onto the quadriceps and asks the abdominals and upper back to resist flexion the whole way down. The gluteus maximus extends the hips out of the bottom while the hamstrings and adductors assist.
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