Front squat
Front squat for beginners: building the front rack, keeping elbows high, staying upright, fixing wrist pain and four scaling steps to a loaded bar.
What the front squat is
The front squat is a barbell squat with the bar resting in the front rack position, on the front of the shoulders with the elbows pointed forward and high. It trains the legs, an upright torso and a strong upper back, and it is the receiving position for the clean and the first half of the thruster. A beginner starts with a PVC pipe or empty barbell, learning the front rack before adding any weight.
Why it is in class
The front squat earns its place because it ties leg strength to the Olympic lifts. Every clean ends in a front squat or a partial one, and the thruster is a front squat that finishes overhead, so building this position pays off across many workouts. The bar sitting in front of you forces a more upright torso than the back squat, which asks a lot of your upper back and trunk. In daily life, that maps onto carrying something heavy in front of your body: a box of books, a bag of soil, a sleeping child. It also tends to expose ankle, wrist and upper back stiffness, which gives you and your coach a clear list of things to improve.
Points of performance
What a good rep looks like, from setup to finish.
Build the front rack
Take the bar from the rack with your hands just outside your shoulders. Let the bar settle on the front of your shoulders, close to your throat, and drive your elbows forward and up. Your fingertips can stay under the bar with a loose grip, because the shoulders carry the weight, not the wrists.
Elbows high
Lift the elbows until your upper arms are close to parallel with the floor. High elbows keep the bar on the shelf of your shoulders and keep your upper back from rounding. If the elbows drop, the bar slides forward and pulls you with it.
Upright descent
Breathe in, brace and sit straight down between your heels, letting your knees travel forward more than they would in a back squat. Keep your chest tall and the bar directly over the middle of your foot the whole way down.
Depth with the elbows up
Reach full depth with your hip crease below the top of the knee while your elbows stay lifted. The bottom is where most front squats get lost, so think about pushing the elbows toward the ceiling right as you change direction.
Stand and finish
Drive through the whole foot, lead with the elbows and chest, and stand to full hip and knee extension. Breathe out at the top, rebrace, and keep the rack position set for the next rep. Rerack by walking the bar forward into the hooks.
Common beginner faults, and the fix
Elbows drop
What it looks likeOn the way up, the elbows point toward the floor, the upper back rounds and the bar rolls forward off the shoulders.
The fixCue elbows up out of the bottom. Paused front squats and front rack holds with a light bar teach you to keep them high under fatigue. Mobility work for the lats and triceps may help, so ask your coach for drills.
Wrist pain in the rack
What it looks likeThe lifter grips the bar tightly in the palms with the wrists cranked back, and the wrists ache after a few reps.
The fixLoosen the grip so only two or three fingers stay under the bar, and lift the elbows. A wider grip, or crossing the arms in front for now, can help. Tell your coach if the discomfort continues.
Heels rise
What it looks likeWeight drifts toward the toes as the knees push forward, and the heels peel up in the bottom.
The fixSit down between your heels instead of forward. Pause at depth to find balance. A small heel elevation can be used while ankle mobility improves.
Folding at the hips
What it looks likeThe torso tips forward the way it might in a back squat, which pulls the bar off the shoulders.
The fixReduce the load and use a goblet squat to practice staying upright. Think of keeping the bar stacked over the middle of the foot from top to bottom.
Where you start, and where it goes
Every movement in class has a version that fits you today.
Start here
Goblet squat to teach an upright torso, plus front rack holds and front squats with a PVC pipe.
Next step when: You can hold a front rack with a pipe, elbows high, for 20 to 30 seconds and squat to depth upright.
Building
Empty barbell or lighter training bar front squats, sets of 3 to 5 with pauses at the bottom, working on elbows up throughout.
Next step when: Your rack position is comfortable enough that your attention moves from your wrists to your legs.
Full movement
Loaded front squats in the sets your coach programs, with a clean unrack and full depth every rep.
Next step when: Weight climbs steadily while elbows, depth and torso angle stay consistent.
Beyond
Heavier front squats, front squats straight out of a clean, and higher volume inside conditioning work such as thrusters.
Next step when: Your coach will guide when to pair the front squat with the clean and how to test heavier singles.
Front squat in real classes
2 videos from the gym floor in San Clemente, shared by our coaches and members.
Learning it in your first classes
Learning the front squat in a coached class usually begins with the rack position alone, before anyone squats. Your coach may have you hold a pipe or empty bar on your shoulders and find a grip that keeps your elbows high without straining your wrists. Expect them to watch your elbows at the bottom, your heels, and whether your torso stays tall. Tell your coach about any wrist, elbow or shoulder history, because the rack asks a lot of those joints at first. If something hurts rather than feels stretched, stop and say so, and check with a doctor or physical therapist when pain persists.
What your first class at O-SEA CrossFit is like · How On-Ramp teaches the movements
Questions beginners ask
Why does the front squat hurt my wrists?
Wrist discomfort in the front squat usually comes from gripping the bar tightly in the palm while the elbows sit low. Let the bar rest on your shoulders, loosen your fingers so only a few stay under the bar, and lift your elbows. Tell your coach if it keeps hurting so they can adjust your grip or the variation.
Should I front squat less weight than I back squat?
Most lifters front squat less weight than they back squat because the front rack demands more from the upper back and trunk. That is normal and expected. Choose a front squat weight you can hold with high elbows and full depth, and let your coach guide the jumps as your position improves.
Can I cross my arms instead of using the front rack?
A crossed arm front squat is a useful temporary version for lifters whose wrists or shoulders are not ready for the full front rack. It keeps the squat training going while you work on mobility. Your coach will help you move toward the standard rack, because the clean and thruster depend on it.
What is the difference between a front squat and a back squat?
In the front squat, the bar sits on the front of the shoulders, so the torso stays more upright and the knees travel further forward. In the back squat, the bar sits across the upper back, which allows a little more forward lean and usually more weight. Both build leg strength while training different positions.
How do I keep my elbows up in the front squat?
Keeping your elbows up in the front squat starts with a looser grip and a deliberate push of the elbows forward before you descend. Think about driving them toward the ceiling as you leave the bottom. Front rack holds and pauses with a light bar build the strength to hold that position late in a set.
Related movements
Learn the front squat with a coach beside you
Every class at O-SEA CrossFit is coached and every movement scales. Your first one is free.