StrongMan Front Chest Squat

How to do the StrongMan Front Chest Squat

1. 1Set the barbell in a squat rack at approximately upper-chest height, then step up and position the bar across your front deltoids and upper chest — the bar should sit in the groove between your shoulders and throat.
2. 2Cross your arms over the bar (each hand gripping the opposite shoulder) or cup your hands beneath the bar with elbows raised high, whichever allows you to keep the bar stable; elbows should be parallel to the floor or slightly above.
3. 3Unrack the bar by standing tall, take two small steps back, and set your feet shoulder- to hip-width apart with toes turned out 15–30 degrees.
4. 4Take a deep breath into your belly, brace your core hard as if bracing for a punch, and keep your chest tall and elbows up throughout the entire movement.
5. 5Begin the descent by pushing your knees out in line with your toes while hinging slightly at the hips, lowering under control until your thighs are parallel to the floor or deeper if mobility allows.
6. 6At the bottom, maintain an upright torso — do not let the elbows drop or the upper back round, as this will cause the bar to roll off the chest.
7. 7Drive through the full foot, push your knees out, and stand back up with a controlled, powerful extension of the hips and knees simultaneously.
8. 8Exhale at the top of the rep, reset your brace, then perform the next repetition.
9. 9After completing your set, step forward to re-rack the bar safely — never drop the elbows to attempt a forward dump.

Form tips

• Keep your elbows as high as possible throughout the squat — the moment the elbows drop, the bar slides forward off the chest and the load shifts dangerously to the lower back.
• Wear flat or minimal-heel footwear, or elevate your heels on small plates if ankle mobility limits your depth, so you can maintain an upright shin and chest without compromising position.
• Engage your lats by thinking 'protect your armpits' — this tightens the upper back shelf the bar sits on and prevents the torso from caving forward under heavy loads.
• Use a spotter or squat-rack safety pins set just below parallel when training near maximal loads; because the bar is cradled rather than fixed to the hands, a failed rep must be dumped forward, so clear the area ahead and be comfortable doing so safely before going heavy.
• Start lighter than you expect to need — the front-loaded position shifts tension to the quads more acutely than a back squat, so your quad strength or upper-back endurance may limit you before your legs fatigue.

Common mistakes

• Dropping the elbows as fatigue sets in — this tilts the bar forward, shifts stress to the lower back, and risks losing the bar off the chest entirely; actively cue high elbows even when it feels uncomfortable.
• Allowing the knees to cave inward (valgus collapse) at the bottom, which reduces glute and quad power output and increases knee joint stress — push the knees out actively throughout the descent and ascent.
• Leaning excessively forward with the torso, which defeats the purpose of the front-loaded position and overloads the spinal erectors rather than the quads and glutes; an upright trunk is the defining feature of any front squat.
• Using too narrow a stance, which limits hip flexor and adductor range and forces early heel rise or butt-wink at the bottom — experiment with foot width and toe flare to find a stance that lets you reach depth comfortably.
• Holding the breath for multiple reps rather than resetting the brace at the top of each rep — on heavier sets, reset your breath and brace each rep to maintain intra-abdominal pressure and protect the spine.

Frequently asked questions