How to Front Squat + Grip Mobility (California Grip, Straps)
Channel: Barbell Logic
Date: 2019-08-02

Our complete guide to FRONT SQUATS! Learn proper front squat technique with grip variations including California grip ("crossed grip") and using straps for mobility issues. We also compare the front squat and back squat, how to program the front squat, and effective cues for fixing form errors.



The front squat is a great supplemental lift. It can fit into a program as a light day squat option, or as hypertrophy volume work after heavy deadlifts, for instance. It relies more on the quadriceps and glutes, and much less on hamstrings than a low bar squat. It can be instructive for lifters who struggle with upper back tightness, and is foundational to mastering the clean.

The bar sits across your anterior deltoids (the front of your shoulders), as opposed to your rear deltoids in the low bar squat. If you’re flexible enough, take a grip just outside of shoulder width, with thumbs wrapped around the bar.

In this position, your hands do not support the weight of the bar: your hands are simply helping to hold the bar in place (it’s fine for the bar to be held loosely in the fingers). Push your elbows forward and up until your upper arms are nearly parallel to the floor. The higher your elbows are, the more easily your deltoids can support the bar.

If you can’t wrap all fingers around the bar, you can drop the pinky and/or ring finger off the bar. You can also take a wider grip, especially if you have a shorter humerus (upper arm) and longer forearm.

Another grip variation is called the California grip or “crossed grip.” Cross your wrists in front of your body, which will allow the bar to sit in the webbing of your thumbs.

Lastly, for those who have short upper arms and long forearms, you can use straps wrapped around the bar. Grab the straps a couple inches down from where they’re attached to the bar, and push your elbows forward and up, just like you would with a normal grip. For all grips, the bar should sit on the deltoids.

Once you have found a sustainable front rack position, take a stance a little narrower than your normal back squat stance. You should be looking straight ahead the entire movement, and aim to go a few inches deeper than parallel.

Your back will be much more vertical when performing a front squat compared to a back squat. Since the bar is in front of you, heavy front squats will tend to pull you off balance forward. Counteract this by keeping your hips under your shoulders as much as possible—allowing the knees to travel forward—and focus on driving your elbows up to stay balanced.

We’ve found that one of the best cues for the front squat is simply “elbows up” or “lead with the elbows.” The key to front squats is maintaining a relatively vertical torso throughout the movement. Lifters will usually attempt to do this by “leading with the chest,” but there are drawbacks to this approach.

Excessive “chest drive” can overextend the thoracic spine, which lengthens the abdominal muscles. This destabilizes the torso—the opposite of our goal. A cue that can help here is “rib flare": instead of lifting the chest excessively, focus on flaring your ribcage out to the sides and up. This keeps your torso muscles braced firmly, maintaining a static rigidity.

We tend to program this for people who are pursuing Olympic weightlifting or as a lower body alternative that shifts the stress to the quads and glutes, away from the hamstrings and low back. 

We tend to program in the lower rep ranges-typically triples or less. Add more sets for more volume.

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0:00 Grip Options (Wide, California, Straps)
2:26 Front Squat vs Low Bar Squat
3:24 How to Front Squat
5:39 The Glutes & the Front Squat
6:43 Why Front Squat?
7:54 Air Issues
8:10 Programming --------------

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