Barbell Clean-Grip Front Squat

1. Set up a barbell on a squat rack at approximately chest height. 2. Position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the barbell, with your palms facing upwards. 3. Step underneath the barbell, ensuring it rests on the front of your shoulders and collarbone. 4. Stand up and step back from the squat rack, maintaining a stable and balanced stance with your feet shoulder-width apart. 5. Slowly lower your body by bending at your knees and hips, keeping your chest up and core engaged. 6. Continue descending until your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower if you have the necessary flexibility. 7. Pause momentarily in the squat position, then push through your heels to rise back up to the starting position. 8. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, maintaining proper form throughout. 9. Once finished, either safely re-rack the barbell or carefully place it back on the squat rack.

How to perform the Barbell Clean-Grip Front Squat

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Clean-Grip Front Squat using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your quadriceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your quadriceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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