Legs · Barbell
Barbell Elevated Heel Clean Grip Squat
How to do the barbell elevated heel clean grip squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set the barbell in a front-rack clean grip resting across your front delts with your elbows high, and stand with your heels on a small wedge or plates. With your feet about shoulder-width and heels elevated, bend your knees and hips to descend into a deep, upright squat. Drive through your midfoot to stand back up, keeping your torso tall and elbows lifted throughout.
- 1Feel your quads loading hard through the deep, upright squat
- 2Keep your elbows high so the bar stays racked on your shoulders
- 3Stay tall through your spine as you sit straight down
Common mistakes
- Don't let your elbows drop or the bar will roll forward
- Avoid pitching your chest forward; the heel lift keeps you upright
- Don't let your knees cave inward as you drive up
Muscles worked
The barbell elevated heel clean grip squat mainly works the quads, with the lower back, upper abs, lower abs, glutes, hamstrings, front delts, and adductors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the barbell elevated heel clean grip squat for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.