Legs · Barbell
Barbell Front Bench Squat
How to do the barbell front bench 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
Rack a barbell across your front delts with elbows high and stand in front of a bench. Squat down under control until your glutes lightly touch the bench, then drive through your heels to stand back up while keeping your torso upright.
- 1Quads and core working as you sit down toward the bench
- 2Elbows high and chest up so the bar stays racked on your shoulders
- 3Heels driving the floor away as you stand
Common mistakes
- Dropping your elbows or letting your chest fall forward
- Crashing down onto the bench or bouncing off it
- Letting the knees cave in or the heels lift
Muscles worked
The barbell front bench squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, upper abs, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
Kovo programs the barbell front bench 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.