Legs · Barbell
Barbell Zercher Squat Hold
How to do the barbell zercher squat hold, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Expert
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Isometric
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold a barbell in the crooks of your elbows tight to your chest and stand with feet about shoulder-width. Squat down into position and hold isometrically, keeping your elbows up and core braced.
- 1Your quads, glutes, and core bracing hard to hold the position
- 2The bar pinned tight in your elbows against your chest
- 3An upright torso with your elbows held high
Common mistakes
- Letting the bar slide forward out of your elbows
- Letting your knees cave in or your chest drop
- Holding your breath; stay braced and breathe shallowly
Muscles worked
The barbell zercher squat hold mainly works the quads and glutes, with the lower back, upper abs, hamstrings, biceps, forearms, lower abs, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- BicepsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper TrapsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell zercher squat hold 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.