Legs · Smith Machine
Smith Front Squat
How to do the smith front squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Smith Machine
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set the Smith machine bar across your front deltoids and collarbone with elbows high. Unrack the bar and squat down while keeping your torso upright, then drive through your heels along the fixed bar path to stand back up.
- 1Keep your elbows high and feel your quads and core working as you sit
- 2down
- 3Stay balanced over your mid-foot as the bar tracks the fixed path
- 4At the bottom, hold tension and push through your heels to stand
Common mistakes
- Do not let your elbows drop or your chest fall forward
- Avoid letting your knees cave inward or your heels lift
- Do not lose your brace; breathe and reset between reps
Muscles worked
The smith front 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 smith front 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.