How is the Kettlebell Front Squat different from a goblet squat?

A goblet squat holds one kettlebell by the horns at the center of the chest, while the front squat holds two bells in the rack position on the forearms. The double rack lets you squat more total weight and works the upper back, wrists and trunk harder, while the Kettlebell Goblet Squat is easier to learn and a good first step.

Should the kettlebells rest on my forearms?

Yes. In a good rack the handle sits diagonally in the palm and the body of the bell rests on the outside of the forearm, with the wrist straight and the elbow tucked against the ribs, so the bones carry the weight instead of the grip.

Can I do a kettlebell front squat with one kettlebell?

Yes. Holding a single bell in one rack position makes it an offset squat, which adds a strong demand on the obliques to keep the torso from leaning toward the bell. Do the same number of reps with the bell on each side.

Do I have to clean the kettlebells into the rack?

Usually, yes. Cleaning is the standard way to bring the bells to the shoulders, and curling heavy bells up wastes strength and strains the elbows. If you cannot clean two at once yet, clean them one at a time and practice the Kettlebell Single-Arm Clean.

How deep should I squat?

Squat as deep as you can while your heels stay down, your torso stays upright and your lower back stays neutral. For most people with good mobility that means hips below the knees, which works the glutes and adductors through a longer range.

Kettlebell Front Squat

What Is the Kettlebell Front Squat?

Kettlebell Front Squat is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quads and also engages the glutes, adductors, core and upper back. It is an intermediate-level movement, because the lifter has to get two kettlebells into the front rack position, hold them there with straight wrists, and still have the ankle and hip mobility to squat deep with an upright torso.

Holding a bell on each shoulder puts the load in front of the body, so the torso stays upright and the knees travel forward over the toes. That makes it a strong, practical leg builder for anyone training with kettlebells alone, and a natural main lower-body lift early in a kettlebell session. It also pairs well with the clean, which is how the bells usually get into the rack, and it forms the bottom half of the Kettlebell Thruster.

The quadriceps do most of the work, while the glutes and adductors drive the hips out of the deep bottom position. Because two bells sit in front of the chest and slightly to each side, the abdominals, trunk extensors and upper back work hard to keep the torso from tipping forward. Compared with the Kettlebell Goblet Squat, where one bell is held by the horns at the center of the chest, the double rack allows more total load and asks more of the upper back, wrists and trunk. Holding a single bell in one rack turns it into an offset squat that also challenges the obliques to stop the torso leaning toward the bell.

This exercise suits lifters who have outgrown a single heavy goblet squat, people who train at home with kettlebells, and anyone who finds a barbell on the back uncomfortable for the shoulders. If it is too hard, build the pattern first with the Bodyweight Squat and the Kettlebell Goblet Squat, and learn to clean one bell at a time with the Kettlebell Single-Arm Clean before handling two.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Vastus Lateralis: Primary
Vastus Medialis: Primary
Adductor Magnus: High
Gluteus Maximus: High
Rectus Femoris: High
Erector Spinae: Medium
External Oblique: Medium
Rectus Abdominis: Medium
Soleus: Low
Upper Trapezius: Low

Instructions

Place two kettlebells of equal weight between your feet and clean both to the front rack position, with the handles in your palms and the bells resting on the outside of your forearms.
Hold your hands in front of your shoulders at about chin height, wrists straight and elbows tucked down in front of your ribs.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width and your toes turned slightly out.
Take a breath, brace your core and keep your chest up and eyes forward.
Bend your knees and hips together, sitting your hips straight down between your heels while your knees travel forward and out over your toes.
Keep your torso upright and the bells tight to your chest as you lower until your hips are below your knees, or as deep as you can go with your heels down and back neutral.
Drive through your whole foot to stand up, keeping your elbows under the bells and your knees in line with your toes.
Exhale near the top and fully straighten your hips and knees before the next rep.
After the last rep, lower the bells to your hips and then to the floor between your feet with a controlled hip hinge.

Common Mistakes

Bent wrists
Letting the wrists fold back under the bells strains the wrists and lets the kettlebells slide away from the body.
Elbows flaring out
Elbows drifting out to the sides lets the bells roll off the forearms and away from the chest, tiring the upper back and pulling the torso forward.
Pushing the hips back first
Starting the descent by sending the hips back tips the chest forward, so the bells pull on the lower back instead of sitting over the midfoot.
Heels lifting
Rising onto the toes at the bottom shifts the load onto the knees and costs balance, so widen the stance slightly or reduce depth until mobility allows more.
Knees caving in
Letting the knees collapse inward on the way up loads the inside of the knee, so keep them tracking in line with the toes.
Losing the back position at the bottom
Squatting deeper than you can control lets the lower back round under the load, so stop at the depth where the spine stays neutral.

Injuries

Kettlebell Front Squat is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The knees and lower back take the load of a deep squat, and the wrists, elbows and shoulders hold two bells in the front rack for the whole set, so a poor rack or a collapsing torso shows up quickly as discomfort.

To stay safe, set the handle diagonally across the palm so the bell rests on the outside of the forearm and the wrist stays straight, and keep the elbows tucked in front of the ribs so the bells stay tight to the chest. Lower with the hips sitting down between the heels rather than pushing back first, which keeps the torso upright and stops the bells from pulling the lower back into flexion. Knees traveling forward over the toes is a normal part of an upright squat, as long as the heels stay down and the knees follow the line of the feet.

If the rack or the depth is a problem, regress to the Kettlebell Goblet Squat, or use the Kettlebell Goblet Box Squat to control depth. Progress with heavier bells, a pause at the bottom, the Kettlebell Thruster, or the Barbell Front Squat when you want to lift more load.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the knees, hips, lower back or wrists, or numbness or tingling in the hands from the rack position. Muscle fatigue in the legs and upper back is expected; joint pain is not.

Overview

Primary Focus: Quads
Equipment: Kettlebell
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Kettlebell Front Squat

The Kettlebell Front Squat is also known as:

Double Kettlebell Front Squat

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is the Kettlebell Front Squat different from a goblet squat?: A goblet squat holds one kettlebell by the horns at the center of the chest, while the front squat holds two bells in the rack position on the forearms. The double rack lets you squat more total weight and works the upper back, wrists and trunk harder, while the Kettlebell Goblet Squat is easier to learn and a good first step.
Q: Should the kettlebells rest on my forearms?: Yes. In a good rack the handle sits diagonally in the palm and the body of the bell rests on the outside of the forearm, with the wrist straight and the elbow tucked against the ribs, so the bones carry the weight instead of the grip.
Q: Can I do a kettlebell front squat with one kettlebell?: Yes. Holding a single bell in one rack position makes it an offset squat, which adds a strong demand on the obliques to keep the torso from leaning toward the bell. Do the same number of reps with the bell on each side.
Q: Do I have to clean the kettlebells into the rack?: Usually, yes. Cleaning is the standard way to bring the bells to the shoulders, and curling heavy bells up wastes strength and strains the elbows. If you cannot clean two at once yet, clean them one at a time and practice the Kettlebell Single-Arm Clean.
Q: How deep should I squat?: Squat as deep as you can while your heels stay down, your torso stays upright and your lower back stays neutral. For most people with good mobility that means hips below the knees, which works the glutes and adductors through a longer range.