Dumbbell front squat
A squat with a dumbbell resting on each shoulder. Front-loaded like a barbell front squat, with no rack needed.
The movement
Weights on the shoulders
01 Weights on the shoulders
Dumbbells resting on the front of the shoulders, elbows pointing forward.
02 Thighs parallel
Squat between the heels with the torso upright and the elbows still high.
How to do it
Setup
- Bring a dumbbell up to each shoulder so it rests on the front of the shoulder, palms facing each other.
- Point your elbows forward and down, feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out.
Execution
- Squat down between your heels, keeping your torso as upright as the weight allows.
- Go down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, with your elbows still up.
- Stand by driving your whole foot into the floor, without letting your chest fall forward.
BreathingTake a big breath at the top, hold it, and exhale on the way up.
Form cues
- Rest the weights on your shoulders; your arms only keep them there.
- Keep your elbows up to keep your chest up.
Common mistakes
- Letting your elbows drop, which pulls your torso forward and turns the squat into a hinge.
- Gripping hard and holding the dumbbells off your shoulders, which tires your arms before your legs.
- Cutting the depth short once the front load starts to feel heavy.
Worth knowing
- Getting the dumbbells to your shoulders is the risky part, not the squat. Bring them up one at a time with a flat back, and set them down and start again rather than wrestling them into place when tired.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
Holding the weight in front changes the squat. With the load ahead of your spine, your torso has to stay upright, which moves work toward the quads and asks your upper back and trunk to hold a position they can avoid in a back squat. The barbell front squat does this best, but it needs a rack and a hand position most people find genuinely uncomfortable.
The dumbbell version keeps the useful part and removes the barrier. A weight on each shoulder demands the same upright position without asking your wrists and elbows to fold into a front rack, and there is nothing to unrack. You pick the weights up and squat.
It also goes further than the goblet squat, which is the other front-loaded option. One dumbbell at your chest runs out when your grip and arms give up. Two dumbbells sitting on your shoulders do not need holding up, so your legs stay the limit for much longer.
The ceiling is getting the weights into position. Lifting two heavy dumbbells to your shoulders is a skill and a risk of its own, and at some point a barbell is simply the better tool. Until then, this covers front squatting with nothing but a pair of dumbbells.