Strength Training · Bodybuilding · Powerlifting
Cross-Arm Front Squat
The cross-arm front squat places a barbell across your front shoulders with your arms crossed over it. It trains your thighs and glutes while your trunk works to keep you upright.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 3 min
How to do it
- Position yourself under the bar with it resting across the fronts of your shoulders.
- Cross your forearms over the bar, with your hands resting on top and your upper arms roughly parallel to the floor.
- Stand tall to lift the bar clear of the hooks.
- Step back into a roughly shoulder-width stance with your toes turned slightly outward.
- Lower your hips between your feet as far as you can while keeping your torso upright.
- Push yourself back up to a fully standing position.
- Walk forward until the bar is directly above both rack hooks.
- Lower the bar onto both hooks.
Form cues
- Brace your belly before each descent
- Keep pressure through your whole foot
- Point your knees along your toes
Common mistakes
- Supporting the bar with your handsLet your shoulders carry the weight; your hands should only keep the bar in place.
- Hips shooting up firstReduce the load until your chest and hips rise together.
- Bouncing out of the bottomLower under control so you can reverse direction without collapsing into the bottom position.
Safety
Fatigue or dropped elbows can let the bar roll forward off your shoulders. A failed rep without correctly positioned safeties can cause a fall or leave you trapped under the load.
- Set the hooks just below shoulder height and the safety supports just below the bar's lowest planned position.
- Load both sides evenly and secure the plates with collars.
- Practice the full movement with an empty bar before adding weight gradually.
- End the set if you can no longer maintain elbow height or control the bar.
If the crossed-arm position causes shoulder or neck discomfort, choose a goblet squat or get advice from a physiotherapist before loading this version.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell
- Barbell Collar
- Power Rack
- Rack Safety Supports
- Weight Plate
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–4
- Target
- 6–10 reps
- Rest
- 3 min
Choose a load that leaves you able to perform about two more controlled reps at the end of each set.