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Purpose

• excellent quad and glute builder with the load held at your chest
• front-loaded like a front squat, so the torso stays upright and you drop straight down into a deep position
• the ceiling is what you can hold at your chest rather than what your legs can drive, which makes it a natural fit for higher reps

Execution

Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell against your chest with both hands, elbows tucked under it. Feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out. Brace your trunk.

• push your hips back and down, keeping your chest up
• descend as deeply as your hips allow, elbows tracking inside your knees
• pause briefly in the bottom where the stretch is highest
• drive through your midfoot to stand back up
• keep the weight pinned to your chest the whole way

Once the weight you can hold stops being the weight your legs need, the Zercher squat gives you the same leverages. The front squat and the SS bar squat are close.

Purpose

• excellent quad and glute builder with the load held at your chest
• front-loaded like a front squat, so the torso stays upright and you drop straight down into a deep position
• the ceiling is what you can hold at your chest rather than what your legs can drive, which makes it a natural fit for higher reps

Execution

Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell against your chest with both hands, elbows tucked under it. Feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly out. Brace your trunk.

• push your hips back and down, keeping your chest up
• descend as deeply as your hips allow, elbows tracking inside your knees
• pause briefly in the bottom where the stretch is highest
• drive through your midfoot to stand back up
• keep the weight pinned to your chest the whole way

Once the weight you can hold stops being the weight your legs need, the Zercher squat gives you the same leverages. The front squat and the SS bar squat are close.