Front Squat
Quad and trunk strength in the upright posture sport actually loads
How to do it well
These are the cues the app shows on the exercise card, written for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
- Elbows high
- Chest stays up out of the hole
- Tempo
- 2s down
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFL | Lower Power | 4 × 5 | 75% 1RM |
| Rugby League | Power & Collision | 4 × 5 | 75% 1RM |
| Rugby Union | Strength (Total Body) | 5 × 4 | 80% 1RM |
| Soccer | Lower Strength + Plyo | 4 × 5 | 75% 1RM |
What it trains, and who trains it
- Muscles worked
- Quads · Glutes
- Region
- Lower body
- Prescribed in
- AFL · rugby league · rugby union · soccer · cricket · netball · hockey · boxing · MMA · dance · gymnastics · bodyweight training
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Back Squat | Max lower-body strength under the bar |
| Goblet Squat | Easy to load, joint-friendly, great depth |
| Box Squat | Controls depth, easier on the knees, builds drive out of the hole |
| Pause Squat Jump | 2s pause at the bottom of a bodyweight squat then explode up — concentric-only jump power |
| Pause Back Squat | 2s pause at the bottom — kills the bounce, real strength out of the hole for collisions |
| Safety-Bar Squat | Bar across the chest — shoulder-friendly, brutal for the upper back, great for contact athletes |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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