Quads exercise
Double Kettlebell Front SquatHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Also works
- Abs, Upper back
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Double Kettlebell Front Squat?
- Clean two kettlebells to the rack: fists in front of your collarbones, bells on the outside of your forearms.
- Tuck your elbows down against your ribs and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Sit down between your heels, chest up, knees out over your toes.
- Go just below parallel, keeping the bells tight in the rack.
- Drive up through your whole foot and stand tall.
Cues
- Elbows down, wrists straight.
- Chest up, sit between your heels.
- Brace like you are about to be punched.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbows drift out so the bells pull you forward.
- Bending the wrists back.
- Cutting the depth short.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Two kettlebells held in the rack position (handles in the fists in front of the collarbones, each bell resting on the outside of its forearm, elbows down against the ribs), squatting below parallel. The load in front keeps the trunk upright and the abs and upper back working.
Starting position
Clean both bells to the rack: fists in front of the collarbones, wrists straight, bells resting on the outside of the forearms, elbows tucked down against the ribs. Feet shoulder-width, toes turned out a little. Stand tall, brace.
The movement
Sit down between the heels, knees tracking over the toes, chest up and elbows tucked so the bells stay in the rack. Go below parallel, then drive up through the whole foot to stand tall.
Breathing
Breathe in and brace at the top, hold it down and through the bottom, breathe out as you stand.
Tempo
About 2.0 s down, a brief touch at the bottom, about 1.4 s up, a short pause standing.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stance | shoulder-width (0.95–1.0 × shoulder width), toes out 17° | hip- to shoulder-width, 10–25° | |
| Depth: hip crease vs top of the knee | 5–6 cm below | 3–8 cm below (below parallel) | |
| Knee flexion at the bottom | 131° | 120–135° | |
| Trunk from vertical at the bottom | 30–32° | 20–35° | |
| Knee direction vs toe direction | within 1.5° | within 10° | |
| Rack | fists before the collarbones, elbows down on the ribs, wrists straight | the bells stay in the rack all the rep | |
| Heel lift | 0 cm | 0 cm |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Double Kettlebell Front Squat is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
Sources
- StrongFirst, "Front Squat Your Way to a Better Kettlebell Jerk" (the rack as a standing plank: elbows connected to the ribs and pointing to the ground, the bells part of the body)
- ExRx.net, "Kettlebell Front Squat" (two bells held in front of the shoulders close to the body, feet shoulder-width or a little wider, down until the thighs are just past parallel, knees pointing the same way as the feet)
- NASM Exercise Library, "Kettlebell Front Squat" (depth only as far as posture holds; don't let the elbows flare)
