How many sets and reps of the dumbbell front-rack squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with a pair of dumbbells you can hold comfortably in the rack for the whole set. Add weight only once grip and shoulders stop being the limiting factor before the legs are.

What can I do instead of the dumbbell front-rack squat without dumbbells?

Hold a single heavy object like a sandbag or a loaded backpack against the chest with both arms instead. A goblet squat holding one dumbbell or kettlebell in front of the chest works as a simpler stand-in too.

What is the dumbbell front-rack squat good for, and when is it not the right choice?

It's a barbell-free way to train a heavy, upright squat pattern, useful when a barbell isn't free or the barbell front rack hurts your wrists. It's a poor choice for very heavy strength work, since grip and shoulder fatigue usually cap the load well before the legs are actually challenged.

Intermediate

Dumbbell Front-Rack Squat

Resting the dumbbells on the front of the shoulders keeps the load ahead of the spine, forcing a vertical torso and heavy quad involvement much like a barbell front squat. It's a great alternative when a barbell isn't available or the barbell front rack hurts your wrists. Keep the reps moderate, since holding the dumbbells up is often the limiting factor.

Equipment: Dumbbell
Body part: Quads
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis
Browse by movement: Squat

How to do it

1
Clean or curl two dumbbells up and rest one head of each on the front of your shoulders.
2
Keep the elbows up and pointing forward, feet about shoulder-width.
3
Brace your midsection and take a breath.
4
Squat straight down with a tall chest until the thighs reach at least parallel.
5
Keep the dumbbells pressed into the shoulders throughout.
6
Drive up through the whole foot to stand, keeping the elbows high.

Tips

Keep the elbows up, if they drop the dumbbells roll off your shoulders.
Let the knees travel forward to load the quads while the torso stays vertical.
Pick a weight you can hold in the rack for the whole set, grip and delts often fail first.

Variations

Common mistakes

The torso tips forward as the squat gets heavy, the exact fault the front-rack position is supposed to prevent by keeping the load ahead of the spine.
The dumbbells drift away from the shoulders toward the front of the body as the set goes on, turning the front rack into an unsupported hold out in front.
Resting the dumbbell heads on the collarbone instead of spreading the load across the front of the shoulder digs in painfully and cuts the set short for the wrong reason.
The wrists bend back to cradle the dumbbells instead of staying stacked, adding wrist strain that has nothing to do with the squat itself.
Racing through the reps to beat a fading grip skips the pause and control at the bottom that makes the squat worth doing.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the dumbbell front-rack squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps with a pair of dumbbells you can hold comfortably in the rack for the whole set. Add weight only once grip and shoulders stop being the limiting factor before the legs are.
What can I do instead of the dumbbell front-rack squat without dumbbells?: Hold a single heavy object like a sandbag or a loaded backpack against the chest with both arms instead. A goblet squat holding one dumbbell or kettlebell in front of the chest works as a simpler stand-in too.
What is the dumbbell front-rack squat good for, and when is it not the right choice?: It's a barbell-free way to train a heavy, upright squat pattern, useful when a barbell isn't free or the barbell front rack hurts your wrists. It's a poor choice for very heavy strength work, since grip and shoulder fatigue usually cap the load well before the legs are actually challenged.

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