Kettlebell Front Squat

Secondary muscles
Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Body part
Upper Legs
Position
Standing
Laterality
Bilateral (both sides together)
Category
Strength

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Both hands wrap the kettlebell tight against your sternum here, keeping the load closer to the body than a goblet hold and leaving you free to focus on dropping upright between the knees. A single bell caps the weight, so treat it as quality movement work - sets of 8-15 - that slots neatly into kettlebell circuits.

How to do the Kettlebell Front Squat

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
  2. Hold the kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest, close to your body.
  3. Engage your core and keep your chest up as you lower your hips down and back, as if sitting into a chair.
  4. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as you can comfortably go.
  5. Drive through your heels to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Tip: Screw the feet into the floor and spread it apart to keep the knees out and the arch of the foot from collapsing.

Muscles worked

Primary

Glutes · Legs

The glutes extend the hip on the way up and take more of the load the deeper you go and the wider your stance.

Secondary

  • Quads — The quads extend the knee and drive you out of the bottom, and front squats and close stance variations put more on them.
  • Hamstrings
  • Calves

Common mistakes

  • Knees caving inward — push the knees out over the toes on the way up, especially out of the bottom where they most want to collapse.
  • Hips shooting up first — if the hips rise faster than the chest on the way up, you turn the squat into a good morning; drive the chest and hips up together.
  • Cutting the depth — get the hip crease below the top of the knee on every rep unless mobility genuinely stops you, in which case work on it.
  • Losing the brace — take a big breath into the belly before each rep and hold it through the sticking point, then exhale on the way up.

Sets, reps and where it fits

GoalSets × repsRest
Strength4–5 × 3–62–3 min
Muscle growth3–4 × 6–1290–120 s
Endurance2–3 × 12–2060 s

Squats go first in a lower body session when you are freshest. Follow them with Romanian deadlifts or leg press, or superset lighter sets with pull-ups to use the same rack.

Variations and alternatives

Similar exercises

Without kettlebell

Easier and harder

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Kettlebell Front Squat work?

The Kettlebell Front Squat primarily works the glutes. It also involves the quads, hamstrings and calves, which assist the movement and stabilise the joints.

Is the Kettlebell Front Squat good for beginners?

It is rated intermediate, so it suits people who already train regularly. Beginners can still do the Kettlebell Front Squat with light load and a spotter or coach watching the first few sessions; if it feels awkward, pick an easier variation from the alternatives below first.

What can I do instead of the Kettlebell Front Squat?

If you cannot do the Kettlebell Front Squat, try the Curtsy Lunge, the Box Bulgarian Split Squat or the Supported Bodyweight Squat. Each of them trains the glutes through a similar movement, so you can swap them in without changing the rest of the workout.

How many sets and reps should I do?

It depends on your goal. For the Kettlebell Front Squat, a sensible starting point is strength: 4–5 × 3–6 with 2–3 min rest; muscle growth: 3–4 × 6–12 with 90–120 s rest; endurance: 2–3 × 12–20 with 60 s rest. Put it early in the session while you are fresh, before isolation work for the same muscles.

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