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Front squat alternatives

Back, goblet and hack squats keep a two-leg squat with different load support. A leg press offers knee-and-hip extension with the torso supported.

If front-rack practice is the purpose of the session, these do not replace that skill. For a broader squat or leg-training slot, compare load position, support and available equipment.

Two anatomical illustrations of a man performing a barbell front squat against a white background. In the left frame he stands upright with a loaded bar resting across the fronts of his shoulders, fingertips under the bar and elbows pointing forward. In the right frame he holds the same front-rack position at the bottom of a deep squat, with his heels down, knees following his slightly turned-out feet and hips below knee height. The quadriceps are highlighted bright red in both frames. The glute area, inner thighs and part of the lower legs are also shaded red in the bottom frame. No squat rack, safety arms or collars are shown.
What equipment can you use?

Choose everything you have. Some exercises need two items, such as dumbbells and a flat bench. Choose floor space for options without equipment.

Your replacements

Choose your equipment above to see replacements.

Compare all alternatives

These options need different equipment. Use the finder above to show only the setups you can use.

  • Two-frame anatomical illustration of a barbell back squat on a white background. On the left a muscular male figure stands upright, seen square from the front, with a loaded barbell across his upper back and both hands gripping it wide; from the front the bar's height on the back cannot be read. The fronts of both thighs are shaded red, as is a strip down the front of each shin. On the right the same figure is at the bottom of the rep, seen from the side and a little behind, hips at or below the knees in a deep squat with the feet flat and the toes turned out slightly; from this angle the red shading covers the fronts of the thighs and the inner thigh running up toward the groin. The buttock is in view in that frame and is not shaded, and nothing on the back of the thigh is shaded in either.

    Similar movement

    Barbell back squat

    You need: Barbell and plates + Squat rack with safeties

    Why it fits
    Keeps a free-barbell two-leg squat.
    What changes
    The bar rests on the upper back instead of the fronts of the shoulders. The rack setup and balance remain important, but front-rack demands and the working load change.
    See exercise guide
  • Anatomical illustration of a woman holding one dumbbell at her chest while performing a goblet squat, with the thighs and glutes highlighted.

    Similar movement

    Goblet squat

    You need: Dumbbells

    Why it fits
    Keeps a two-leg squat with a weight held in front of your torso.
    What changes
    The linked guide holds a single dumbbell at the chest. Your arms support it rather than a shoulder shelf, which can limit how much load you use.
    See exercise guide
  • Anatomical illustration of a man lowering and pressing a hack squat sled, with the front thighs and glutes highlighted.

    Similar movement

    Hack squat

    You need: Hack squat machine

    Why it fits
    Keeps a squat with externally loaded knee-and-hip extension.
    What changes
    The machine supports your back and guides a shoulder-pad sled. It removes the front rack and much of the free-bar balance requirement; use a new machine load.
    See exercise guide
  • Anatomical illustration of a 45-degree sled leg press, shown as two frames side by side. In both, a grey muscle-anatomy figure lies back on the angled seat of a plate-loaded sled machine with a weight plate on the carriage and both feet flat on the footplate. On the left the legs are almost straight at the top of the push, the sled high on the rails; on the right the carriage has come down and the knees are bent past a right angle, thighs close to the chest. The muscles of the thighs are highlighted in red along their whole length, the upper inner thigh at the hip most strongly; the buttocks are pressed against the pad and are not visible.

    Different movement

    Leg press

    You need: 45-degree leg press with a suitable calf-press footplate

    Why it fits
    Offers loaded knee-and-hip extension with the torso supported.
    What changes
    The seated footplate press does not practise a standing squat or front rack. Keep the pelvis against the pad and establish a separate load.
    See exercise guide
See the original exercise guide

How we choose replacements

These are curated alternatives, chosen for the movement and the job the exercise does in a workout. A shared muscle group is not enough. Read what changes before choosing: support, range of motion, balance and resistance can all differ. If your goal is to improve a specific lift, alternatives do not replace practice of that lift.

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