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Quad exercises

Zercher squat

What is a zercher squat?

A squat with the bar supported in the bends of your elbows in front of your body.

Anatomical illustration of a man supporting a barbell in his elbow bends, standing and squatting, with thighs and glutes highlighted.

How do you perform a zercher squat?

Set up

  1. Set the bar in a rack at elbow height, with safety bars below your planned squat depth.
  2. Cradle the bar in your elbow bends, join your hands and step back into a comfortable stance.

Execution

  1. Brace your trunk and lower by bending your hips and knees, keeping the bar close.
  2. Descend only as far as you can keep your feet planted and the bar supported.
  3. Push through your feet to stand, then return the bar to the rack after the set.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the bar roll away

    Keep your elbows tucked enough to support the load.

Where it fits in a session

Use as a squat in a leg session; allow time to practise the elbow hold before loading it.

Keep your elbows tucked enough to support the load.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Variations

  • 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.
    Front squatThe bar rests across the front shoulders rather than in the elbow bends.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

Should I take the bar from a rack?

Set the bar in a rack at elbow height, with safety bars below your planned squat depth. Cradle the bar in your elbow bends, join your hands and step back into a comfortable stance.

How deep should I squat?

Descend only as far as you can keep your feet planted and the bar supported. Keep your elbows tucked enough to support the load.

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