Dumbbell Front Squat

Muscles worked by the Dumbbell Front Squat

Primary

GlutesGluteus MaximusQuadsQuadriceps Femoris

Secondary

Lower BackErector SpinaeHamstringsHamstring MusclesAbsRectus Abdominis

Also called: glute, glutes, gluteus maximus, buttocks, butt, quad.

Equipment

Dumbbell

Also called: db, dumbell, hex dumbbell, rubber dumbbell, hand weight.

How to do the Dumbbell Front Squat

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your shoulders.
2. Keep your elbows high and torso upright.
3. Lower your hips by bending knees until thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Drive through your heels to stand back up.
5. Maintain a neutral spine throughout.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Form tips

• Keep your elbows high so the dumbbells stay racked on your shoulders.
• Sit down between your hips rather than folding forward.
• Drive through the whole foot and keep your heels down.

At a glance

Dumbbell Front Squat in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Barbell Back Squat
• Bodyweight Squat
• Box Squat
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Dumbbell Split Squat
• Front Squat
• Goblet Squat
• Hack Squat

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "dumbbell-front-squat",
  "name_en": "Dumbbell Front Squat",
  "name_de": "Kurzhantel Front-Kniebeuge",
  "name_es": "Sentadilla Frontal con Mancuernas",
  "description_en": "A squat holding dumbbells racked at the shoulders, keeping the torso upright and emphasizing the quads.",
  "description_de": "Eine Kniebeuge mit Kurzhanteln auf den Schultern — hält den Oberkörper aufrecht und betont den Quadrizeps.",
  "description_es": "Una sentadilla sosteniendo mancuernas apoyadas en los hombros, manteniendo el torso erguido y enfatizando los cuádriceps.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "push",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "intermediate",
  "equipment": "dumbbell",
  "body_part": "upper_legs",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_maximus",
    "quadriceps"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "erector_spinae",
    "hamstrings",
    "rectus_abdominis"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "hypertrophy",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "shoulder_safe",
    "lower_back_safe",
    "no_axial_load",
    "knee_safe"
  ],
  "variation_group": "squat",
  "is_unilateral": false,
  "is_bodyweight": false,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Hold a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your shoulders.",
    "Keep your elbows high and torso upright.",
    "Lower your hips by bending knees until thighs are parallel to the floor.",
    "Drive through your heels to stand back up.",
    "Maintain a neutral spine throughout.",
    "Repeat for the desired number of reps."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Halte je eine Kurzhantel auf den Schultern.",
    "Halte die Ellbogen hoch und den Oberkörper aufrecht.",
    "Senke die Hüften durch Beugen der Knie, bis die Oberschenkel parallel zum Boden sind.",
    "Drücke durch die Fersen zurück in die Ausgangsposition.",
    "Behalte eine neutrale Wirbelsäule bei.",
    "Wiederhole die gewünschte Anzahl an Wiederholungen."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Sujeta una mancuerna en cada mano apoyadas sobre los hombros.",
    "Mantén los codos en alto y el torso erguido.",
    "Baja las caderas flexionando las rodillas hasta que los muslos queden paralelos al suelo.",
    "Empuja a través de los talones para ponerte de pie.",
    "Mantén la columna en posición neutra durante todo el movimiento.",
    "Repite el número de repeticiones deseado."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Keep your elbows high so the dumbbells stay racked on your shoulders.",
    "Sit down between your hips rather than folding forward.",
    "Drive through the whole foot and keep your heels down."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Halte die Ellbogen hoch, damit die Kurzhanteln auf den Schultern liegen bleiben.",
    "Setze dich zwischen deine Hüften, statt nach vorn zu klappen.",
    "Drücke über den ganzen Fuß und halte die Fersen am Boden."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Mantén los codos altos para que las mancuernas queden apoyadas en los hombros.",
    "Siéntate entre las caderas en lugar de plegarte hacia delante.",
    "Empuja con todo el pie y mantén los talones en el suelo."
  ],
  "met": 6.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/dumbbell-front-squat-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/dumbbell-front-squat-peak.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "dumbbell-front-squat");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.