Pause Front Squat (Barbell)
The Pause Front Squat is a barbell strength exercise where you descend into a squat with the bar racked on your shoulders and hold the bottom position for a distinct count. This variation targets the quadriceps and upper back while building immense core stability and starting strength.
The removal of the stretch reflex makes this variation significantly more fatiguing per rep than a standard squat. Iridium tracks your RPE trends specifically for this movement to adjust load recommendations and weighs the increased stress heavily against your Maximum Recoverable Volume for the quadriceps.
Form Cues
- Drive your elbows high toward the ceiling throughout the entire movement.
- Brace your core 360-degrees before initiating the descent.
- Come to a complete dead stop at the bottom for 2-3 seconds.
- Push the floor away aggressively to stand up from the pause.
- Don't let your elbows drop as you get tired.
- Don't bounce out of the bottom position; kill the momentum.
- Don't relax your core or legs during the pause.
- Don't let your upper back round forward.
Common Mistakes
- Using the stretch reflex to bounce
- Dropping elbows and rounding the back
- Cutting the pause short
- Holding breath too long causing dizziness
- relaxing tension at the bottom
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the quadriceps due to the vertical torso angle required to keep the bar racked. By pausing at the bottom, you eliminate the stretch reflex, forcing the quads and glutes to generate force from a dead stop. It also places a high demand on the thoracic extensors and core to prevent the barbell from pulling you forward.
Primary
Secondary
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