What you'll gain

Removes direct axial spinal loading while still training a heavy squat pattern.
Forces an upright torso, which suits lifters who tend to pitch forward in a back squat.
Produces lower knee compressive force than an equivalent posterior loaded squat.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1
Set the barbell in a rack at about waist height and step close to it.
2
Cradle the bar in the crooks of your elbows with your elbows around shoulder width.
3
Interlace your fingers with the knuckles facing up and stand tall with the bar close to your body.
4
Step back and take a stance slightly wider than your usual squat.
5
Break at the hips and descend with your chest up until your elbows reach the inside of your thighs.
6
Drive through the whole foot and stand back up, keeping the bar centered and tight to your torso.

Common Mistakes

Setting the bar off center, which makes it slide sideways in the elbows under load.
Holding the bar away from the body, which loads the lower back instead of the legs.
Placing the elbows too narrow or too wide, which loses the shelf that holds the bar.
Training the lift while fatigued, since a failed rep with the bar in the elbows is hard to dump safely.

About This Exercise

The Zercher squat carries the bar in the crease of the elbows in front of the body. That front loading forces the torso upright and lets the lifter reach a deep knee bend, so the quadriceps and glutes take the drive while the trunk, upper back, and biceps work continuously to keep the bar from sliding forward. Biomechanical comparison of anterior and posterior loaded squats found the front loaded version produced lower knee compressive force while recruiting the same musculature, and the Zercher position removes direct axial load from the spine. For a catalog this clip covers the strongman end of a barbell library. It suits advanced barbell tracks, core-under-load content, and program builders that need a squat for lifters who cannot rack a bar on the back or shoulders.

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