Heels-Elevated Double Kettlebell Front Squat: Deep and Upright
Heels raised, two bells in the rack, squat deep with your knees forward and your torso upright. The hardest step of the heels-elevated squat.
2 min read
Why it works: Chapter 13, Why stretching your hamstrings will not loosen them
How to do it
- 1
Heels up, bells racked
Heels on a small plate or wedge. Clean both bells to the rack, elbows in.
- 2
Brace
Tighten your trunk and keep breathing behind it.
- 3
Knees forward, chest up
Squat straight down, knees travelling over your toes, torso upright, elbows in front.
- 4
Deep as you stay upright
Go as low as you can without your chest dropping.
- 5
Stand up
Drive up and stand tall. Park the bells at the end.
- 6
The test
Torso upright at the bottom. When your chest drops, the set is over.
Watch for
- Chest dropping as the bells pull you forward.
- Elbows flaring so the bells slip.
- A wobbly wedge. Set it up firmly before you rack the bells.
Questions
Is a heels-elevated front squat hard on the knees?
Not for healthy knees. Knees travelling past your toes are fine; it loads the fronts of your thighs more. Build depth gradually across the sets, and stay with the one-bell version until that feels easy.
What weight for a heels-elevated double front squat?
Two matching bells, lighter than for a flat double front squat, since you go deeper.