Zercher Squat

Setup & Positioning

"Set a barbell in a rack just below chest height. Step in close, hook your arms under the bar so it rests in the bend of your elbows, and clasp your hands together. Step back into your squat stance with feet about shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out. Brace your core, chest tall."

Key point: “Think of hugging the weight tight against your torso to stay upright and stable.”

Alternatives if no barbell available: Use a kettlebell, sandbag, or medicine ball held in the crooks of your elbows.

Execution

"Initiate the squat by pushing your hips back slightly, then bend your knees to lower down under control. Keep your chest tall and elbows close to your body. Descend until thighs are at least parallel to the floor, then drive through your heels to stand tall, squeezing your glutes at the top."

Body Alignment Cues

• Head/Neck: Neutral, gaze forward.
• Shoulders: Stay back and down, resisting rounding.
• Core: Braced hard to resist collapsing forward.
• Elbows: Tucked close, not drifting away from body.
• Knees: Track in line with toes.

Where You Should Feel It

• Quads and glutes as prime movers
• Core and upper back engaged to keep upright posture
• Biceps and forearms lightly supporting the bar position

Where You Shouldn’t Feel It

• Sharp knee pain (usually from collapsing inward)
• Lower back strain from leaning forward excessively
• Elbow discomfort from poor bar placement (can pad bar with a towel or squat pad if needed)

Breathing

"Inhale and brace at the top, hold tension as you lower, then exhale as you drive up from the bottom of the squat."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Letting the chest collapse forward—loses quad and core engagement.
2. Allowing elbows to drift away from the torso.
3. Using too much weight too soon—this variation demands strict form.
4. Rushing the descent instead of controlling it.