Why Everyone Should Be Doing Zercher Squats, According to A Trainer

This article was reviewed by Ashley Boyer, ACE-CPT, for accuracy.

As a personal trainer, one of my guiding philosophies is, “If it looks stupid, but it works, it’s not stupid.” 

The Zercher squat, where you “hold” a barbell in the nooks of your elbows, looks stupid. But boy does it work well for developing core stability, building muscle in your legs and glutes, and improving posture—all without requiring you to use heavy weights.

If you’ve been wondering how to do Zercher squats safely, or why athletes and bodybuilders alike swear by them, you’ve come to the right place. 

How To Do Zercher Squats 

When it comes to nailing the Zercher squat, what you do before actually squatting matters. Getting the setup right will help you squeeze the most value out of the exercise while reducing injury risk.

What you’ll need: An adjustable squat or power rack, a barbell, and weight plates; bumper plates if possible. 

Knee sleeves or a gym towel are helpful too, but not for the reason you might think. First, let’s break things down step by step:

• Adjust the hooks of the rack so that the bar sits around belly button height.

• Step up to the bar and wedge it into your elbows while clasping your hands together.

• Unrack the bar and take a stance between hip and shoulder width apart with your toes turned out to a comfortable degree.

• Inhale and brace your core, then slowly sit straight down as deep as you’re able, keeping your torso upright and lower back flat.

One big thing: Don’t actively pull the bar against your torso. Keep your elbows slightly forward so they avoid colliding with your thighs as you squat down.

Zercher squats can be quite uncomfortable, especially if you’re loading them heavily. Since the purpose of the exercise isn’t to test how much elbow pinching you can tolerate, you can wrap a thick gym towel around the bar or wear knee sleeves on your arms to reduce discomfort. 

Zercher Squat Benefits & Muscles Worked 

You should think of the exercises in your leg workouts like tools in a toolbox. Understanding all Zercher squat benefits, as well as the muscles it targets, is crucial to getting your money’s worth from the movement.

Beginner-Friendly

The technique may look intimidating, but the Zercher squat is a fantastic beginner squat variation. Loading anteriorly—that’s in front of your center of mass, or midline—makes it easier to maintain your balance.

That same position also helps you maintain an upright torso, which can reduce stress on your lower back. 

Builds Functional Strength

Let’s be clear; all strength is functional. That said, some exercises resemble things you do day-to-day more closely than others, and the Zercher squat shines here. 

From picking a box up off the ground to lifting a garage door or moving furniture, Zercher squats are phenomenal for building real-world, practical fitness. 

Activates More Muscle

The simple fact of carrying the weight in your arms rather than resting it on your back necessitates more comprehensive muscular activation patterns. 

In plain English? You’re using more than just your legs when you do Zercher squats, making them an ideal choice for anyone who enjoys full-body workouts. 

Muscles Worked by Zercher Squats

Let’s run through the muscles you’ll use when you do a Zercher squat, from most engaged to least: 

• Quadriceps

• Glutes

• Abdominals

• Upper Back 

• Biceps

• Upper Chest

You should know: The Zercher squat is mainly effective at training the quads and glutes, since those muscles actively lengthen and contract against the weight. 

Your upper back, abs, biceps, and chest are secondary muscles that contract isometrically, or without motion at their respective joints, to stabilize your body and the barbell. Put simply, you’ll develop some strength and endurance in those muscles, but the Zercher squat is not an arm exercise. 

How To Rack a Zercher Squat

For some exercises, the setup is the hardest part. If you have an adjustable rack which allows you to set a barbell around belly button height, you’re in business.

If you don’t, but you want to do Zercher squats anyway, you have a couple of options. 

However, both require a bit of athleticism and may not be suitable for everyone:

• Clean-and-Catch: If you know how to do a power clean, you can do so to get the bar up to stomach height. Instead of dropping down and catching the bar in the front rack position, meet it with your elbows.

• Deadlift It: If you have the flexibility, you can set up in a wide sumo stance, cup the bar in your elbows, and deadlift it up. 

One big thing: Neither of these methods are inherently dangerous, but they aren’t suitable for everyone, especially if you’re just getting started on your fitness journey. 

The beauty of the Zercher squat is that it is plenty challenging even without loading the bar, so if you don’t have an adjustable rack handy, don’t force yourself to do a movement you aren’t comfortable with.

Zercher Squat Variations

The Zercher technique is just one way to hold a barbell, like the front rack position (we’ll get to that). There are several Zercher squat variations you can employ if two-legged barbell squats aren’t your thing:

Single-Leg Zercher Squat

This is a standard rear-foot-elevated, or Bulgarian, split squat, done while holding a barbell in your elbows. Do this one if you want to really emphasize your core and balance. 

Zercher Cyclist Squat

A cyclist squat involves standing on a sloped surface or otherwise significantly elevating your heels; like an Olympic lifting shoe dialed up a notch. Squatting with a 1-2” wedge under your heels lets you hammer your quadriceps while limiting posterior chain stress. 

This style of squat pairs well with the Zercher position, since the anterior load also helps you stay upright and drive your knees forward for maximal quad engagement. Use light weights on this one, though. The bar itself is enough for most people. 

Zercher Lunge

Zercher lunges are single-leg squats in motion. Holding the bar in your elbows while lunging will require you to slow down your pace and squeeze your abs to prevent swinging or tilting. Try this one for a warm-up or as part of a conditioning circuit.

Zercher March

Moving away from squats a bit, in-place Zercher marches are an underrated option for a leg-day warm-up. The idea is to hold a bar in the Zercher position and then perform controlled high knees, drawing one leg up and balancing on the other. 

Alternating legs helps you get a sweat going, engages your core to brace against heavier loads later in the workout, trains your hip flexors (yes, you should do more than just stretch them), and will pump up your glutes a bit too. 

Front Squat

The front squat deserves a shout-out here too. Zercher squats are a fantastic and unique way to train your legs, but the elbow position is undeniably uncomfortable. This can limit the amount of weight you use, which in turn may slow down your gains.

Front squats force you to use a similar technique, with an upright torso, less stress on your back, and strong demands on your abs. You can also use significantly more weight, but the catch is the front rack position itself, which requires lots of mobility in your wrists and upper back. 

How to decide: If you’re at a stalemate on doing Zercher squats vs front squats, use this as a cheat sheet.

• Beginners: Do the Zercher squat without weights. It’s a phenomenal teaching tool for building a good squat.

• To Build Muscle: If you’re new to lifting weights, either exercise will work. If you have experience, go for the front squat, which will allow you to lift heavier. 

• For Strength: If you’re a strength athlete, go for the front squat. To build versatile, practical strength, stick with Zerchers. 

• Full-Body Workouts: Zercher squat. You’ll get more out of less. 

• Mobility: Front squats require more mobility, but that also means they’re better at maintaining it. 

When To Program Zercher Squats Into Your Workouts

Exercise selection separates a decent workout routine from a great one. You shouldn’t be adding or replacing exercises without knowing why, or more importantly, how. 

For a Change of Pace

Is novelty enough? Sometimes, yeah. You can swap your back squats out for Zercher squats if you want to add some variety to your training. 

Not only will this freshen things up, but we know from scientific research that regularly rotating your exercises can be more effective for building strength than doing the same moves over and over. 

More Squats, Less Back Pain

I can’t guarantee that you can perform Zercher squats if you’ve got a back injury. Those determinations rest with your doctor or physical therapist.

However, Zercher squats will apply less force to your spine than a back, front, Smith machine, or safety bar squat for three reasons:

1. You can’t use nearly as much weight

2. The bar doesn’t rest on your spine

3. The technique helps keep your trunk upright

If you’re feeling beat up from back squats or are looking for a safe avenue to return to barbell squatting after an injury or time off, Zerchers are absolutely worth trying—or check out this list of squat alternatives.

If You Can Only Do One…

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to spend two hours in the gym, twice a week, just for legs. Most of us have to make do with less—the Zercher squat is a phenomenal time-efficient exercise, especially if you enjoy full-body workouts.

It works your quads and glutes, yes, but will also develop your upper back, core, and refine your posture. If you’re just looking to stay fit and want your workouts to reflect real-world challenges, go for Zerchers. 

As a Warm-Up

Personally, I’ve used Zercher squats (and its variations) as part of my leg workout warm-ups for years. As a tall person with unspectacular mobility, I perform one to three sets of empty-bar Zercher squats as soon as I get to the squat rack.

The bar position makes it easier to hit depth while I’m still loosening up, and also gets my core engaged for the heavier lifting to follow. 

Zercher Squat Sets & Reps

Here are a few set-and-rep prescriptions for the Zercher squat I’d recommend for different purposes: 

• Your First Time: 5x5, 60 seconds rest, with the empty bar and a slow tempo.

• As a Warm-Up: 3x3, 30 seconds rest, with a light weight and very slow tempo.

• For Strength: 3x5, 2 minutes rest, with a moderate weight and normal tempo.

• For Muscle: 3x6-8, 1-2 minutes rest, with a moderate weight.

Elbow discomfort tends to diminish as you perform more Zercher squats. This makes the exercise a good candidate for a set-rep protocol that ascends in weight each set, such as pyramid training (starting with high reps and reducing each set while adding load). 

Carry Your Weight

Is the Zercher squat the best squat variation out there? I’d say it’s up there. Whether you want to sharpen your squat form, switch things up to build more strength, or get fit for whatever life throws your way, Zercher squats go the distance.

Jake Dickson graduated with a B.S. degree in Exercise Science and holds a NASM-CPT accreditation as well. As a health & wellness writer, Jake focuses on making fitness practical and accessible for any audience. Off the clock, you can find Jake at the gym or unwinding by the beach.