Zercher Squat
Muscles worked: Quads, Glutes (assisted by abs).
How to do it
- This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes.
- Lift the bar up so that it is resting on top of your forearms.
- Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out.
- Begin to lower the bar by bending the knees as you maintain a straight posture with the head up.
- Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor with the ball of your foot mainly as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.
Coaching cues
The two cues IronPack shows on this exercise's card mid-workout:
- Bar in the crook of the elbows
- Brutal on the core - stay tall
Logging it
IronPack suggests working in the 5 to 8 rep range, progressing in 2.5 kg jumps when you own the top of the range. Records are tracked automatically at every rep count from 1 to 12. Loading the bar? Use the plate calculator, and check your estimated 1RM from any hard set.
Related exercises
- Deadlift - back, glutes
- Sumo Deadlift - glutes, quads
- Trap Bar Deadlift - quads, glutes
- Back Extension - glutes
Track the zercher squat properly
IronPack logs every set, tracks your records at every rep count, shows these form photos mid-workout, and turns the training into a card game you play with your mates.
Get IronPack free on the App StoreFree download, iPhone. Currently on the New Zealand App Store, wider rollout to follow.
Photos and steps: free-exercise-db (public domain). Cues, muscle weighting and logging guidance are IronPack's own app data. Last generated 2026-07-17.