Squat Burpee with Front Raise

The squat burpee with front raise is a bodyweight conditioning exercise that links a squat, a plank and push-up, and a stand-up with both arms raised to shoulder height in one rep. Against a standard burpee, the feet jump back from and return to a full squat instead of a crouch, so the quads work through a longer range, and the top jump is replaced with a straight-arm front raise that keeps theshouldersworking while the heart rate stays high. Coaches program it as a circuit station or as a finisher after strength work.

What Muscles Does the Squat Burpee with Front Raise Work?

• Primary: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, anterior deltoid (front shoulder)
• Secondary: Pectoralis major, triceps brachii, hip flexors
• Tertiary: Rectus abdominis, erector spinae, serratus anterior

How Do You Set Up for the Squat Burpee with Front Raise?

Clear a space about two body lengths long on a firm, non-slip floor. Stand at one end with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed slightly out, arms hanging at your sides. Pull your ribs down, squeeze your glutes and spread your weight across the whole foot. Look at a point on the floor about a body length ahead, where your hands will land, and take a breath in.

How Do You Perform the Squat Burpee with Front Raise?

1. Squat down until your thighs reach parallel and place both palms flat on the floor just inside your feet.
2. Jump both feet back into a straight plank, shoulders over your wrists and hips level with your shoulders.
3. Lower your chest to the floor with elbows tucked at 45 degrees, then press back up to the plank.
4. Jump both feet forward to land flat outside your hands, back in the full squat.
5. Stand up by driving through your heels while both straight arms swing forward and up to shoulder height, palms down.
6. Lower your arms to your sides and stand tall for a beat before dropping into the next squat.

What Are the Key Form Cues?

• Land in a squat, not a crouch: aim your feet outside your hands on the jump forward so your hips drop into a real squat.
• Raise, do not swing: at the top, lift the arms with the front shoulders and stop them at eye level rather than letting momentum throw them overhead.
• Snap the hips level with the shoulders the instant your feet land in the plank.
• Keep your thumbs pointing up on the raise so your shoulders stay open.
• Breathe out on the push-up and again on the stand-up so the rhythm never locks.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes?

• Rushing the rep for a faster count: the plank sags, the squat becomes a crouch and the raise a flail, so slow down until every position is clean.
• Letting the hips sag in the plank: the lower back arches under load as the feet land, so brace before your feet hit.
• Landing the feet behind the hands: the knees cannot bend into a squat and the stand-up becomes a good morning, so aim the feet outside and level with the hands.
• Shrugging on the front raise: the upper traps take over from the front shoulder, so keep your shoulders down and stop the arms at shoulder height.
• Skipping the full push-up: the chest hovers and the elbows barely bend, so touch the chest to the floor or slow the rep.

What Are the Best Squat Burpee with Front Raise Variations?

• Step-back squat burpee: step the feet back and in one at a time instead of jumping, the low-impact regression.
• Squat burpee with dumbbell front raise: light dumbbells in each hand load the raise and the squat.
• Squat burpee with tuck jump: replace the raise with a jump for more leg power and less shoulder work.
• Single-leg squat burpee: stand up on one leg from the squat, alternating sides, for a unilateral version.
• Advanced burpee: the standard burpee with a jump and overhead clap, for max pace.

How Do You Progress the Squat Burpee with Front Raise?

• Add 3 to 5 pound dumbbells for the raise once you finish every set at 12 reps with a clean plank and full squat.
• Add 2 reps per set each week, working from 6 up to 12.
• Add one set per session, up to 5, before adding load.
• Hold the front raise for two seconds at shoulder height, or add a one-second pause in the bottom of the squat.

How Should You Program the Squat Burpee with Front Raise?

Program the squat burpee with front raise as a finisher after your strength work or as a station in a bodyweight circuit, never before heavy squats. Use it two to three times per week for 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 12 reps, resting 45 to 90 seconds between sets. Pair it with an inverted row, since the rep contains a push-up and a raise but no pull.