A free guide by CJ Fazio

405 Front Squat Guide

The training principles, progression, and technique behind building a four-plate front squat.

The front squat is a brutally revealing lift. It uncovers your true weaknesses and strengthens your soul. It takes grit, patience, and consistency. If you lack those qualities the front squat is not for you.

Everything I know about it is in here, split into short sections. Work through them in order, or go straight to the sheet and start lifting.

PROJECT 40512-Week Training Program THE 405 PROTOCOL1 Page Front Squat Cheat Sheet
CJ Fazio at the bottom of a heavy front squat, elbows up and bar on his delts
Why listen to me

I failed over and over again so you don't have to.

I played Division 1 football and I've been training for 10+ years. I've had to fail dozens of times to get to where I'm at now. But you don't have to.

I built a system around four things: mobility, perfect technique, intelligent progressive overload, and showing up when I did not feel like it.

So don't listen to me because of my success. Listen to me because of the failures I went through.

I made this guide so you can be just as successful without all the failures.

10+ yearsOf training
DozensOf failures, so you don't have to
Proven successMobility, technique, progressive overload, showing up
How this works

Six short sections. Read them in order.

If your mobility is bad your form will be bad, and if your form is bad you cannot load the bar safely enough to progress. If you want more structure check out my 12-Week Front Squat Training Program.

1MobilityEarn the range of motion first. Ankles, hips, shoulders, upper back. 2TechniqueTen steps from setup to rep completion, plus the grip. 3Mistakes and fixesFilm yourself, find your mistake, fix what is causing it. 4ProgressionWhy the loading works the way it does. Deloads and plateaus. 5DisciplineConsistency beats perfection. The one nobody wants to hear. 6FAQFrequency, grip, wrist pain, failing points, footwear.
Why it matters

The purest measure of strength.

The front squat challenges your balance, coordination, and discipline in ways few exercises can match. It is not just a movement. It is a test of character. If you want to be a functional animal, this is the foundation of your strength, power, and explosiveness. It carries into every sport I have played. It made me a better running back, and it makes me harder to move on the jiu jitsu mat.

Core strength

A core-dominant movement that stabilizes your spine and improves posture. You build real strength from the inside out.

Leg strength

Targets your quads harder than almost anything else, and the strength carries straight over to sport.

Back strength

Strengthens your upper and mid back, which holds your posture together for life.

Total body

One compound movement that builds strength through your whole body at once.