Exercise Comparison
All Fours Quad Stretch vs Front Squat (Clean Grip)




Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in All Fours Quad Stretch
Only in Front Squat (Clean Grip)
Instructions
All Fours Quad Stretch
Start off on your hands and knees, then lift your leg off the floor and hold the foot with your hand.
Use your hand to hold the foot or ankle, keeping the knee fully flexed, stretching the quadriceps and hip flexors.
Focus on extending your hips, thrusting them towards the floor. Hold for 10-20 seconds and then switch sides.
Front Squat (Clean Grip)
To begin, first set the bar in a rack slightly below shoulder level. Rest the bar on top of the deltoids, pushing into the clavicles, and lightly touching the throat. Your hands should be in a clean grip, touching the bar only with your fingers to help keep it in position.
Lift the bar off the rack by first pushing with your legs and at the same time straightening your torso. Step away from the rack and position your legs using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Keep your head and elbows up at all times. This will be your starting position.
Bend at the knees, sitting down between your legs. Continue down until your hamstrings are on your calves. Keep your knees aligned with your feet by consciously using your abductors to push your knees out as you squat.
Begin to raise the bar as you exhale by pushing the floor mainly with the heel or middle of your foot as you straighten the legs again and return to the starting position.
Verdict
Both exercises target the quadriceps. All Fours Quad Stretch is a intermediate exercise using bodyweight, while Front Squat (Clean Grip) is intermediate and uses barbell. Choose All Fours Quad Stretch if you have access to bodyweight, or Front Squat (Clean Grip) if you prefer barbell.