Correction for dropping elbows during a front squat.

Correction for dropping elbows during a front squat.

• A. Cue "Elbows up!" and encourage athlete to lift the chest
• B. Move elbows away from trainer's hands
• C. Arch the back
• D. Relax the grip

Answer: (A)

Keeping the elbows high is the quickest way to stabilize the front rack. When elbows stay up, the bar rests on the front of the shoulders and is kept in line with your center of gravity, which helps you maintain an upright torso and a solid position as you descend. Cueing “Elbows up!” directly tells the athlete to lift the elbows toward the ceiling, and combining that with encouraging them to lift the chest reinforces thoracic extension. This combination keeps the bar from rolling forward, preserves balance, and makes it easier to stay tight through the hips and spine. The other options don’t address the issue as effectively. Moving the elbows away from the trainer’s hands might help with interaction, but it doesn’t fix the rack position or the bar path. Arching the back can shift strain to the lower back and can destabilize the spine and bar position. Relaxing the grip reduces control over the bar and can allow it to shift forward, worsening the problem instead of correcting it.

Keeping the elbows high is the quickest way to stabilize the front rack. When elbows stay up, the bar rests on the front of the shoulders and is kept in line with your center of gravity, which helps you maintain an upright torso and a solid position as you descend. Cueing “Elbows up!” directly tells the athlete to lift the elbows toward the ceiling, and combining that with encouraging them to lift the chest reinforces thoracic extension. This combination keeps the bar from rolling forward, preserves balance, and makes it easier to stay tight through the hips and spine.

The other options don’t address the issue as effectively. Moving the elbows away from the trainer’s hands might help with interaction, but it doesn’t fix the rack position or the bar path. Arching the back can shift strain to the lower back and can destabilize the spine and bar position. Relaxing the grip reduces control over the bar and can allow it to shift forward, worsening the problem instead of correcting it.