Tip The Cronus Squat Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip The Cronus Squat Ditch the power rack and try this functional full-body squat instead by Michael Shaughnessy December 4, 2020May 23, 2022 Tags Training It's time to ditch the squat rack. If you want strength and size gains, picking stuff up from the floor is the way to go. You'll develop bigger lats, arms, abs, glutes, and legs in the process. That's what the Cronus squat – named after the king of the Titans – is all about. Think of a Zercher squat meeting a stone load meeting a front squat. It sounds crazy, but it's actually perfect for someone new to lifting. Bonus: You'll be holding the bar in an underhand position, which exposes weaknesses and forces you into the correct positions. The Cronus Squat Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart. Hinge at the hips and grab the bar with an underhand grip. Wedge your elbows between your knees and pull the bar into your shins. Pull yourself back behind the bar, allowing your hips to lift. Use your lats and biceps to scoop up the bar towards your shoulders while sitting back and down. Spread the floor as if standing on a wrinkled rug you want to smooth out, and stand up. Maintain tension in the legs and keep the back tight while descending back down to the floor. Keeping your elbows tucked, lift your hips while lowering the bar to the floor. Start Finish Start with 3 sets of 5 reps. Each week add a set until you get to 5 sets of 5. Do it 1-6 times per week depending on your program and experience level. I prefer a high frequency approach and do these six days a week. Can you still do regular squats and deadlifts? Of course! These are great between squat sessions since you're not directly loading your spine. This makes recovery faster since you aren't taxing the nervous system as much. That means you can do it more frequently. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training 4 Anabolic Metcon Workouts Some lifters avoid conditioning work because they're afraid of losing muscle... and their athleticism and waistlines suffer. Here's the fix. Bodybuilding, Conditioning Finishers, Metabolic Conditioning, Metcon, Training Eric Bach February 12 Training The Right Way to Train for Fat Loss People who want to get lean almost always do exactly the opposite of what they should be doing. Here's the counterintuitive truth. Christian Thibaudeau May 3 Training Tip 4 Ways to Master Good Mornings Strengthen your posterior chain and your overall strength will skyrocket. Try these proven good morning exercises. Exercise Coaching, Glutes, Powerlifting & Strength, Tips CJ McFarland June 5 Training Tip Band-Resisted Trap Bar Rows Adding bands to trap bar rows increases the tension at the top, frying your lats and upper back... in a good way. Back, Bodybuilding, Exercise Coaching, Tips Ben Bruno August 30