Lifting & carries
Zercher Squat
4 × 6 with the bar in the elbow crease. Brace, squat, stand, breathe.
Equipment
- Barbell
Muscle groups worked
- Glutes
- Core
- Adductors
What it buys you
Holds load in front of the body exactly where a carried person sits. Brutal on the trunk, and that is the point.
Capacity trained
Strength. Posterior chain and trunk endurance under load. Holds position without fatigue or compensation.
Energy
Modelled kilocalories
| Reference body | 10 min | 20 min | 30 min | 45 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male reference · 82 kg | 98 kcal | 195 kcal | 293 kcal | 439 kcal |
| Female reference · 68 kg | 81 kcal | 162 kcal | 243 kcal | 364 kcal |
Energy figures are modelled from standard activity MET values (Ainsworth Compendium, 2011) and the ACSM equation, not measured on you. They scale linearly with your own body mass, so a body 10% heavier burns about 10% more at the same intensity.
kcal = METs × 3.5 × bodyweight(kg) ÷ 200 × minutes (ACSM)
Load is effort, not pain. If a movement hurts rather than works, stop and see a clinician. Lifting another person is strength training with a person-shaped load — build the pattern unloaded first.
Cross-reference
Positions this workout helps · 33
It serves Lifted / Carried, Seated Astride and Standing. Every position in those families is listed below, hardest first.
- StandingStanding Carry9.0
- StandingStanding Deep Squat8.6
- StandingStanding Single Leg Raised8.5
- StandingStanding Carry Wall-Braced8.5
- Lifted / CarriedShoulder-Supported Lift8.5
- StandingStanding Staggered Lunge8.4
- StandingStanding Forward Hinge8.2
- StandingStanding Elevated Foot8.2
- Lifted / CarriedStanding Lift, Facing8.2
- Seated AstrideAstride Hold and Surge8.1
- StandingStanding Split Stance8.1
- Seated AstrideAstride Single Support8.0
- Lifted / CarriedKneeling Lift to Stand8.0
- Seated AstrideAstride Deep Squat7.9
- Lifted / CarriedCounterweight Lean Lift7.9
- Seated AstrideAstride Elevated Foot7.8
- StandingStanding Wide Stance7.8
- Seated AstrideAstride Rocking Tempo7.7
- Seated AstrideAstride Reverse Forward Lean7.6
- StandingStanding Neutral7.6
- Lifted / CarriedStanding Lift, Wall-Supported7.6
- Seated AstrideAstride Back Lean7.5
- Seated AstrideAstride Reverse Facing7.4
- Seated AstrideAstride Hands-Back Support7.4
- StandingStanding Back to Surface7.4
- Seated AstrideAstride Forward Lean7.3
- Seated AstrideAstride Wide Knee7.3
- StandingStanding Wall-Braced7.3
- Lifted / CarriedHip-Shelf Carry7.2
- Seated AstrideAstride Upright7.0
- Lifted / CarriedBench-Assisted Lift7.0
- Lifted / CarriedSeated Lift Transfer6.8
- Seated AstrideAstride Kneeling Base6.6
Honest framing
Training makes a posture available and sustainable. It is capability work, not a treatment for anything, and no single session changes a number. Consistency over eight weeks does.