Front squats

colman1212

Anytime I move onto a new phase of a program I wonder if I should do front squats instead of back squats for a while. Then I always think, Well I'm going to be putting a lighter load of my legs, how is that going to improve leg development?

Whats the main reason you would include front squats in a program instead of back squats/ box squats?

Alf Veedersane

colman1212 wrote: »

Anytime I move onto a new phase of a program I wonder if I should do front squats instead of back squats for a while. Then I always think, Well I'm going to be putting a lighter load of my legs, how is that going to improve leg development?

Whats the main reason you would include front squats in a program instead of back squats/ box squats?

It's a lighter load because you've fewer muscles contributing. Works quads harder, usually.

But, personally, I wouldn't be either/or.

Depends on your goals really.

siochain

Do both, squats FTW

blah88

I find with front squats you have to keep the reps pretty low. I remember doing a heavy set of 5 before and came really close to blacking out on the 5th rep. The bar restricts your breathing a little bit. Eric Cressey says never to go above 3 reps.

JamesRussel

Front squats generally have a more forward knee position, which closes the knee angle a lot more than back squats (unless you actually squat atg) so the quads go through a much larger ROM with fronts. Plus you can lean forward on back squats (again depending on your squat style), so your back can contribute a lot to how much you back squat. The total load might be heavier but not necessarily for the legs.

Front squats also teach you to stay more upright, so they help build the back squat aswell. Doing both would be best.

Alf Veedersane

The posterior chain doesn't come into it nearly as much, which is why it's a different animal to back squats and box squats. Which is why, as has been said, you should do both back and front squats. They're not directly comparable.

Squat Rack Curler

There is slight difference between the two, pick whichever you prefer

Hanley

What's your front squat like versus your back squat? If it's way behind, time to step it up.

dylbert

What would be a good back squat/front squat ratio? Front squat around 80% of back squat?

COH

Front squat 'should' be 85% in a balanced fitness sense of things.

DylanJM

dylbert wrote: »

What would be a good back squat/front squat ratio? Front squat around 80% of back squat?

Depends on stuff like what way you squat (high/low bar), how often you front squat and body type. But 80% would be the general number. It can be more like 90% for some people.

Hanley

DylanJM wrote: »

Depends on stuff like what way you squat (high/low bar), how often you front squat and body type. But 80% would be the general number. It can be more like 90% for some people.

High bar:Front squat - 90%

Low bar:Front squat - 80 to 85%

Anywhere outside of that and I think one's lagging and needs to play catch up.

Ant11

Hanley wrote: »

High bar:Front squat - 90%

Low bar:Front squat - 80 to 85%

Anywhere outside of that and I think one's lagging and needs to play catch up.

Lagging in what sense other then the obvious weight. Quad strength? Mobility to hold front squat position? Both?

Hanley

Ant11 wrote: »

Lagging in what sense other then the obvious weight. Quad strength? Mobility to hold front squat position? Both?

Could be 1,000,000 things.

But just getting stronger on the weaker one is probably the answer.

Hard, smart work seems to have been almost entirely discredited by "science" these days

GiftofGab

I've been trying front squats for a while now. I usually do them after my back squats. I can tell you that I'm nowhere near 80%. My main issue is my wrists. I find it very difficult to get my arms up that high with wrists bent back so far. I feel as if my wrists are about to snap with the pressure their bent back that far. Weird thing is that is seems to be only my right wrist. I tried stretching them. Can anybody help?

I would like to master the technique with the bent wrists and arms in front. Later down the line I would also like to master the clean and jerk and powerclean with heavy weights.

GiftofGab

GiftofGab wrote: »

I've been trying front squats for a while now. I usually do them after my back squats. I can tell you that I'm nowhere near 80%. My main issue is my wrists. I find it very difficult to get my arms up that high with wrists bent back so far. I feel as if my wrists are about to snap with the pressure their bent back that far. Weird thing is that is seems to be only my right wrist. I tried stretching them. Can anybody help?

I would like to master the technique with the bent wrists and arms in front. Later down the line I would also like to master the clean and jerk and powerclean with heavy weights.

Try stretching your lats primarily and your triceps too. Roll and statically stretch your lats, and make sure your triceps aren't tight. I used to think it was all wrist flexibility, but it's not; tightness elsewhere can hamper your front rack position.

Edit: also, make sure you've full external rotation in your shoulders. If you can externally rotate properly it allows you to grip the bar more easily outside of shoulder width. Look at how an Olympic lifter holds the bar in the front rack: his grip is generally outside of his shoulders, and his hands/fingers aren't touching his shoulders.

Alf Veedersane

gvn wrote: »

Try stretching your lats primarily and your triceps too. Roll and statically stretch your lats, and make sure your triceps aren't tight. I used to think it was all wrist flexibility, but it's not; tightness elsewhere can hamper your front rack position.

^ This.

And if you want to work on wrist mobility as well, you could try wrist rotations, wrist walks, static holds or even getting into a planche push up position and holding for 20-30 seconds.

Hanley

Wrist "mobility" is usually only a problem if te elbows aren't keep high enough. So the problem is really lats/t-spine for most folks.

Alf Veedersane

Hanley wrote: »

Wrist "mobility" is usually only a problem if te elbows aren't keep high enough. So the problem is really lats/t-spine for most folks.

Hadn't thought it from that POV. Nice one.

cc87

GiftofGab wrote: »

I've been trying front squats for a while now. I usually do them after my back squats. I can tell you that I'm nowhere near 80%. My main issue is my wrists. I find it very difficult to get my arms up that high with wrists bent back so far. I feel as if my wrists are about to snap with the pressure their bent back that far. Weird thing is that is seems to be only my right wrist. I tried stretching them. Can anybody help?

I would like to master the technique with the bent wrists and arms in front. Later down the line I would also like to master the clean and jerk and powerclean with heavy weights.

Are you trying to grip the bar or letting it rest on your fingers?

kevpants

Hanley wrote: »

High bar:Front squat - 90%

Low bar:Front squat - 80 to 85%

Anywhere outside of that and I think one's lagging and needs to play catch up.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Probably shouldn't do either and just go front squat.

Think I'll go for a run instead.

GiftofGab

cc87 wrote: »

Are you trying to grip the bar or letting it rest on your fingers?

Just trying to let it rest on fingers to keep the bar in place.

Ill try some more stretching of triceps and lats and a bit more practice. Maybe it will be more comfortable with time.

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Probably shouldn't do either and just go front squat.

Think I'll go for a run instead.

Hey look how much your squat jumped once you concentrated on those positions!

Transform

Hanley wrote: »

Wrist "mobility" is usually only a problem if te elbows aren't keep high enough. So the problem is really lats/t-spine for most folks.

100%

colman1212

Hanley wrote: »

What's your front squat like versus your back squat? If it's way behind, time to step it up.

Yeah I haven't tested in a while but I squatted 120kg for 8 reps last saturday. I have never done a front squat over 90k for even 1, so yes I would say its a fair bit behind!

Frank Bullitt

I do love front squats.