This challenging squat variation can even be awkward for some lifters because it demands more mobility and relatively more technique compared to some other movements. But, once mastered, it will build your legs, core, and upper back like no other. It’s also a must if you want to dabble in Olympic weightlifting or CrossFit, or you want to drive your back squat numbers up.

Check this list of the best cues and tips to help you master the front squat. Whether you’ve never performed the movement or if you need to fine-tune details to take your performance to the next level, here’s what you need to know.

Perfect Your Front Squat Form

• Upper Body Tips
• Lower Body Tips
• How to Do the Front Squat

Front Squat Upper Body Cues

While the front squat is primarily a “leg exercise,” your upper body is thoroughly involved in the movement. Your shoulders, arms, and back must coordinate to support the barbell and stabilize the weight during each repetition. A misstep with any of these key body parts will lead to an inefficient, and potentially dangerous, performance. Here’s what to watch for.

Position The Barbell Properly

Even when placed correctly on the fronts of your shoulders, the barbell can be in a potentially uncomfortable position, so it’s easy to imagine the risks of trying to front squat with the bar in the wrong place. It should rest between your anterior deltoids (front shoulder muscles) and your clavicles (collarbones).

What often happens is that it is placed directly on the shoulder muscles — this is not only painful as the weight will compress down into your muscle belly, but the bar will be more likely to roll as you move through the repetition, decreasing stability while acting like a rolling pin on your soft shoulder muscles.

With a poor position, the bar could also potentially roll into your throat if you don’t elevate your shoulders by “shrugging” them up and forward to support the weight.

Find Your Best Grip

There are several ways to “rack” the barbell for a good front squat bar position. The standard front rack position — commonly seen in Olympic weightlifting with your palms toward the ceiling — is the most effective because it provides more stability with the most control over the bar. However, it requires a high degree of mobility throughout your arms and can be painful on your wrists.

If you’re a competitive weightlifter or CrossFit athlete, you should strive to master the front rack position and use a full grip (all the fingers around the bar). If you’re not participating in either of those sports, you can take off one or two fingers to alleviate the wrist pressure and reduce the wrist and elbow mobility requirement.

If you’re still unable to achieve a rack position, switch to a “California grip” — cross your arms in front of you with the barbell between your fingers and the fronts of your shoulders. It’s a relatively easier position with much less mobility demands, but the bar won’t be as stable and might slip around, especially if your elbows point down to any degree.

A third option would be to secure a pair of lifting straps around the bar and use the ends as handles, simply referred to as performing the “front squat with straps.” This places your arms similar to the classic rack position, with the straps allowing a neutral-grip with your palms facing each other, which reduces wrist strain. The length of the straps also brings your hands farther from your shoulders, which also decreases any mobility concerns.

In any case, don’t force yourself into an arm position you can’t maintain comfortably throughout the set. It will compromise the stability of the entire lift and could potentially stress your shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. Introducing a mobility routine for your thoracic spine (upper back) and wrists before every lifting session will benefit you greatly in the long run. Even something as simple as getting into the rack position without any weight added to the bar could be a good first step.

Lead With Your Elbows

From the moment you unrack the back, through the squat descent, and as you drive the weight up to a standing position, keep your elbows as high as possible. The strain of the weight will make you want to drop your arms down, and that’s normal, but fight it. Stay tight and focused.

Keeping your elbows up will ensure your upper back remains in a strong position and helps to prevent your back from rounding forward. A good back position, led by your elbows and upper arms, provides a stronger bracing position which encourages a stronger and more stable upper body.

Additionally, keeping your elbows high will help to prevent the barbell from falling forward out of your front rack position. Ditching the bar forward is one of the most common causes of failure on a front squat repetition and could be potentially dangerous, especially if your instinct is to try to recover the bar rather than letting it fall safely to the squat rack or floor.

Don’t Let Your Upper Back Round

The front squat requires tremendous core and back strength to keep your torso upright and drive the barbell up. Yes, you read that right, you need serious back strength to perform this squat.

Because the weight is positioned on the front of your torso, the anterior loading will greatly recruit your erector spinae (lower back) and upper back muscles. (1) As such, your upper back will typically be one of the first muscles to give out, because it’s relatively smaller than larger muscles involved in the movement, like your legs. This upper back fatigue can result in back rounding.

To prevent any injury and to better target your legs, avoid letting your upper back round forward. Drive your elbows up during the entire movement. Your elbows lead the way for your upper arms which, through your shoulders and shoulder blades, dictate your upper back position.

You can support your front squat performance by including direct ab training and upper back exercises as part of your overall training program. These accessory exercises will help to develop the type of support strength needed to maintain a strong torso position.

Front Squat Lower Body Cues

To maximize leg recruitment for the most muscle-stimulating, strength-building benefits, it’s essential to use your lower body efficiently during the front squat. These are the key points you want to follow to ensure a perfect form and avoid the most common blunders.

Don’t Let Your Heels Raise

Because the weight is located on the front of your body, the front squat will slightly shift the workload towards the anterior chain (including your quadriceps and abdominals), making it a great quad-focused muscle builder. (2)

But this anterior loading isn’t just a benefit. The position of load might cause a generally forward shift in your center of gravity, which can be amplified by poor mobility in your upper back or ankles. This all combines to make your heels want to rise off the ground in an attempt to stay “under” the weight.

Doing so will reduce your stability, put pressure on your back, and prevent yourself from fully using your legs. Make sure that your heels always stay in contact with the floor. If needed, use weightlifting shoes, sit a bit more backward, and focus on driving through your heels — if your heels are up, you’ll quickly realize they’re not in place and you can make an immediate correction.

Work on Your Mobility

The front squat is notorious for its mobility demands, particularly from the hips and ankles. As some lifers lack a high degree of mobility in these areas, the front squat can become an awkward, uncomfortable, or even seemingly impossible exercise to perform.

Because the front squat allows a relatively deeper squat position and involves more knee flexion compared to the back squat, a greater ankle angle is required to achieve the bottom position.

Work on your ankle joints and stretch your calves to gradually improve your ankle health and mobility. This will pay off by being able to more easily squat into “the hole” at the bottom of each rep with more power and control.

You can also circumvent the issue by putting a five-pound weight plate under each heel or wearing weightlifting shoes with built-in elevated heels. Both of these solutions will help you achieve a deeper squat position with less strain on your ankles and hips. (3)

Beware of Knee Caving

It’s usually easier to squat deeper with the barbell loaded in the front rack position, but this longer range of motion can also increase the chances of your knees “caving in” toward each other as you transition into, and out from, the bottom position.

Your knees should remain in line with your toes during the exercise, but excessive valgus (when your knees come toward each other) can happen, especially as you go deeper. This results in your knees caving inwards and stress shifting away from your legs muscles and onto your knee stabilizers.

This will create shift in tension causes a strength leak, which reduces your potential power output. More importantly, it also put your knee joints in a vulnerable position with an increased risk of injury.

You can help to avoid knee cave by checking that you have good ankle mobility to reach the bottom position. Ingrain proper squat mechanics and apply sound technique for every individual repetition — use a lighter weight, if necessary, to maintain good form. Cue yourself to abduct your legs, actively driving them outward, as you rise out of the squat. This will also help to recruit your glutes for strength, coordination, and stability.

How to Perform the Front Squat

The front squat is a multi-joint exercise that can improve size and strength in your lower body, core, and upper back, as well as build total-body stability. It might be relatively more challenging to master than the standard back squat but, don’t worry, it’s not that complicated when you focus on a few key steps.

Step One — Rack the Bar on Your “Shelf”

The first step is to get the barbell into a front rack position. Grab it using a wider-than-shoulder-width grip. Reach your shoulders forward and shrug them up to create a solid “shelf” of muscles for the bar to rest, then get under the weight.

The barbell should set firmly between your deltoids (shoulder muscles) and your clavicles. Keep your elbows up. Unrack the bar and take a step backward.

Step Two — Lower With Control

Settle your feet at a comfortable width, generally between your hips and shoulders. Take a deep breath and brace your core as hard as you can. Fix your eyes on a spot in front of you and look at it throughout the entire repetition.

Bend simultaneously at your hips and knees to squat down with control until your upper thighs are parallel to the ground, or slightly below.

Step Three — Drive Up the Weight

Keep both feet flat on the ground and push through your heels to extend your legs and drive the weight up forcefully. Keep your elbows high and aimed in front of you the whole time. Don’t let the weight pull you elbows to the ground.

Keep your core and upper back fully engaged. Relaxing either muscle group with reduce your power and lead to a dangerous and inefficient rounded back position. Once you’re standing fully upright, repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.

A front row exercise for size and strength

The front squat is a prime exercise to build lower body size and strength and a core of steel. It’s also easier on your joints than other squat variations. (4) Don’t be put off by the potential awkwardness or mobility requirements. Get to work applying these cues and you can bring your physique to the next level. Adding the front squat to your workout repertoire will pay off with total-body strength, more muscular legs, and improved mobility that carries over to better performance in and out of the gym.

References

1. Comfort, Paul; Pearson, Stephen J; Mather, David. An Electromyographical Comparison of Trunk Muscle Activity During Isometric Trunk and Dynamic Strengthening Exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25(1):p 149-154, January 2011. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181fb412f
2. Hasan Ulas Yavuz, Deniz Erdağ, Arif Mithat Amca & Serdar Aritan (2015) Kinematic and EMG activities during front and back squat variations in maximum loads, Journal of Sports Sciences, 33:10, 1058-1066, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2014.984240
3. Charlton, Jesse M.; Hammond, Connor A.; Cochrane, Christopher K.; Hatfield, Gillian L.; Hunt, Michael A.. The Effects of a Heel Wedge on Hip, Pelvis and Trunk Biomechanics During Squatting in Resistance Trained Individuals. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 31(6):p 1678-1687, June 2017. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001655
4. Gullett, Jonathan C; Tillman, Mark D; Gutierrez, Gregory M; Chow, John W. A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 23(1):p 284-292, January 2009. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31818546bb

Featured Image: Tyler Olson / Shutterstock

The post 7 Tips to Perfect Your Front Squat Form appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Other lifters shy away from the front squat because they can move relatively more weight with other squat variations. Regardless of the reason, while the front squat has plenty of benefits to offer, there are some equally effective alternatives to consider which let you work around any restrictions and find comparable results.

Bruce Lee once talked about “the art of fighting without fighting,” so consider these exercises “how to front squat without front squatting.”

Best Front Squat Alternatives

• Front Squat with Straps
• Front Squat to Box
• Safety Bar Squat
• Zercher Squat
• High-Bar Back Squat
• Trap Bar Squat
• Front Rack Lunge
• Goblet Squat
• Dumbbell Front Squat
• Single-Arm Kettlebell Front Squat
• Front Squat Hold

Front Squat with Straps

One of the biggest limiting factors for many lifters, when it comes to performing the front squat, is holding the bar in the “rack position” — held across the fronts of your shoulders with your arms flexed and your fingertips under the bar.

This position requires flexibility and mobility throughout your wrists, elbows, and shoulders. While those attributes can be improved over time with dedicated work, you can reduce the mobility requirements without compromising results by attaching a pair of lifting straps to the bar. These serve as makeshift handles to offer a slightly adjusted hand and arm position.

When to Use It

The front squat with straps can be used identically to the classic front squat, or any time you need to support the bar in the rack position (across the front of your shoulders). The strapped movement can be programmed with the same sets and reps, and often with the same weights. This exercise is particularly useful for any lifters with pre-existing upper-body joint issues which may restrict their mobility.

How to Do It

Set a barbell in a rack at roughly upper chest-level. Secure a pair of lifting straps to the bar just outside shoulder-width. Grab one strap in each hand with your palms facing each other.

Step to the bar, bending your arms as you unrack the weight with your thumbs near the front of your shoulders. Keep tension on the straps without lifting the bar off your shoulders. Take a small step back and squat, keeping your elbows aimed forward and your torso upright.

Front Squat to Box

While the front squat with straps addresses upper body mobility restrictions, the front squat to box can be used to address lower body mobility restrictions. By using a box to limit your range of motion, you change the muscle recruitment and alter the stress on muscles and joints. (1)

When to Use It

Program the front squat to box if you have hip or ankle mobility issues which prevent you from achieving a deep front squat position. A box can also be used by beginners as a target to ingrain consistent squat depths and technique.

How to Do It

Set up a stable box or series of aerobic steps at a comfortable height, generally above knee-level, a few feet behind a barbell set in a rack. Setup for a standard front squat and carefully step back to position yourself above the box.

Descend under control, lowering your glutes to the box. Don’t rest your full weight on the box — pretend it’s a deck of cards that you don’t want to knock down. Pause very briefly without losing tension. Explode upwards to a powerful lockout.

Safety Bar Squat

If your gym has a safety bar, easily spotted with its thick pads and jutting handles, it can be a key player in building your lower body without straining your joints. (2) The safety bar squat allows a more upright torso and increased upper back engagement, which can reduce lower back stress. The forward-facing handles allow a more natural arm position which reduces stress on your shoulder and elbow joints.

When to Use It

The safety bar squat is an ideal alternative if you cannot maintain the elevated arm position required for front squats. This exercise is also an efficient way to increase upper back training because the thick pads offset the center of gravity and increase trapezius and upper back activation.

How to Do It

Set a safety bar in a rack at roughly shoulder-height. Duck under the bar and position the padded cradle around your trapezius, upper back, and shoulders. Grab the handles and pull your elbows toward your ribs.

Brace your core and pinch your shoulder blades together before unracking the weight. Step back and squat down. Don’t allow the weight to tip your upper body forward. Squeeze the handles and keep you elbows near your ribs as you drive upward to lockout.

Zercher Squat

The unconventional bar position of the Zercher squat, named after American weightlifter Ed Zercher, almost looks like a very poorly attempted front squat. By cradling the barbell in the crook of your arms, you can hold it very close to your body, which  improves your leverage and power output. While the Zercher squat requires little-to-no shoulder or elbow mobility, the strain of the bar on your forearms and elbows can be uncomfortable for some lifters.

When to Use It

Perform the Zercher squat in place of the front squat if you have significant upper body mobility restrictions. The Zercher squat can also be used toward the end of a workout, after first fatiguing your legs with other movements. This will let you get an efficient training stimulus with relatively lighter (and likely more comfortable) weights.

How to Do It

Set the bar in a rack near your belly button or lower chest-level. Step up to the bar and place your elbows on it, curling your arms around the barbell, with your palms up. Brace your core and stand up before taking a step back.

Squat down until either the bar or your elbows gently touch your thighs. Pause briefly before standing upright. Keep your elbows tight to your body and don’t allow the weight to pull you forward.

High-Bar Back Squat

Strangely, sometimes the best front squat alternative is a back squat variation. The high-bar back squat is a useful choice for competitive powerlifters, who must perform the back squat at meets. This exercise allows increased quadriceps recruitment and relatively less lower back strain while maintaining a sport-specific movement.(3)

When to Use It

The high-bar back squat can be used at any point in a training program to emphasize the quadriceps muscles, which can benefit leg size as well as carry over to improved squat and deadlift strength.

How to Do It

Place a bar at upper chest-level in a rack. Position the bar across your trapezius and upper back. Unrack the back and take a roughly shoulder-width stance. Brace your core, pull your shoulder blades together, and squat as low as possible.

Keep your upper body mostly vertical as you descend. Aim to reach a depth with your hips nearly in line with your knees (thighs roughly parallel to the ground) before returning upright.

Trap Bar Squat

A trap bar can be a versatile piece of equipment, but is commonly used to perform the trap bar deadlift. The neutral hand position (palms facing your body) keeps the weight in line with your body’s center, which helps to reduce joint strain in your back and shoulders. Shifting your body position to keep a more upright torso when performing a trap bar squat will further emphasize the front of your thighs (quadriceps).

When to Use It

Use the trap bar for any type of squat or deadlift variation to decrease joint strain without reducing muscular stress. The trap bar squat can be particularly beneficial for sneaking extra upper body recruitment into your leg training, because your grip, arms, shoulders, and back help support the load during the exercise.

How to Do It

If your trap bar has two sets of handles, one “high” and one “low,” begin using the high handles and save the low handles for a more challenging progression. Stand in the center of the bar with your feet roughly shoulder-width. Squat down to grab the handles.

Be sure to bend at your knees and dip your hips down, to put your legs in an optimal pulling position. Puff your chest up and pull your shoulders back. Think about keeping your head over your tailbone as you drive upward to lockout.

Front Rack Lunge

To reap the core stability and upper back strengthening benefits of a front squat, with increased focus on each individual leg, performing a front rack lunge can be an extremely useful movement. You can build upper and lower body strength with less total load, because the movement is primarily performed unilaterally (with one leg at a time).

When to Use It

Unilateral movements like the lunge help to address strength and developmental discrepancies that can occur from exclusively bilateral (two-leg) exercises. Lunges can also build more complete athleticism and power than over-focusing on two-legged squat movements.(4)

How to Do It

Set up a barbell in a rack at shoulder-height. Grab the bar in the rack position and take a two or three steps backward. Stabilize the weight and brace your core.

Take one longer than normal step forward and plant your foot flat. Squat down until your rear knee lightly touches the floor. Keep your shoulders back and your upper body close to vertical. Drive up through your front foot with maximum force and return both feet together in a standing position. Perform all reps with one foot before switching legs. Re-rack the bar after performing the exercise with each leg.

Goblet Squat

While the front squat supports the bar across your shoulders, the goblet squat is as close as you can get to an identical movement using a single dumbbell. By supporting the weight in front of your chest, you train the same type of front-loaded squat movement which builds core strength and overall mobility.

However, the goblet squat doesn’t require a large degree of shoulder mobility because your upper arms remain pointed mostly downward instead of forward.

When to Use It

The goblet squat is a much more convenient and practical exercise for many lifters, requiring only a single dumbbell instead of a barbell and power rack. It can be performed as part of a general warm-up prior to heavy front squats or it can be trained heavily on its own to deliver a shoulder-sparing squat workout.

How to Do It

Place a dumbbell vertically on its end atop a flat bench. Squat down and place your palms on the bottom side of the top weight plate, getting your chest as close to the dumbbell as possible. Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades back.

Stand upright, supporting the weight with bent arms. The dumbbell should be near your collarbones or neck. Squat as deep as possible while keeping your torso vertical. Don’t allow the weight to pull your arms down or forward during the movement.

Dumbbell Front Squat

The dumbbell front squat could be seen as the next-step progression from the goblet squat. Instead of holding a single dumbbell as your chest, you’re supporting a weight in each hand. This more closely mimics a barbell from squat.

In fact, it puts you in nearly an identical hand and arm position as the front squat with straps, because your hands are in a neutral position (palms facing each other). This reduces the mobility requirements needed to perform the exercise,

When to Use It

Choose the dumbbell front squat if you’re training with limited equipment (such in a hotel gym or limited home gym) because you don’t need a barbell and rack. The dumbbell front squat is also an effective choice for lifters training around wrist or shoulder issues, since the joints are less stressed during the movement.

How to Do It

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, resting at your sides. Bring the dumbbells up to the front of each shoulder in a hammer curl-type motion. Using some body English to control the swing of the weights is acceptable as long as it’s done with leg drive (as a quick jump), not bending at the waist or heaving with your lower back.

Hold the weights in the shoulder-supported position throughout the exercise. In a wider than shoulder-width stance, squat as deeply as possible. Aim your elbows forward and lean back to keep your upper body vertical. Don’t allow the weights to fall forward or sideways off your shoulders. 

Single-Arm Kettlebell Front Squat

A classic kettlebell exercise, the single-arm kettlebell front squat emphasizes core strength just as much as (possibly more than) leg strength. The “imbalanced,” single-sided load forces your abs and lower back to fire constantly to resist the sideways pull. This builds serious core stability which can play a key role in reducing the risk of lower back injuries. (5)

When to Use It

Because your core strength will likely be the limiting factor for most lifters, it may be more beneficial to treat the single-arm kettlebell front squat primarily as a core-building exercise that delivers leg size and strength as an added benefit, rather than primarily as “a leg exercise.” Improved core strength and stability can carry over to stronger lifts.

How to Do It

Bring a kettlebell to shoulder-height, either by performing a kettlebell clean or using your free hand to get the weight into position. Your thumb should be nearly resting on the front of your shoulder with the ball of the kettlebell resting on your forearm.

Stand upright, without leaning sideways into the weight or excessively counterbalancing to the opposite side. Take a relatively wide stance, beyond shoulder-width, and descend into a deep squat. Hold the kettlebell close to your body and don’t allow it to shift your torso. Perform all reps on one side before switching hands.

Front Squat Hold

This front squat alternative doesn’t actually involve any squatting at all. By reinforcing the locked out position, you create significant tension in your core stabilizers, as well as actively stretching the muscles directly involved in holding the rack position. This cumulative effect can lead to a stronger and more stable front squat.

Because static holds put you in the strongest mechanical position, you can also “overload” your system with heavier than normal weights, which can stimulate strength gains.

When to Use It

The front squat hold should be the first exercise performed on a lifting day, after a general warm-up. Not only will it help to recruit more muscle units in the training to follow, but performing the hold with any muscle fatigue can drastically increase the risk and decrease the benefits.

How to Do It

Set up for a standard front squat, with the bar in a rack near shoulder-level. Unrack the bar and take one or two small steps back. Instead of commencing a squat, hold the top position with maximum focus.

Concentrate on fully engaging your core and upper back. Flex your glutes and legs to further reinforce the lockout position. This exercise is typically performed “for time” (often three to five seconds, up to 10 seconds) rather than for multiple repetitions.

Benefits of Front Squat Alternatives

While the front squat is an essential movement for certain strength athletes like Olympic weightlifters and CrossFit athletes, front squat alternatives can be used by many lifters to deliver key benefits when the primary movement is no longer an option.

Reduced Mobility Requirements

Some lifters have crossed the front squat off their list of potential exercises because they cannot get their arms into the rack position needed to support the weight or because their hips or knees don’t allow the type of deep front squat commonly associated with the exercise.

Several front squat alternatives allow lifters of any mobility level to benefit from the squat squat movement by reducing the mobility and flexibility requirements. These alternatives can also address and improve restrictions over time, which can progress to a full front squat.

Decreased Lower Back Strain

One key benefit of the front squat is its reduced lower back strain compared to the back squat. Each front squat alternative preserves that back-sparing advantage, making each movement a potential exercise choice for lifters prone to lower back issues.

Quadriceps Size and Strength

Front squat alternatives continue to emphasize the quadriceps, on the front of the thighs, relatively more than the glutes or hamstrings. (6) This is a key reason why many physique-focused lifters prioritize the front squat over the back squat. These alternatives are equally effective in emphasizing the quads, while back squats and deadlift variations are more commonly used to focus on the hamstrings and glutes.

Get Back to Front Squatting

The front squat can be beneficial for strength athletes, physique-conscious lifters, and any gym-goer looking to build lower body strength and muscle, a stable core, and a stronger lower back. If you’re not yet ready to tackle the Olympic-level movement, choose the variation that best suits your individual needs and start racking up the results.

References

1. Kubo, K., Ikebukuro, T., & Yata, H. (2019). Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. European journal of applied physiology, 119(9), 1933–1942. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04181-y
2. Hecker, Kara & Carlson, Lara & Lawrence, Michael. (2018). Effects of the Safety Squat Bar on Trunk and Lower-Body Mechanics During a Back Squat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 33 Suppl 1. 1. 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002912. 
3. Glassbrook, D. J., Brown, S. R., Helms, E. R., Duncan, S., & Storey, A. G. (2019). The High-Bar and Low-Bar Back-Squats: A Biomechanical Analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33 Suppl 1, S1–S18. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001836
4. Speirs, Derrick E.1,2; Bennett, Mark A.3; Finn, Charlotte V.4; Turner, Anthony P.2. Unilateral vs. Bilateral Squat Training for Strength, Sprints, and Agility in Academy Rugby Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 30(2):p 386-392, February 2016. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001096
5. Huxel Bliven, K. C., & Anderson, B. E. (2013). Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports health, 5(6), 514–522. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738113481200
6. Coratella, G., Tornatore, G., Caccavale, F., Longo, S., Esposito, F., & Cè, E. (2021). The Activation of Gluteal, Thigh, and Lower Back Muscles in Different Squat Variations Performed by Competitive Bodybuilders: Implications for Resistance Training. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(2), 772. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020772

Featured Image: Berkomaster / Shutterstock

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[Related: How To Build Muscle: The Training And Diet Guide For Beginners And Advanced Lifters]

Vibert’s display of her front squat prowess comes on the heels of another staggering squat, albeit of a different variation. In late April 2022, the American weightlifter scored a 186-kilogram (410-pound) back squat for another PR.

As a weightlifter, Vibert doesn’t have to specifically focus on the front squat (which generally isn’t a part of formal strength sports competitions) or the back squat. As a result, that might make her display of leg power even more noteworthy.

In her Instagram post, Vibert referenced her coach Spencer Arnold after capturing the new top front squat.

Front Squat Olympic Connection

While the front squat isn’t a competition lift in weightlifting, it has direct carry over to the snatch and clean & jerk (the two competition lifts). Not only does a quality front squat help with the eventual lockout of the clean movement in the clean & jerk, but it can also help stabilize the back muscles and improve posture when pulling from the floor.

Vibert won’t have to deploy an official front squat in any of her competitions, but it makes sense that she finds time to train it, given its potential translation to her primary movements. A robust front squat could assist Vibert as she continues to push for new heights during her professional career.

 

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[Related: Why You Should Be Greasing The Groove During Your Workouts]

Vibert’s Future

Much of Vibert’s current training is part of her ongoing preparation for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. As the International Olympic Committee (IOC) moves to reorganize its weight classes for that competition — in turn dissolving the 76-kilogram division — Vibert has stated she will compete at her past category of 71 kilograms moving forward.

The American athlete has plenty of time to prepare for her next Olympics as the Paris edition is still roughly two years away. In all its forms, her squat training might be a part of another outstanding achievement in the future.

Featured image: @katevibert on Instagram

The post Weightlifter Kate Vibert Scores 162-Kilogram (356-Pound) Front Squat PR appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Despite the confusion surrounding the front squat, it’s actually pretty easy to learn. With a few cues and some confidence, you can make this movement a cornerstone in your workouts. In this guide, we’ll show you how to nail the front squat and how to place it, well, front and center in your program.

• How to Do the Front Squat 
• Front Squat Mistakes to Avoid
• Benefits of the Front Squat
• Muscles Worked by the Front Squat
• Who Should Do the Front Squat
• How to Program the Front Squat
• Front Squat Variations
• Front Squat Alternatives
• Frequently Asked Questions

Front Squat Technique Video

Traver Boehm explains and demonstrates basic front squat technique in this quick video. In just about 100 seconds, learn everything you need to know about the front squat. Then finish the article and learn even more.

How to Do the Front Squat

The front squat is pretty straightforward. You perform a deep squat while holding a barbell positioned across the front of the shoulders. The position of the bar affects your leverage and torso angle during the movement. This unique posture influences muscle recruitment and requires more work from your upper back, core, and lower body.

Step 1 — Get Under the Bar

Place the barbell in a squat rack at roughly upper-chest height (slightly below your collarbones), then bend at the knees until the tops of your shoulders are just below the bar. From here, grab the bar with an outside-shoulder-width grip and get into what’s known as the “rack position.”

The bar is supported on the front of each shoulder, under the chin and nearly touching the throat. Take hold of the bar and bend your arms until your elbows are aimed forward. The palms of both hands should end up pointed towards your face, with your fingers helping to keep the bar in place. The shoulder blades are retracted and the upper back is tense. The elbows should point forward or slightly upwards during each rep, never down.

Shoulder, elbow, and/or wrist mobility restrictions may prevent ideal arm position. This is a fairly common issue and we’ll later review some grip options to allow effective front squats (while you work on fixing those mobility problems, right? Right).

Form Tip: The rack position may be uncomfortable for some lifters, particularly with the bar contacting the collarbones. Rather than using a common bar pad as cushioning (which essentially thickens the bar and increases the likelihood of choking yourself), actively tense the shoulders to create a “muscle shelf” and take stress off any pointy bones. Your body will adapt to the stress quickly and the discomfort will soon become a non-issue.

Step 2 — Walk the Weight Out

With the bar securely in the rack position, it’s time to finish the setup. Engage and flex your upper back, core, and glutes before straightening your legs to lift the bar from the squat rack.

As the weight settles into position, take a moment to stabilize your entire body before taking a small step backwards with one foot, matched by the other foot, followed by one small step sideways to set your feet at a comfortable width.

Form Tip: Once you’ve set your stance, don’t fidget. Many lifters tend to shuffle their feet, wiggle their toes, or “squash cigarettes” in a little dance before beginning a set of squats, but it only prolongs the time you’re standing there holding a loaded barbell and may lead to excessive ankle or knee strain as you shift support from one leg to the other.

Avoid the bad habit of wasting time and energy (in squats, in the gym, and, really, anytime). As you gain experience, you’ll instinctively learn your individual best squat stance and the walkout will quickly become second-nature — unrack bar, set stance, get to work.

Step 3 — Squat Down 

With the bar in position, it’s time to squat. Keep the elbows aimed at the imaginary horizon line or above, while bending the legs until you’ve reached the desired depth. As a general rule, aim to squat below parallel, or with the hip joint below the knees. This range of motion provides an effective balance of muscle-building (hypertrophy), strength-building, and overall mobility.

Front squats allow the torso to remain more upright, so it’s generally “easier” and more intuitive for most people to reach a deep squat position. You may need to fine-tune your stance width and foot position, but front squats are typically performed with a relatively closer stance compared to back squats.

If your body is still unable to reach significant depth while maintaining good upper body position, there may be hip or ankle mobility issues which require more direct attention.

Form Tip: The front squat is self-correcting in the sense that if you lower the elbows any significant degree, you’re going to immediately be pulled out of position and will almost certainly drop the bar.

If you feel strain in the lower back, shoulders, or elbows, it’s a sign that you may be allowing the arms to drop as you descend. Stop that. Imagine a pair of rubber bands pulling your elbows up to the ceiling throughout the set as a constant cue to be leading with the elbows.

Step 4 — Stand Up 

After you’ve reached the bottom, it’s time for the real work — getting back up. Keeping your elbows up, stay flat-footed and press your entire body back to standing. It’s critical that your hips and shoulders rise at the same pace. If your hips come up first, your upper body (and therefore your elbows) will tip forward out of position.

Ensure that your knees don’t buckle inwards or wobble outwards as you rise. If they do, adjust your stance width and reduce the weight on the bar until you can maintain a strong knee position, roughly in the same plane as the ankles.

Form Tip: Bouncing out of the bottom position to build momentum is one of the least effective and most dangerous ways to train the squat. Because the front squat facilitates a deeper range of motion, you may feel tempted to quickly drop and rebound up. Resist the urge and focus on applying muscular force which translates into building more strength and size.

Front Squat Mistakes to Avoid

While front squat technique may be relatively simple, there are a handful of common errors which can be counterproductive and slow down progress.

Range of Motion

The cardinal sin of all squats: quarter reps. Partials. Squatting high. Call it what you will, but one of the key advantages of front squats is the ability to reach parallel or below without leaning the upper body forward, which is what shifts stress to the lower back.

While squatting to a variety of depths can have its place (competitive powerlifters, for example, only need to reach parallel, with their hips in line with their knees and not below), squatting to lower depths has been shown to build more leg size and strength compared to squatting higher. (1)

While the phrase “ass to grass” is often used as a colorful, though not necessarily helpful, guideline, aiming to reach just-below parallel is a more practical goal for the majority of lifters. When viewed from the side, your hip bone should end up slightly below your kneecap and the thigh should have a slight downward angle.

Avoid it: It comes down to intention and self-awareness. If you start the set intending to reach a certain depth, then know whether you reached it or not. If you wanted to squat below parallel and ended up with reps above parallel, you did something wrong.

If you wanted to squat high because it’s goal-appropriate and you nailed it on each rep, then it was a good set. Quarter-rep front squats with heavy weight, for example, can be a surprisingly effective technique to build core strength. The key issue is about maintaining consistent depth from rep to rep and using each set to get closer to your intended goal, not using poor technique to make training easier.

Elbows Pulling the Body Down

Elbow position plays an important role in front squat technique. Keeping the bar in proper position means your upper back is fully engaged, your core is tight, and your body is aligned for optimal power output. If the elbows point down, you’ll initiate an avalanche of potential technique errors. Inefficient training and potential injury follow soon after.

Avoid it: The “rubber bands from the ceiling” cue mentioned earlier is a simple and reliable way to remind yourself to keep the elbows high. Increasing your body awareness is another overlooked technique. If you feel stress in your forearm or biceps muscles, there’s a good chance the bar is out of position and you’re supporting the weight with your arm muscles instead of your locked-in shoulders and upper back.

Knee Shift

Wobbly knees should only happen on the walk to the car after leg day, not during the middle of a rep. Your knees should stay generally in line with your ankles during the exercise and when transitioning from the bottom position back up to lockout. Allowing the knees to cave in (sometimes called knee valgus) or shift out encourages knee instability and increases the chance of an injury.

Avoid it: The most direct solution is one you may not want to hear. Lighten the weight because it’s too heavy. Knee movement, particularly caving in, is often due to a muscle imbalance and/or weak glutes. That imbalance is causing a series of muscles to compensate, which is forcing the knee joint into a variety of unexpected and less-than-ideal positions.

Leaning Forward

Because the barbell is held close in line with the body’s center of gravity, front squats allow (and actually require) lifters to keep an upright torso during the movement. It’s a key point in creating maximal core engagement for a stable torso.

Experienced lifters more familiar with low-bar back squatting may instinctively lean forward, particularly during the concentric (up) portion, but leaning forward is a big no-no that negates the front squat’s low-back sparing benefits without improving leverage or strength. That’s lose-lose.

Avoid it: Cue the broken record cliche: Keep. Your. Elbows. Up. You cannot lean forward while keeping your elbows in the correct position. It’s just not anatomically possible. When you lean forward, your elbows go towards the ground and vice versa, so it’s a two-for-one solution.

Benefits of the Front Squat

The front squat allows you to load the lower body with significant weight without overstressing the lower back. Many lifters who have recurring lumbar pain from years of heavy back squatting find they’re able to continue hard leg training by switching to front squats.

Due to the shifted load position and increased core strength, front squats are also a staple in athletic-based workouts to build strength, speed, and power. Bodybuilders rely on front squats because of the increased quadriceps activation and hypertrophy (muscle size), while CrossFitters and Olympic weightlifters use front squats as sports-specific training, because the movement is required in their competitions.

Lower Back Safety

“I can’t squat today, my back hurts” is one of the all-time excuses for skipping leg day and, while it may occasionally be accurate, it’s more often easily ignored when you recognize that front squats place less stress on the lumbar spine, hips, and knees, (2)(3) as well as requiring increased abdominal tightness, which combine to promote a safe situation for the joints without compromising the overall training stimulus.

Increased Leg Size

Back squats are typically known for promoting glute and hamstring size, or “overall leg mass.” Front squats, comparatively, significantly increase quadriceps activation due to body position and leg leverage, making them a popular choice for bodybuilders looking to target the largest leg muscles.

Athletic Strength and Conditioning

Any effective strength and conditioning program for athletes will maximize results while minimizing risk, since an injured player doesn’t make it onto the field on game day.

For this reason, front squats are often preferred in athletic programs to train lower body strength and power without exposing the athletes to undue risk. The increased upper back and core strength are an added benefit, as they carryover to speed, agility, and durability in all sports.

Sport-Specific Training

While the front squat may appear to be a somewhat awkward lift, it’s extremely sport-specific for Olympic weightlifters and CrossFit athletes, both of whom perform the movement in competitions; Olympic lifters during the clean & jerk, and CrossFit athletes during a countless number of events.

Improving the front squat on its own has direct carryover to improving performance in these sports. Ignoring the front squat in training would be like a basketball player ignoring 3-pointers in practice.

Muscles Worked by Front Squats

The front squat is primarily a leg exercise, but multiple muscles of the upper body are required to stabilize the bar and provide support during the exercise.

Legs

The front squat, like any basic squat movement, works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. While some studies offer mixed data regarding increased quadriceps activation, an abundance of anecdotal evidence (decades-worth of bodybuilders and general lifters) have found front squats to target the quads (the front of the thighs) significantly more than many other squat variations. (4)

Upper Back

Stabilizing the bar in the rack position requires consistent work from the entire upper back including the trapezius, rear deltoids, and rhomboids.

Because these muscles are worked isometrically (not stretching/contracting throughout each rep), it’s not uncommon to feel soreness in the area after training front squats. Muscle soreness isn’t always an indicator of progress but, in this case, it’s a sign that you were most likely fully engaged and using solid technique.

Abdominals

The upright torso during front squats and the position of the load relative to the core muscles (abs and lower back) increase the stress on the abdominal wall, providing greater stability demands and requiring a significant amount of work to support the load.

Similar to the upper back, it’s not uncommon to have some ab soreness after several sets of heavy front squats. And, like the upper back, it simply means you were engaging your core properly.

Who Should Do the Front Squat

The front squat is a versatile exercise, easily learned and applicable to a number of goals. No lifter should shy away from practicing this useful lift.

Training for Muscle

Lifters seeking increased leg size should make the front squat a staple, or at least a regularly recurring movement, in their workouts. The muscle recruitment, range of motion, and overall muscle-building stimulus provide a significant and unique muscular stress compared to other exercises.

Training for Strength

Lifters looking to develop total-body strength can benefit from the front squat and its ability to blend lower body strength with upper body stability. Strength athletes including powerlifters, competitive strongmen/strongwomen, CrossFitters, and Olympic weightlifters can use front squats either as accessory work to support other lower body training or, as previously addressed, a sport-specific movement.

Training for Sport

Any athlete in any sport can benefit from getting stronger and faster, and front squats can be a key player in building those attributes without exposing the athlete to excessive wear and tear.

How to Program the Front Squat

The front squat can be programmed with a number of set/rep schemes to accommodate a number of goals.

Heavy Weight, Low Repetition

To prioritize strength, a time-tested approach would be three to five sets of three to five reps, using a weight that reaches near-muscular failure on each set. Long rest periods, up to several minutes between sets, ensures minimum fatigue and maximum power output.

Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition

To build leg size, a classic bodybuilder’s method of three to four sets of eight to 12 reps is optimal, reaching muscular failure at the last rep of each set. This is the type of gut-busting workout that makes lifters dread leg day, until the new-found gains make the effort worthwhile.

Important to note, it’s sometimes suggested to avoid very high repetitions (15 to 20+) with front squats, due to the static contraction of the upper back. The idea being that cumulative fatigue in the relatively smaller muscles of the upper back will impair the lifter’s ability to maximally fatigue the much larger legs.

This idea is debatable, at best, and should be taken with a generous grain or two of salt. If you want to grind out two sets of 15-20 rep front squats to see how your body handles the challenge, then attack it and experiment. There’s a good chance your lungs and conditioning, not your upper back, will be the limiting factor there.

Moderate Weight, Low Repetition

To build explosive power and speed, front squats work extremely well with submaximal weights moved at fast speeds without sacrificing form. Six to eight sets of two to four reps, using a weight that’s nowhere near muscular failure. This can be a phenomenal way to train athletes or lifters who want to move like athletes.

Front Squat Variations

The front squat can be achieved by any lifter regardless of their current ability or experience. The key, as with any exercise, is to maintain proper technique while adjusting as little as needed to accommodate any physical restrictions or strength discrepancies.

While the front squat itself can be a useful training tool, some simple adaptations can make the movement more or less challenging without any special programming required.

Front Squat to Box

While the front squat does permit a lifter to reach a deep squat position, not all lifters are physically prepared to sink into a deep squat. Depending on the lifter’s height, either a standard size bench/box or a series of mats or aerobic steps can be used as a target.

Do not slam down onto the surface, as the impact would increase stress on the hips and spine. Pretend that you’re sitting on bubble wrap and trying to not pop any bubbles. The goal is feedback, not rest. Descend until the glutes or hamstrings make contact, and then maintain position and rise immediately under control.

Pause Front Squat

Once a lifter is confident with standard front squats, the simplest way to increase challenge is to spend more time in the bottom position. This serves dual purpose to improve both strength, since the “stretch-shortening cycle” is reduced (a technical term where a muscle can “store” strength if stretched and contracted quickly), and improve mobility since spending time in the bottom of a squat can increase hip and ankle mobility.

It’s important not to relax the body in the bottom position. Maintain tension and muscle engagement throughout the pause and be ready to rise at any moment. Hold the bottom of the squat for one to three seconds.

Front Rack Lunge

Lunges are, essentially, single-leg squats. Performing any lunge variation with the bar in the rack position (as you would for the front squat) is an incredible way to challenge total-body stability and focus on building strength in one leg at a time.

These can be done statically in a split stance, stepping forward and returning upright each rep, stepping backward in a reverse lunge, or the most intense variation as walking lunges for total distance or time.

Front Squat Alternatives

The front squat has many benefits, but there are a handful of exercises that deliver comparable results and may, depending on any number of scenarios, offer unique benefits of their own.

Goblet Squat

While front squats are done using a barbell across the front of the shoulders, holding a kettlebell or single dumbbell in the hands at a similar position (at chest-level, under the chin) can offer many of the same benefits — an upright torso position, greater depth and range of motion, increased upper back activation, and decreased lower back stress.

Because kettlebells and dumbbells are more commonly found in very light weights, while barbells are rarely found below 45 pounds, goblet squats can be extremely useful for inexperienced lifters, as well as much younger or much older athletes for whom 45 pounds may be excessive.

High-Bar Back Squat

Shifting the barbell to the back while adjusting its placement higher on the neck/traps alters leverage and allows a similarly upright torso as seen in front squats. It also has more direct carryover for powerlifters, in particular, since the bar is supported through the arms, shoulders, and upper back in a much more similar position to their competitive lift.

Trap Bar Squat

Sometimes called a trap bar deadlift, this can be an extremely effective way to train the legs with minimal lower back stress. Holding a trap bar in the hands clearly increases the grip strength requirement of the lift, but because the weight is held close in line to the body’s center of gravity (as with a front squat), overall joint strain is significantly reduced.

FAQs

Do I ‘need’ to front squat if I’m already training the back squat?

While the answer technically depends on a number of variables (your specific training goal, overall workout plan, specific injuries or conditions, etc.), the short answer is, no, you don’t “need” to include both types of squats in your program at the same time.

You also don’t “need” to keep both flathead and Phillips-head screwdrivers in your toolbox, but you should realize they’re similar tools that serve different purposes, they’re not entirely interchangeable, and you may eventually want to use one to achieve something the other can’t provide.

The rack position is still uncomfortable. What should I do?

First, work on mobility in and around the joints giving the most problem whether it’s the shoulder, elbow, or wrist. Simply holding the bar and easing your way into the rack position itself until you reach the limit of your individual range of motion, and then holding that basic stretch for several sets of several seconds, is one effective approach.

As an alternative, there are two common work-arounds to the rack position. The first is to secure basic lifting straps around the bar as “handles.” This effectively reduces the range your arm needs to bend and allows a neutral grip (knuckles towards face) instead of the more flexible palms-up rack position, which drastically reduces the mobility requirement.

It’s still important to focus on keeping the elbows high while holding the straps, as the altered hand position may trick you into a more passive posture.

The second solution is to use a cross-arm, sometimes called California-style, grip. This allows the weight to be held in position not only by the front of your shoulders and fingers, but by the forearms, elbows, upper arms, and entire hand.

This grip is much more popular with bodybuilders, as it requires significantly less shoulder mobility and allows heavier weights to be used due to the increased support. The biggest compromise is that the bent-arm position doesn’t allow optimal upper back engagement, so there’s less athletic carryover and more direct leg-training focus.

Now You Know (Front) Squat

You’ve learned the why, when, and most importantly the how. It’s time to add the under-appreciated front squat to your arsenal of lower body workouts. Your leg size, upper back strength, core stability, and lack of lower back pain will thank you. But please, for the sake of all things sacred in the gym, remember to keep your elbows up.

References

1. Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, Yata H. Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2019 Sep;119(9):1933-1942. doi: 10.1007/s00421-019-04181-y. Epub 2019 Jun 22. PMID: 31230110.
2. Yavuz, Hasan & Erdag, Deniz & Amca, Arif & Aritan, Serdar. (2015). Kinematic and EMG activities during front and back squat variations in maximum loads. Journal of sports sciences. 33. 1-9. 10.1080/02640414.2014.984240.
3. Gullett, Jonathan C; Tillman, Mark D; Gutierrez, Gregory M; Chow, John W A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: January 2009 – Volume 23 – Issue 1 – p 284-292 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31818546bb
4. Coratella, G., Tornatore, G., Caccavale, F., Longo, S., Esposito, F., & Cè, E. (2021). The Activation of Gluteal, Thigh, and Lower Back Muscles in Different Squat Variations Performed by Competitive Bodybuilders: Implications for Resistance Training. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(2), 772. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020772

The post The Front Squat Can Make You Strong From Head to Toe. Here’s How to Get It Right appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Everybody is talking about them, which is bizarre as this exercise has been around since the beginning of time (well, actually since 1940 when Weider magazine introduced them to the wider fitness community).

Everybody is talking about them, which is bizarre as this exercise has been around since the beginning of time (well, actually since 1940 when Weider magazine introduced them to the wider fitness community).

I am a big fan of the front squat and over this past year have replaced any back squats with some variation of this exercise (more on that later). The holding position of the barbell can look so intimidating to the everyday gym folk and looks unachievable to most, yet I would argue that everybody can and should at least try it, especially if all you do is barbell back squats.

Why Are Front Squats so Great?

The front squat is a corrective exercise in nature and will immediately highlight any limitations you may have, so your aim is to focus on improving those weaknesses before you add more weight. You can’t really fake this exercise, you have to have good form, unlike the back squat which allows a few more imperfections to be present.

If you look at a back squat performed badly, you might see emphasized lordosis or protruding belly and that can be a sign somebody has over-developed hip flexors, the front squat as a corrective exercise can start to address those limitations.

The front squat requires you to be in a more upright position as you descend down, this places a large emphasis on the quadriceps and encourages your hips to be tucked underneath you a little more, rather than pushing back as you do in the back squat. This positioning encourages a more open hip and can really increase mobility through the hip joints, but it can also be your limiting factor. So if tight hips are your issue, working on mobility outside of this exercise will be helpful.

Inherently these days we are a nation of forward-hunchers, sitting at desks all day or bent over our phones, the inability to extend fully through our thoracic spine is more common than ever. What does that mean exactly?

Well in the case of the front squat, the inability to keep your chest lifted. It is impossible to carry a weight in front of you if you dip forward on the eccentric part of the squat, the load will just fall forward. Again, working with the front squat will improve the ability to extend through the t-spine to correct those weaknesses.

Another thing that the front squat brings to the table is improved range of motion in the knee and ankle joint, as your hips are aligned more underneath you than behind, the squat places lots of emphasis on these joints. To observe, this looks like the knees are forward of the ankle joint, Jo DeFranco calls this the Positive Shin Angle, where the foot and hip position are behind the angle of the shin, allowing for power, drive and acceleration.

Lastly, this is a great exercise for improving core strength and stability. You need to keep your elbows high when you hold the weight in front of you, doesn’t matter what your hand position is, and to keep that load safe, you need to have a very strong core to stabilize you.

Where Should You Start?

The front squat can start off is a really hard exercise and you tend to have to reduce your weight significantly to perform one with good form, but the payoff is great. You have to have good posture to make this exercise work, by simply doing this exercise your mobility in both your thoracic spine and your hips will improve and your core will get “lit” as you stabilize the barbell with your elbows lifted, plus it has all the peachy “bootie-benefits” you would expect from a squat.

Firstly it’s ok to be a little intimidated by this exercise, that way you stay safe and alert, plus they can be a little uncomfortable. So the first step is to start small, which means little to no weight on a bar or opt for one of those smaller fixed weight barbells.

If you are struggling with mobility issues in your hips, knees, ankles, t-spine or wrists, then do some simple mobility drills to prepare those areas before you start the exercise.

Adjust your body position so that you feel strong the whole way through the exercise, which might mean raising your ankles on a small block or using straps on the barbell in the beginning. Know that if you do these things, you may have less control on the bar so please use a low weight.

If you are used to doing back squats you will find a key difference is the stresses are placed in a different area of your body. Back squats put more stress on the lower back/spinal erectors where front squats place more emphasis on the frontline of the body, which makes the exercise so good for improving your posture and anterior core.

Don’t be put off by these difference, understand that the way to improve the exercise is to “grease the groove”, to keep doing the repetitions and you will reap the rewards later.

Front Squat Coaching Tips

• Practice with a light bar or dowel to work on form before you start to load the barbell.
• The barbell rests on your shoulders/upper pecs and not your hands. Your fingers are placed to help support the bar. I use two fingers to keep the bar in position.
• Keep your elbows high throughout the exercise which will mean you have to use your core to stabilize.
• Keep your chest lifted to emphasis thoracic spine extension. We tend to come into exercise rounded forward from all that sitting at a desk all day, so this is a great exercise for improving that.
• Actively use the floor to push your heels down on both the eccentric and concentric part of the movement.

Are Front Squats for You?

The answer is yes. It doesn’t matter what age, gender, fitness level or ability you are, there is always an entry point into this exercise and the benefits are worth it. In addition to this, I write specifically for the Over 40 crowd and as I am but a stone’s throw away from 50, my reasons for continuing on my strength journey are shifting.

Of course I want the aesthetic component that comes with weight training, I intend to keep this peachy butt for life, but that was never my primary reason, instead, I just loved the empowering feeling of being a strong woman and how that translated over into my everyday life. Back to my epiphany, I realized that so many people, women especially, still do not believe they can do weight training, nor do they truly appreciate the importance of it.

It’s hard to get excited about osteoporosis or osteopenia, yet it is a bold reality of half of all women, and one-quarter of men over the age of 50, who will experience a fracture during their lifetime. As you can see, women are a much higher risk and we know this is directly related to the drop in our estrogen levels during menopause. The science is pretty clear when it comes to osteoporosis and osteopenia, load bearing exercise is superior to bodyweight exercise to help support and prevent both conditions.

So all that being said, the front squat can play a huge part in your strength program, even for the older generations, and shouldn’t be dismissed as a valid exercise

How I Train my Front Squats

Over time by doing this exercise you will find that your mobility will naturally improve, but you can also prepare the body for a full barbell front squat by trying one of the following exercises. I use these in my own training and they have been key to improvements in my technique.

Ultimate Sandbag Bucket Hold Squat

To me, this is the ultimate exercise for improving hip mobility with great spine alignment. If you tip forward, you lose control of the sandbag, so it encourages that amazing alignment and deep hip squat.

Ultimate Sandbag Front Loaded Squat

The front-loaded squat allows you to hold a heavy load in front of you, so that you have to engage the core to create stability as you lower into the squat. Again helps improve hip mobility and spinal alignment.

The post You Can and You Should Front Squat appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Unfortunately, this is where the advice usually stops. But today I want to shed some light about how to progress and regress through squat variations to meet your individual needs.

Jumping Straight to Calculus

When most people hear “squat,” they think of a back squat. The back squat is not a very forgiving lift, and our increasingly sedentary population tends to really struggle at executing back squats without a plan that intentionally works up to them. Don’t believe me? Walk into just about any gym and watch the squat rack for an hour. Fair warning: you will be horrified to watch people try to make up for a lack of expertise with excessive volume, load, and heavy metal band bravado.

We’ve all seen the person who lacks enough shoulder external rotation to grip the bar on a back squat. The same guy is also usually the one who also has the core strength of wet noodle. Next thing you know, a metric ton of shear force hits his lumbar spine as he good-mornings the loaded barbell.

In terms of physiological requirements, a good back squat is like calculus, while a goblet squat is arithmetic. Both can be brutally effective when done right, even if the back squat offers the ability to use higher loads. Most people don’t need maximal loads to reach their goals, and you can get very strong with all variations.

Get the Basics Nailed Down First

What’s most important is to spend the time to perfect regressed variations. There is no rushing proper training. Results will not improve by skipping ahead to harder variations. In fact, poor execution yields far less strength and makes injury more likely; injury that will require you to take time away from training.

Instead, start by getting really strong at the most regressed variations. You don’t need chains or bands or any other contraptions, especially in your first few years training. Dan John has trained NFL players using only kettlebell squat variations. Invest the time in learning form, focus, and process, with a constant focus on correct execution and intelligent progression. With a little patience and commitment, you’ll be back squatting on BOSU balls with 360-degree flips in no time. Or something like that.

It should be noted that there is no such thing as perfect form. We all have different anatomy, and at a certain point, it’s time to just go get stronger. However, my experience indicates that more often, people mindlessly focus on the weight on the bar, at the expense of execution. For this reason, I insist upon perfect form, knowing that I won’t get it, but at least I’ll get better execution. 

The Squat Progression Sequence

1. Wall squat
2. Counterbalance squat
3. Bodyweight/prisoner squat
4. Goblet squat
5. Double kettlebell front squat
6. Barbell front squat
7. Barbell back squat

I first teach the squat using a wall. This tool exposes many of your mobility restrictions, from tight ankles, to hyper-immobility in the thoracic spine. Come back to the wall squat over and over. Perform five sets of five reps on a 3-3-* tempo (three second negative, three second isometric pause, max speed concentric) for homework every night. Use it as active rest between sets every day. This is not for a strength benefit, but has tremendous payoff in neural patterning. The rest of the progressions serve both for patterning and strength and power.

Single Leg Variations

Most of life and almost every sport is played on one leg at a time, so it only makes sense to train that way. You have to progress single leg squat variations too. You can’t just start on a barbell front Bulgarian split squat if you can’t lunge correctly. The typical progression is as follows:

1. Split Squats
2. Reverse Lunges
3. Sled Push
4. Bulgarian Split Squats (rear foot elevated)
5. Airborne Squats

For both Bulgarian and airborne squats, progress from weightless, to goblet, to barbell front, to barbell back variations. Sled pushes for 20m or less can be worked in at any point, provided the weight is appropriate and allows strict linear drive.

How long you spend in each stage of the progression is entirely dependent on you as an individual. Don’t worry about it. Focus on crushing whatever squat you are doing. After you experience a few weeks of near flawless technique, take the time to ease into a more advanced variation.

Related: The Best Leg Workouts

Troubleshooting Your Squat

Some of my favorite fixes for the squat, other than the wall squat are:

• Blocked Heels: Helps immensely if ankles are tight.
• Banded Knees: Helps glutes fire to promote knees tracking out.
• Slow Down:  There is an old adage that speed hides need. Slow tempos and isometric holds develop stability and motor control that promote better quality movement.

The post The Squat Progression Guide appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This is one of my favorite strength training mottos (along with “perfect practice makes perfect” and “fast sh*t is still sh*t”). I’m not here to have a debate about whether front squats are better than back squats. You just need to accept that they are. Just joking. Kind of.

From a coaching perspective, front squats are easier to teach, almost self-correcting, and promote better depth. 

From an injury prevention perspective, they incur less shear forces and compressive forces. They are also kinder on the shoulders (in most cases.)

From an athletic perspective, front squats facilitate awesome core strength and have incredible carry over into other strength movements – not just strength-wise, but in terms of position and mechanics too.

25 Ways to Increase Your Front Squat

Okay, I’ll admit it, the front squat is outright my favorite movement. Here are 25 ways to increase your front squat, with not a squat program in sight:

1. More front squats – The best way to get better at all aspects of front squats is to do more front squats.
2. Squat at the start – Why always tag your squats (and your core work, for that matter) onto the end of the session? If you want to improve or increase a skill or movement, then prioritize it. Squat first and frequently for a sustained period.
3. Mobility – You know you need to do it, even more so if you’re squatting multiple times a week. So do it. Perform mobility work on the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine, along with some form of rack position work at the least.
4. Squat therapy – Like most therapy, this is not fun, but it is worryingly effective. Treat yourself to a therapy session before taking the iron downtown.
5. Squat deeper – For maximum carryover, muscle recruitment, glute activation, all round bad-assery, and bad-ass ass bad-assery, squat deeper.
6. Squat straight down – Sending the hips back to begin a front squat will send the torso forward, and the bar crashing down. Squat straight down so your pelvis sits in between your legs. Think of your legs like two trees with your pelvis as the hammock.
7. Elbows up – Up, up, and up. Did I mention up? Lead with the elbows on the way up. Imagine there are chains attached to the end of your elbows. As you complete the squat the lifting gods are pulling you back up.
8. Release your grip – I see so many people try to front squat while still gripping onto the bar for dear life. This is vaguely acceptable if you have the flexibility to do so, but most people aren’t in this position (no pun intended). If your mechanics are correct, you shouldn’t have to grip to hold onto the bar. In fact you shouldn’t need to have to hold on to the bar at all.
9. Frankenstein squats – Walk up to the bar on the rack and set in on your shoulders with your hands straight out in front of you like Frankenstein’s monster. Now squat. Also called zombie squats. (I’m sorry, I had to get zombies in there somewhere.) This is a great drill for learning bar position and what your body needs to do to keep the bar in place.
10. Rack the bar closer – Yes, I know it’s uncomfortable. Jam that bar into you closer. Okay, you can move it out a bit. There you go. It sits right there, behind the front delts.
11. Chest into the bar – Preempt the fact that you are going to lean forward when it gets heavy, and drive your chest up into the bar from the bottom before you start to lean forward. This will assist you in maintaining an upright torso and keep the work where it should be – through the legs and hips.
12. Hips under the bar – Get your hips under the bar as soon as possible on the way up, and drive straight up. You will become more upright, and feel the difference in power straight away when you get this right.
13. Knees out – I’m aware of the debates circulating the Internet regarding knees out versus knees in versus knees up. I understand the implications of each of them, and believe they all have their place in terms of when and how to coach them. But for now, push your knees out, please.
14. Core strength– There are some who advocate that squats and deadlifts are all you need for core strength. I disagree. There comes a point where you need to increase your core strength, separately, in order to squat better and in order to get stronger. It’s a similar concept to playing sport to get fit, or getting fit to play sport.
15. Glute activation – Incorporate some basic glute activation drills before you squat. Then squat deep enough to make sure you use your glutes effectively.
16. Breathing – I’m shocked at how little emphasis is placed on this. If I had my way, lifters wouldn’t even touch a bar until learning how to breathe properly through a series of progressive breathing drills. (Let me know in the comments if you want to see an article on these.)
17. Readiness – You need to take that bar off the rack ready to squat. Jam yourself in between the bar and the floor. It should feel like a standing-up plank. Attempting to find optimum position once loaded is far less effective than setting it beforehand.
18. Static holds – Try 3 sets of 30 seconds in the rack position with around 110% of your max. Put simply, this will get your body used to handing heavier weights. Plus, it is one hell of a core workout.
19. 1 ¼ reps – This is a squat variation with multiple benefits, including strength, timing, and stabilization. Squat to rock bottom, and then come back up to just above parallel. Return to the bottom of the squat and drive up to the top. Warning: these are harder than you think.
20. Pause squats – Add a pause at the bottom of your squat to improve starting strength. Next time you’re pinned under a heavy clean, you’ll thank me.
21. Confidence – If you think you’re going to get stuck in the hole, guess what? You’re going to get stuck in the hole.
22. Shoes on – If you’ve never squatted in a pair of weightlifting shoes before, get yourself a pair. You will be able to front squat better.
23. Shoes off – If you’ve been squatting in weightlifting shoes for a long time, make sure you’re not reliant on them. What is your front squat like without them? Take your shoes off and you will quickly learn what is holding you back.
24. Tempo – Slow on the way down, fast on the way up. Master this.
25. Drive up fast and hard – If you have something light on the bar, imagine that it’s heavy. If you have something heavy on the bar, imagine that it’s light. It doesn’t get simpler than that.

Summary

The front squat is an incredible tool for weightlifters, CrossFitters, and strongmen alike. I’ve found that when I treat front squats with reverence, they pay me back in kind, and everything from my deadlift to my pull up numbers go up.

Treat the front squat with the respect it deserves and it will be your dependable friend for life. When in doubt – front squat.

The post 25 Tips for Better Front Squats appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

But I will say that for an athlete who wants to get all-around strong, steer clear of injury, and maximize carry over into strength sports, the front squat offers a number of advantages.

RELATED: Save Your Back by Switching to Front Squats

Why Do Front Squats

In my article When in Doubt, Do Front Squats: 25 Tips for Better Front Squats, I explain:

• From a coaching perspective – Front squats are easier to teach, more self-correcting, and promote better depth. 
• From an injury prevention perspective – Front squats are kinder on the shoulders, and incur less shear forces and compressive forces.
• From an athletic perspective – Front squats facilitate awesome core strength and have incredible carry over into other strength movements. This is not just strength-wise, but in terms of position and mechanics, too.

For Olympic weightlifters, the front squat is the best movement for learning the squat clean bottom position. Weightlifting coach Bob Takano explains why in his article Hitting Bottom: 3 Tools to Perfect Your Olympic Lifts:

The best movement for learning the squat clean bottom position is the traditional front squat. This movement performed with an optimal amount of weight will force the body into the bottom position, while simultaneously stretching the tendons and ligaments involved in achieving the position. At this point the front squat is not a strengthening exercise, but a positioning and stretching exercise.

For powerlifters, the front squat can be valuable as an assistance exercise to the back squat. For strongmen, the front squat ties in very well to positions within the sport, such as sitting with a Atlas stone on your lap, ready to drive the stone up and onto the platform (pictured below). For CrossFitters, it also has carryover to other movements within the sport, such as thrusters and wall balls.

So let’s take a deeper look at the movement itself, why you might want to perform it, and variations on the standard barbell front squat.

How to Perform the Front Squat

For those less familiar with this movement, strength and conditioning coach Traver H. Boehm provides a demonstration and basic explanation in his video on the front squat.

If you prefer a written format, read through this great basic skill review by Breaking Muscle founder, Mindith Rahmat from her article Deconstructing the Front Squat:

• Take time to find your starting position.
• Find your natural foot stance width your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your toes slightly out so your toes can follow the path of your knees.
• Find your grip on the barbell slightly wider than shoulder width.
• Receive the bar from the rack on the front of the shoulders and step back onto the platform.
• Keep chest up and raise the elbows high.
• Stabilize the midline taking in a deep breath.
• Keep the feet flat on the ground pushing down through the heels.
• Squat down until the thighs are below parallel.
• Keep the chest up, back tight, and the elbows high when coming out the squat aggressively drive the elbows up to come out of the hole.

How to Improve the Front Squat

When people ask me how they can improve their front squat, they are disappointed when I don’t reply with something secret and Russian. Rather, I’ll ask to have a look at their front squat. The first place to look for improvement is within the movement, every time.

I’ve written two articles to specifically help you with this. For technical tips on the front squat, check out When in Doubt, Do Front Squats: 25 Tips for Better Front Squats – and I’m only half joking about the “when in doubt do front squats” bit.

“The first place to look for improvement is within the movement, every time.”

Another way of creating improvement within the movement is to regress the movement down to even simpler forms. In this light, take a look at Squat Therapy: 4 Drills for a Better Squat. Squat therapy will improve your squats through the fact it is formed of four self-correcting movement drills. You are grooving good movement simply by performing the drills.

From regressions, we can move onto variations. Let’s take a look at two variations of the movement, and how they compare to the clean grip barbell front squat.

Crossed Arm Grip

Strength coach Jesse Fernandez explains how this variation works in his article A Primer on Front and Back Squats: Crossed-Arm, Clean Grip, Low Bar, and High Bar:

Place the bar in front of your shoulders, resting it directly on top of your deltoids, just as you with clean grip version. You then will cross your hands over the bar, making an “X” when looked at from up above. Elbows will face forward and arms will be parallel to the ground

Why would you vary the grip? It’s a great question. There is less carryover to the clean with crossed arms. Also it’s not actually that easy to secure the weight like this. However, if you or your client has wrist issues, or other mobility or injury issues restricting hin or her from performing a standard front squat rack, this is a useful way of facilitating the benefits of the front squat without rack position being the limiting factor in terms of weight.

If clean grip was the ultimate goal, then the root causes of the inability to get into a clean grip rack position must be addressed in parallel.

Left: Clean grip; Right: Crossed arm grip.

Two-Kettlebell Front Squat

This is an incredibly humbling movement. Strength and conditioning coach James Cerbie gives us an example of his client’s experiences with this movement in his article The 2-Kettlebell Front Squat: The Best Exercise You’re Not Doing

“Well, that sucked.” My client un-racked the kettlebells and put them on the ground, still contemplating how in the world he got crushed by such little weight (comparatively speaking of course).

Here I was taking this guy who considered himself to be pretty strong (and to his credit he was – he could do a mid-300lb front squat relatively easily), and putting him on the struggle-bus with a pair of 24kg kettlebells.

James also lists some key reasons for performing this movement:

• Lower body strength – The increased instability of the kettlebells compensates for the lack of load.
• Core stability – This exercise puts your core on overdrive and forces you to maintain position.
• Grooving the pattern – The previous two points combine to make this movement an effective variation for grooving the squat pattern.
• Breathing into your back – By biasing a little flexion in the bottom of the squat, we can work on good breathing technique.

The article goes on to list how to perform the movement, possible technique flaws, modifications, and even programming – it’s well worth a read.

I hope this article has also been well worth your read. Now, read it again, pick out some points to practice, go do some front squats. Then come come back here and let me know how you got on.

Photo 1 courtesy of CrossFit Empirical.

Photo 2 “Jack Katz Memorial Strong Man Competition” by stu_spivack. Attribution-NonCommercial License.

Photo 3 courtesy of Strength Education.

Photo 4 courtesy of Jesse Fernandez.

Photo 5 courtesy of Read Performance Training.

The post How to Use the Front Squat to Improve Strength and Performance appeared first on Breaking Muscle.