Squats v. Front Squats

[peroxadic]

what are the differences and the advantages of each? i've been doing regular squats for about 3 week snow and i've always thought them to be the standard one to gain mass and to add muscle to legs.. what makes front squats so different/special?

[Dr_John]

Front squats hit the quads harder. Do both.

[dindysport]

I do both...although with front squats I can do about 1/2 as much...I can usually go a bit lower also...

[JimmyChitwood]

The previous posters have pretty much covered it.

The front squat can be a bit more awkward and difficult to master when you're accustomed to the back squat, but it's a great tool for focusing on the quads. The move encourages a very upright back posture, which puts extra stress on the quads and shifts some of the load off of the hamstrings and glutes. It's fantastic. I'd recommend putting it into your routine. Many times I do both the back squat and front squat in the same workout.

There are a few variations as to how to hold/control the bar in the front squat as well. You'll want to look at those and figure out which one works for you. Personally, I have the bar across the fronts of my shoulders, elbows up in front of me with forearms crossed, hands lightly pushing bar into my shoulders. This grip FORCES good posture, since if you lean forward you'll drop the load.

Best of luck!

[locoboyzbetz]

Yups! Front squats the bar is not held by your hands finger or wrists. You are basically putting the bar in your throat on top or inside where your collar bone is. If you are uncertain ask an olympic lifter where he catches that bar. You should be able to front squat with your hands out in front not even holding the bar! Yes you will only be able to less then a back squat. Dont give up and make sure you go as deep as you can with the front squat. Dont go high reps either. Just 5-7 reps is enough as it will take a while for your wrists and collar bone to adjust. Keep your elbows high and look straight forward not up!

right on!

[locoboyzbetz]

keep the knees over the toes on this lift!

[DriveMyWhey]

This should come in handy:

http://stronglifts.com/front-squats-vs-back-squats/

[peroxadic]

thnx for all the great advice! will try today at the gym after work

+rep

[IronAbrams]

keep the knees over the toes on this lift!

.

[PaHulkster]

For a while my front squat was actually higher than my back squat because I stopped working back squat for too long. Now it's evening out, but I still really prefer front squats. Results seem to be about even for me with either variation.

[TOC]

Thought the first pic from this article might get a few lol's...

http://stronglifts.com/7-ways-to-kee...oor-on-squats/

A little off-topic, but the article gives some useful points on squat form.

[burningNun]

The bit about back extension on the stronglifts article doesn't make sense and could explain why the author hurt his back doing back squats.

[spot_skater]

keep the knees over the toes on this lift!

No.

[BC02]

back squats are more important for most sports because of the increased stress on the posterior chain

[brad71983]

back squats are more important for most sports because of the increased stress on the posterior chain

you post the most retarded **** ive ever seen on here.

Front squats directly translate to olympics lifts which are the staple of ANY true athletic weightlifting program.

[BC02]

you post the most retarded **** ive ever seen on here.

Front squats directly translate to olympics lifts which are the staple of ANY true athletic weightlifting program.

so you sre actually saying front squats would be more beneficial for a runner than back squats?

[kaplanfx]

Good thread, I will be adding front squats to my workouts. I have a 4 routine split.

Legs - core lift: Squat
Back/Bi - core lift: Deadlift / Row
Chest/Tri - core lift: Bench Press
Shoulders/neck - core lift: Overhead Press / Shrugs

Which day do you think would be best to add in the front squats?

-kap

[TheGr8S1]

you post the most retarded **** ive ever seen on here.

Front squats directly translate to olympics lifts which are the staple of ANY true athletic weightlifting program.

Devil's Advocate: Joe Defranco doesn't use Olympic lifts.

[CaptainGorgeous]

you post the most retarded **** ive ever seen on here.

Front squats directly translate to olympics lifts which are the staple of ANY true athletic weightlifting program.

Yeah but, the primary value of olympic lifts (as they relate to athletics) is the fact that they are explosive, rather than the actual front squat position they implement.

[brad71983]

Yeah but, the primary value of olympic lifts (as they relate to athletics) is the fact that they are explosive, rather than the actual front squat position they implement.

you arent going to get out of the hole on a heavy olympic lift if you dont train front squats.

[CaptainGorgeous]

you arent going to get out of the hole on a heavy olympic lift if you dont train front squats.

Most athletes I know do power cleans and power snatches. They don't really get into the hole in the first place.

But you are absolutely right if talking about full olympic cleans and snatches.

[DeXyrus]

front squats focus more on the quads, while regular hit everything (glutes, quads, hams, etc)

i HATE front squats, but i do them anyway

both, now

X

[Lion Heart]

Front squats are best for the bodybuilder.

Also add in rack deads being better than conventional deads.

[Kiknskreem]

you post the most retarded **** ive ever seen on here.

Front squats directly translate to olympics lifts which are the staple of ANY true athletic weightlifting program.

you arent going to get out of the hole on a heavy olympic lift if you dont train front squats.

What a snide little comment to a perfectly accurate post.

Athletes train the olympic lifts for power production.... this is one of the reasons why they often do the power variants of the lift rather than the full versions. They involve accelerating the weight through a longer RoM. Why should they care about squat clean recovery?

If your contention is that front squats are more important for athletes because they help clean recovery, and cleans are important for athletes.... you have failed miserably. The back squat itself is the staple of any strength program, and is as fundamental as it gets. I'll take an athlete with a strong back squat and power clean over someone with a great front squat and squat clean anyday.

[hawkcapt1912]

thnx for all the great advice! will try today at the gym after work

+rep

here's a primer or tutorial on squats. watch, download and refer to them as needed. there's @ 20 in the series. some will have value and some may not (at the present time).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq8CW...C4DE1F&index=0

[brad71983]

What a snide little comment to a perfectly accurate post.

Athletes train the olympic lifts for power production.... this is one of the reasons why they often do the power variants of the lift rather than the full versions. They involve accelerating the weight through a longer RoM. Why should they care about squat clean recovery?

If your contention is that front squats are more important for athletes because they help clean recovery, and cleans are important for athletes.... you have failed miserably. The back squat itself is the staple of any strength program, and is as fundamental as it gets. I'll take an athlete with a strong back squat and power clean over someone with a great front squat and squat clean anyday.

Im fairly certain you are confusing what i said. Nowhere did i say that athletes dont do back squats, do you really think i contend that. All i said is that front squats have HIGH carryover to athletic programming, and to say a backsquat is more important "because of the increased stress on the posterior chain" is a fairly nieve and horribly generic statement IMO.

And i'll take someone with a great front squat and great power clean.

"Many professional strength coaches believe that front squats (where the bar rests on the shoulders in front of the head) and overhead squats (where the bar is locked out in a snatch grip overhead throughout the squat) are more functional to athletic performance than back squats with less risk of lower back injury."

and futher on:

"The front squat recruits the abdominals to a much higher degree for stability due to the more upright position compared with back squats"

[brad71983]

so you sre actually saying front squats would be more beneficial for a runner than back squats?

just AS beneficial and arguably more.

although, it does depends on what kind of "Athelete" we are talking about as well.

[Kiknskreem]

Im fairly certain you are confusing what i said. Nowhere did i say that athletes dont do back squats, do you really think i contend that. All i said is that front squats have HIGH carryover to athletic programming, and to say a backsquat is more important "because of the increased stress on the posterior chain" is a fairly nieve and horribly generic statement IMO.

I certainly did make some inferences based on your calling his post retarded amd concede the possibility that he has posted other retarded stuff..

However, I would generally agree that the posterior chain emphasis and hip drive elements of a low bar back squat DO make it a movement with overall greater utility than front squats... though I would not flatly contend that "they are better".

And i'll take someone with a great front squat and great power clean.

"Many professional strength coaches believe that front squats (where the bar rests on the shoulders in front of the head) and overhead squats (where the bar is locked out in a snatch grip overhead throughout the squat) are more functional to athletic performance than back squats with less risk of lower back injury."

and futher on:

"The front squat recruits the abdominals to a much higher degree for stability due to the more upright position compared with back squats"

Those are some things the front squat has going for it... easier on the low back and requires a lot of core strength.

On the other hand, low bar back squats have quite a few things going for them. First, they specifically train hip drive, one of the most important factors in athletics. They train the glutes, and especially hamstrings more than a front squat. Many athletes have lacking hamstring and overall posterior chain strength, so this is a big plus. They use far greater loads and thus cause a greater general strength adaptation than front squats... high loads help joint integrity and bone density. Low bar squats are also far easier on the knees, and distribute the force of the squat more evenly among the body's structures.

[Kiknskreem]

just AS beneficial and arguably more.

I disagree, for the above stated reasons.


I'd like to hear yours, however.

[brad71983]

I certainly did make some inferences based on your calling his post retarded amd concede the possibility that he has posted other retarded stuff..

However, I would generally agree that the posterior chain emphasis and hip drive elements of a low bar back squat DO make it a movement with overall greater utility than front squats... though I would not flatly contend that "they are better".





Those are some things the front squat has going for it... easier on the low back and requires a lot of core strength.

On the other hand, low bar back squats have quite a few things going for them. First, they specifically train hip drive, one of the most important factors in athletics. They train the glutes, and especially hamstrings more than a front squat. Many athletes have lacking hamstring and overall posterior chain strength, so this is a big plus. They use far greater loads and thus cause a greater general strength adaptation than front squats... high loads help joint integrity and bone density. Low bar squats are also far easier on the knees, and distribute the force of the squat more evenly among the body's structures.

If one were to just do squats and nothing else, then sure, back squats are better becuase they involve more musculature. But if one were to do the correct auxillary exercises AND focusing on front squats i would argue that you would have overall more development.

Im not saying never do backsquats and only to front squats, each have their own place in a program, which i think can widely vary on the given goals/sport of the athlete. Are we talking about football, then yea a lowbar squat has more appeal, or are we talking basketball where you just have to have explosive quad reaction? Are we talking soccer or rugby?