Front vs "Back" Squat Load Difference

[StoneMuscle]

My front squat 6rm is currently 240lb (although a limitation is wrist pain, I could get another 20lb) My normal ("back") squat's 6rm is 330lb. This equates to a 27% (90/330) difference.

It should be noted that my front squat is absolute AtG and my "back" squat is to parallel.

How does this percentage difference compare to other people out there?

[Uriel_da_man]

It doesn't matter, you'll be better at whichever you've been doing longest and/or with the shortest ROM.

[jando]

sounds about right
pretty close to what im at

[KingOfNorway]

Front squat will usually be lower than back squat, even if trained equally. Here's a part of why:
For one, on the front squat your elbows are up, and the lats are stretched, with a back squat the lats are not stretched, they are contracted as you press the bar down into your traps. When the lats are contracted as in the back squat, more force from your legs is allowed to transfer through them. (it's the same concept of flexing your abs to stabilize and make more force transfer through them).

Also, with the back squat you are allowed to lean more forward, you then use more of your powerful posterior chain muscles as movers, while front squats rely more on the quads (ofcource, the PC is active here aswell, just not as much as in a back squat)

Hope that makes sence.

[Uriel_da_man]

Front squat will usually be lower than back squat, even if trained equally. Here's a part of why:
For one, on the front squat your elbows are up, and the lats are stretched, with a back squat the lats are not stretched, they are contracted as you press the bar down into your traps. When the lats are contracted as in the back squat, more force from your legs is allowed to transfer through them. (it's the same concept of flexing your abs to stabilize and make more force transfer through them).

Also, with the back squat you are allowed to lean more forward, you then use more of your powerful posterior chain muscles as movers, while front squats rely more on the quads (ofcource, the PC is active here aswell, just not as much as in a back squat)

Hope that makes sence.

I still think it's just down to training experience and form.

Most people back squat more, but most people start back squats before front squats, and do their back squats to parallel while front squats have a longer ROM.

If you look at olympic lifters (that start front squats from day 1) they usually squat as much if not more in front - and they also have the most impressive quads for their weight class of all athletes, now that I mention it.

[GoJu]

If you look at olympic lifters (that start front squats from day 1) they usually squat as much if not more in front - .

no they don't, to the OP I think a difference of about 50lbs is normal.

[UtahRocks]

no they don't, to the OP I think a difference of about 50lbs is normal.

I believe it the typical diff is more that 50lbs. Me: 275 ATG FS which is at least 90 lbs less than my ATG backsquat

[GoJu]

I believe it the typical diff is more that 50lbs. Me: 275 ATG FS which is at least 90 lbs less than my ATG backsquat

then you need to bring up your front squat, mine's 225 with a back squat of 275, last I maxed a few months ago.

[I dont work at Ballys]

then you need to bring up your front squat, mine's 225 with a back squat of 275, last I maxed a few months ago.

or you need to bring up your backsquat.

seriously though, its the SAID principle, why even try and compare specific poundages?

[GoJu]

or you need to bring up your backsquat.

seriously though, its the SAID principle, why even try and compare specific poundages?

my back and front squats both use the same stance widths and dephs, this isn't the same for most people who use a wider higher stance when back squatting, a number of olympic lifters I've talked too say more or less the same thing that the front squat should be pretty close in the area of 50-60lbs or so to the back squat.

poundages are NOT specific and the front and back squat AREN'T as different as people here say them to be.

[UtahRocks]

then you need to bring up your front squat, mine's 225 with a back squat of 275, last I maxed a few months ago.

Well I think my case is more typical than yours. Your max lifts are weird, I never heard of anyone pulling 4 plates and only backsquatting 275. Something must be wrong with your backsquat technique

[GoJu]

Well I think my case is more typical than yours. Your max lifts are weird, I never heard of anyone pulling 4 plates and only backsquatting 275. Something must be wrong with your backsquat technique

my technique is fine (now anyway, wasn't when i first started doing them) I'm just bad at the lift, I have a friend similar to me, does back squat (to parallel) 300 and deadlifts 500.

[I dont work at Ballys]

my back and front squats both use the same stance widths and dephs, this isn't the same for most people who use a wider higher stance when back squatting, a number of olympic lifters I've talked too say more or less the same thing that the front squat should be pretty close in the area of 50-60lbs or so to the back squat.

poundages are NOT specific and the front and back squat AREN'T as different as people here say them to be.

SAID principle.

[UtahRocks]

my technique is fine I'm just bad at the lift, I have a friend similar to me, does back squat (to parallel) 300 and deadlifts 500.

Strange. the only explanation I can come up is that he is deadlifting with a rounded back

[GoJu]

Strange. the only explanation I can come up is that he is deadlifting with a rounded back

both his and my pulls are almost all back yes but your comment made no sense to me, if he was pulling with a straight back and using more legs he'd be pulling close to 525+.

[UtahRocks]

both his and my pulls are almost all back yes but your comment made no sense to me, if he was pulling with a straight back and using more legs he'd be pulling close to 525+.

Then he should be squatting more than 300. Something does not add up. Max pulls are often achieved with a rounded back.

[GoJu]

Then he should be squatting more than 300. Something does not add up. Max pulls are often achieved with a rounded back.

don't know what to tell ya, he and I are just more suited (way more suited) to pull it seems.

[KingOfNorway]

I still think it's just down to training experience and form.

Most people back squat more, but most people start back squats before front squats, and do their back squats to parallel while front squats have a longer ROM.

If you look at olympic lifters (that start front squats from day 1) they usually squat as much if not more in front - and they also have the most impressive quads for their weight class of all athletes, now that I mention it.

you're dodging my point. Olympic lifters train front squat way more than back squat. I said "if trained equally" You can't argue against the mechanical disadvantages the front squat has that makes you lift less. I'm not saying this to take anything away from the front squat, IMO front squat > back squat.