Front squats is a type of exercise where you hold a weights in front of you and bend your knees, to strengthen your leg muscles and core.
Full definition
From the high row position, you'll drop back into a half
front squat with your feet slightly wider than hip - distance apart.
This is why a lot of strength athletes
do front squats as an assistance movement.
It would be best if you started with back squats and then proceed to do a few sets
of front squats.
My new
front squat max is 125 lbs (up 15 lbs) and my new back squat is 135 lbs (up 10 lbs).
The double
kettlebell front squat is the hardest of the three, and will demand every single ounce of effort from your body to complete.
When
performing front squats, it is important to always remember that your front shoulders are supporting the weight, and not your hands.
If you want to work on your core and become stronger all - around, do
barbell front squats and weighted planks.
For example, do one - legged squats for five sets of five and then
double front squats for five sets of five right after.
I could list a LOT more, but wanted to focus
on front squats today as they are one of the most under - utilized.
It teaches the qualities required for developing a
good front squat but without the need for squat racks or heavy loads.
If regular barbell back and
front squats cause you knee pain, it's time to switch to box squats.
Load a barbell on the squat rack with a weight that you can perform 5
deep front squats.
I've never gotten tired of back squats, but
front squats looked fun, and that's why I decided to learn them.
Yet, no one seems to want to do them, and hardly do you ever see anyone performing
front squats at the gym.
At the same time,
front squats basically forces good technique and form upon you where you will not be able to lean forward - if you do, you will lose the bar.
For me: try to set a new 1 rep max on whatever form
of front squat I was doing.
Next is the
barbell front squat, which is one of the best workout variations, you should know about.
I don't necessarily love performing
double front squats, but I love the strength it has provided me.
For example, if your
best front squat is 220 pounds, your best for 3 - 4 reps might be 200 pounds.
Doing front squats will enforce good, solid technique, otherwise, you will lose the bar, especially when performing heavier sets.
This video shows Kevin van den Groenendaal BMX rider from the development team performing a
Handsfree Front Squat with 110 kg as a part of his regular strength training routine.
And if you are lacking strength you need to be prepared to put time and effort into
Front Squat heavier.
It's much easier on the wrists and shoulders to rack kettlebell cleans and to hold
for front squats than it is to use a barbell and it's much faster to learn one - arm kettlebell snatches than barbell snatches.
The handsfree
Front Squat grip, isn't really a grip because you are not holding the bar, however, it offers a few benefits.
As for clothing,
front squats tend to be deep squats so make sure your leg wear is up to the challenge — there is nothing worse than descending into a deep squat only to be greeted by a ripping sound coming from the back of your shorts.
Have a look at this video and how the Handsfree
Front Squat helps the athlete to maintain a good upright posture, despite the heavy load.
Utilizing a certain variation of a big compound movement
like front squat instead of a back squat, football bar instead of a barbell, trap bar instead of a straight bar, deadlifting from a platform instead of pulling from the floor, doing pin press instead of bench press can prove to be a real game changes and keep you progressing.
If you're wondering how this would affect your gains, here are three important reasons
why front squats deserve a permanent place in your training program:
45 - degree Back Extension 3 - 4 sets of 10
reps Front Squat 5 sets of 5 reps Back Squat 5 sets of 5 reps Bench Press 5 sets of 5 reps Military Press 5 sets of 5 reps High Pull 5 sets of 5 reps Deadlift 5 sets of 5 reps Calf Raises 5 sets of 25 reps
How to perform it: Set up for the smith machine
front squat by setting the rack height to shoulder height and loading up the bar with adequate weight.
This chart can give you a guideline, of how many
Front Squat sets and reps you can do.
Note that although the goblet and no
hands front squat utilise load, the load exists solely to reinforce technique and is not the goal itself.
Front squats also takes stress off the low back, but it's not an advantage over the low bar squats.