7 Reasons Why You Should Front Squat

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

I can almost guarantee you’re not front squatting enough or any. For some reason, you don’t see many gym goers (especially bodybuilders) using this time-tested exercise.

Crossfit has gone a long way off towards bringing it back, but if you’re not performing crossfit - it’s probably not even on your system.

This is a shame because if you want to get full body strength build awesome quads sculpt rock-hard abs and save your “tweaked” lower back then you’re going to enjoy the front squat.

Here’s a couple of reasons why you have to squat for a lean, hard, athletic physique:

1. Get Enhanced Quads - The front squat is an EXCELLENT movement to get bigger, stronger quads-most likely the greatest workout there is. Since you’re position is more vertical, it highlights the quads more.

2. Get Stronger, More Cut Abs (Core) - Because you’re holding the weight in front of your body, and you must remain upright your entire core gets a great workout trying to stabilize the weight and keep you upright. If you find you’re leaning forward a lot when you back squat, you’ll quickly get stronger and fix this problem if you switch to front squats for a while.

Front squats aren’t just smashing in creating the body of your dreams either! They’re also certainly good at just making you more fit and keeping you more in good physical shape. What good is looking strong if you should give up your health in the process?

Here’s the five other reasons why you should Front Squat for better health:

1. Makes Your Other Lifts Better - Because the bar is placed ahead of you, on your shoulders, the front squat is enormously like other exercises and strengthens the “base” of those lifts/presses. Power Cleans, Overhead Presses, Overhead Squats, and so on all share the same “starting” position as the front squat. Getting stronger and more comfortable with Front Squats will help you in those exercises as well.

2. Bad Form Gets Self-Corrected - If you’re back squatting with bad form you can complete the exercise at the expense of causing injury to yourself. The good thing about front squats is the form is self correcting: If you’re not straight enough you’ll drop the bar if you’re not holding the bar right you’ll drop it if you don’t keep your elbows up you’ll drop it. It’s an exercise that pretty much forces your form to be good.

3. Less Weight - All in all, if you can challenge your body with less weight (because you’re doing a harder exercise) then it is safer. Because the Front Squat is harder than Back Squats you won’t be able to lift as much weight. Which means less spinal compression.

4. More Natural Spine Position - You’re more upright with the front squat your spine is in a more nonaligned “straight” position. This combined with the fact you’re lifting a reduced amount of weight is better for your spine at the end of the day.

5. Lower Back Approved - Nearly everyone have lower back problems and back squats worsen these conditions. But because your upper body is normally straight (rather than leaning forward like in a back squat) there’s a reduced amount of force on your lower back. I started front squatting when I hurt my lower back.

[johnp]

sick

[James Maxx]

Im gonna try this because I do tend to lean forward too much when I do back squats.

[GOLDEN]

im gonna try these never done them before...just a question about squats i do back squats and i do 8 sets of them is that to much?

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

Hard to answer without seeing the rest of the routine.

[VIGOROUSJONESY]

been doin zercher squats the last 3 weeks whole different ball game works your core more

[Zbad1ne]

aawesome exercise, pretty tough though. I learned with the arms crossed variation, which seems like more of a beginner thing

[big ant]

good read deeper front squat is no joke

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

heres a good video tutorial

Front Squats from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.

[JerZgirL]

I did these saturday. Ive been experiencing knee problems & i have a tendency to lean forward in my full squats, so i threw these front squats back into the mix on saturday & GREAT SUCCESS. My ass, hams & quads are still ON FIRE

[James Maxx]

heres a good video tutorial

Front Squats from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.

That looks painful for wrists, especially when you put weight on the bar.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

That looks painful for wrists, especially when you put weight on the bar.

Takes some flexibility but once you establish that, its the best and most efficient way to hold the bar. Crossed Arms is not efficient, nor is holding the bar with elbows down. Cradling the bar with fingertips is ideal, especially as a carry over to the clean.

[kroms]

That looks painful for wrists, especially when you put weight on the bar.

the weight isnt sitting on your hands/wrists...its transfered to your shoulders

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

the weight isnt sitting on your hands/wrists...its transfered to your shoulders

exactly.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

[VIGOROUSJONESY]

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

great video.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

front squat with the clean grip as part of the clean

[VIGOROUSJONESY]

great video.

350 by august lol

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

are you far from that now?