Front Squat. Image credit: Sportivny Press
The Front Squat is a variation of the Squat with the barbell resting on your front shoulders rather than on your back. Front Squats are the best replacement for Squats when you can’t do these for whatever reason.
Like every other strength training exercise, proper Front Squat technique will help you achieve bigger weights while minimizing risks of injuries. Here’s how to Front Squat with Proper technique.
What’s a Front Squat? The Front Squat is a Squat done with the barbell on your front shoulders instead of on your upper-back. Put the barbell on your front shoulders, bend through your knees & come back up.
Here’s a video of French weightlifter Venceslas Dabaya doing the Front Squat. Don’t worry about the weight & the bar falling on the ground at the end of the set. Dabaya is gold medalist & thus experienced. You’ll start light.
Front Squat Benefits. The Front Squat has a more upright position than the Back Squat because of the front bar placement. Implications:
- Lower Back Friendly. Less forward lean on the Front Squat. You can’t squeeze the bar or tighten your upper-back. Meaning less total weight & thus less spinal compression. Try Front Squats if you have lower back issues. Chances are you can do them without problems.
- Builds Muscle. The front bar loading will pull you forward. Abs will work hard to keep your torso upright. Front Squats will work your whole legs, but your quads more than your hips.
- More Strength. Clean grip Front Squats will help your Power Clean & Overhead Press which have similar racking/starting positions.
- Enforce Good Technique. Do Front Squats wrong & you’ll lose the bar. Try Front Squats for a while if your Squat technique is not the best.
Front Squat Clean Grip vs. Crossed Arm Grip. Image credit: Ironmind & d_vdm.
The Clean Grip. Front Squats using the Clean Grip will feel uncomfortable at first. Many switch to the Cross-armed Grip for that reason. Don’t be one of them. Front Squat with a Clean grip. Benefits:
- Safer. It’s easier to keep your elbows up so the bar doesn’t roll of your shoulders using the Clean Grip.
- Carry-over. Power Cleans & Overhead Presses become easier because you’re using bigger weights in a similar position on the Front Squat.
Front Squat Setup: big chest, elbows up & hands relaxed. Image credit: Dehwang.
Front Squat Setup. Your shoulders support the weight, not your hands. Always keep your chest big & elbows up. Else the weight will get on your hands and stretch your wrists & elbows which will hurt. Big chest, elbows up.
- Foot Stance. Slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. You can go deep without your arms touching your legs & use your hip muscles better.
- Toes Out. Your toes must always follow your knees. Point your toes out at about 30 degrees.
- Chest Up. Put your chest forward & lift it up. This gives the bar a solid base to sit on & makes it impossible to round your upper-back.
- Tighten Lats. You can’t tighten your upper-back on Front Squats like on Squats. However you can tighten your lats: spread them.
- Look Forward. Up is bad for your neck, down will make your lower back round. Look forward, fix a point in front of you.
- Grip Width. A narrow grip pushes the bar against your throat, making breathing difficult. Wide grip is harder to keep your elbows up. Use a grip width of about 55cm/21″.
- Bar Position. Put the bar on top of your front shoulders. Behind your clavicles & close to your throat. Coughing is possible, clavicles might hurt. Front Squat more, you’ll adapt.
- Hands Open. Your shoulders support the weight, not your hands. Open your hands, relax them. Three fingers under the bar is ok (pink up).
- Elbows Up. Put your elbows up – upper-arms almost parallel to the floor – so the weight doesn’t end on your hands.
- Elbow In. Push your elbows toward each other during the Front Squat. It’s easier on your wrists.
The Front Squat. Your hip muscles are stretched when you break parallel. Use that stretch to bounce from the bottom. DO NOT relax your hip muscles & DO NOT bounce off your knees. Keep your hip muscles tensed.
- Push From The Heels. Heels off the floor impairs stability & power and is bad for your knees. Push from the heels & curl your toes up.
- Sit Back. Squat between your legs while pushing your hips back. You’ll stretch your hip muscles when breaking parallel. Bounce from it.
- Break Parallel. Should be easy because of the upright position. Squat down until your hip joint is at least lower than your knee joint.
- Knees Out. Never let your knees go in during the Front Squat. You risk knee injuries & won’t train your groin. Push your knees out.
