# do you front squat?



## gold95 (May 23, 2009)

*do you BB's front squat???*​
yes 3760.66%no2439.34%


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## gold95 (May 23, 2009)

i used to be an olympic lifter & used the front squat regularly but back then (in the late 90's) i saw very few bodybuilders do front squats.

i still do them & i defo see more bodybuilders using this exercise but just how many? i don't expect too many but i'm a nosey bugger.


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## solidcecil (Mar 8, 2012)

yeah i did them today achully. did 4sets back squats then 3sets+superset front squats. i love them!


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## Testoholic (Jun 13, 2009)

i love them, i find takes stress off the lower back a bit and 'feel' it more than back squats


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## gerg (Aug 17, 2008)

i prefer them to back squats, though i messed my wrist up doing 3 rep maxes the other day :S

i've noticed more people doing (or trying to do) olympic lifts in the gym, usually in the form of power cleans. Seen a couple of people overhead squatting too.

Not seen anybody else do squat cleans or snatches though


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## Themanabolic (Jun 25, 2009)

no, not a fan really


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## bigmitch69 (May 14, 2008)

Testaholic said:


> i love them, i find takes stress off the lower back a bit and 'feel' it more than back squats


Snap, i have problems with lower back ache due to the work i do. Front squats give my lower back a bit of a break. I do my front squats with a 1 inch high piece of wood under my heals.


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## godsgifttoearth (Jul 28, 2009)

im doing them currently as they take a lot of the load off the posterior chain. i tore my hamstring about 13weeks ago, and just back starting with weights.

when im not injured, i usually cycle between front squat, back squat and leg press. the governing factor is usually lower back fatigue and how my hamstrings feel. if my hams are getting exhausted, i'll front squat. if my lower back is getting exhausted. i leg press. if all is good i back squat.

i dont like to do them exclusively however, cos i always get a quad/hamstring imbalance, which leads to posture issues and subsequent back+hamstring problems.


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## gumballdom (Dec 14, 2008)

i use to do them but find them too awkard now, plus my shoulder flexibility is shocking lol.


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

i cant stand them! back squat all the way! i dnt think you can work the muscle as hard as you cant lift as much weight. if you can lift say 240k back why would you do say 180k 200k front? you cant be causing the muscle as much stress as with the big weight (if on both form is 100%) any one feel the same? i would concider doing them after back squats or super seting them but not as my base heavy work set. jmo


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## Jux (Jul 23, 2008)

Don't front squats hit the lower quads more?


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## Willie (Feb 17, 2008)

I alternate them with back squats every other week.


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## BLUTOS (Mar 5, 2005)

Yep love em, when your a bit taller I think they are a must, my legs always start with front squats with hands stabalising bar n the opposite shoulder.


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

well im 5.5 so frnt squat can suk my balls! and so can all of you! lol put some weight on the bar and rest it on your traps you pussys! lol


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## MXD (Jan 23, 2008)

Love them pb is 150*3


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

MXD said:


> Love them pb is 150*3


pb on back?


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## Ironclad (Jun 23, 2009)

I find them difficult to do. The bar cuts into my tits or if i hold the bar high the weight presses hard against the clavicle. Pussy huh...


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## TURTLE21 (Sep 7, 2009)

back squats put to much strain on my lower back some1 sais above it releaves the strain. ive never actually soon one done. any1 got a vid so can see the form as i miss squats. cheers :thumb:


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

i finde the bare chokes me


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## MXD (Jan 23, 2008)

big_jim_87 said:


> pb on back?


220*3 at 80k that was wraps and belt tho. The 150*3 fronts are atg just belt.


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## solidcecil (Mar 8, 2012)

im much weaker on front compared to back

i managed 1x190kg on back earlyer but only managed 5x80kg on front!

but i have only been doing front for about 2months now and again


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## Harry Sacks (May 3, 2009)

Aye i do front squats every leg workout


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## big_jim_87 (Jul 9, 2009)

MXD said:


> 220*3 at 80k that was wraps and belt tho. The 150*3 fronts are atg just belt.


you see this is what i mean the 220 must stress the muscles more then 150?


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## gold95 (May 23, 2009)

some awesome weights guys. i'm shocked so many do them, they r great but others don't do them coz they can't lift as much as back's. if they took time to learn them they'd see why we all do them...

ronnie coleman front squating






h rezazadem 280kg


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## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

Much better than back squats for me, and probably most taller people if they get over the initial discomfort, do full range, deep reps, and stick with them.

Short @rses like JW need not apply.


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## Arnold Swarfega (Feb 20, 2009)

I bloody love em!! you can get right down till your ring practicaly touches the floor!!


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## BIG GRANT (Jan 12, 2008)

i always star my eg workouts with back squats, but then go on 2 superset leg culs with front squats.


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## gerg (Aug 17, 2008)

bar shouldn't really be on your chest or clavicle, it should be resting on your shoulders, and touching your neck (it won't choke you)

performed correctly it looks something like this: :thumbup1:


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## Nytol (Jul 16, 2005)

gerg said:


> bar shouldn't really be on your chest or clavicle, it should be resting on your shoulders, and touching your neck (it won't choke you)
> 
> performed correctly it looks something like this: :thumbup1:


You need very good flexibility to do them with an Olympic grip, I cant do them like that, nor can anyone else I know.

I do them arms crossed, with the bar resting in the dip between front delts and clavicles, once you do them for a few weeks, they are no longer uncomfortable, but taking a few weeks to build up slow and lean proper form is important.






Far from impressive weight, but the form is OK.


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## gold95 (May 23, 2009)

i can't even come close to using an olympic grip anymore, when weightlifting i could. i dont know any non weightlifters who can get that grip. olympic lifters don't get much credit but they have great flexibility u need to to do lifts like the snatch


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## ba baracuss (Apr 26, 2004)

I'm tall and find back squats a bastard. Might have to look into these although it looks a tricky way of doing it.

I find the stress going through my shoulder and traps the worst from having my arms pinned back holding the bar, but that may just be a flexibility issue.


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## anabolic ant (Jun 5, 2008)

i love doing front squats...they are just as super...

but i have a trouble of the barrolling,but when i get it...they stress my quads brilliantly!!!!

really hit my rectus femoris and the tear drops and vastus lateralis....plus you can get real deep with em...lovely for glutes...brings back soreness when you incorporate them every now and again!!!!


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## Bazooka Tooth (Apr 7, 2009)

never done them.

might try and end of my leg session today


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## coldo (Dec 7, 2008)

Never tried them in all honesty. Something i will try soon though, cant harm to mix it up a bit.


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## gerg (Aug 17, 2008)

the olympic grip isn't that hard, i find it just takes a couple of months to build up the flexibility required. though i still struggle to keep my elbows high enough.

arms crossed over doesn't feel very secure in comparison, and precludes being able to clean or press the weight

still working on my shoulder flexibility for the squat snatch


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## avfc_ant (Oct 10, 2009)

Never done these before so will give them a try. Super setting with back squats sounds good though.


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## Nathrakh (Apr 5, 2004)

Yeah do these about every other workout - rest fine on front delts/upper chest, but every so often bar pushes into my throat...no good.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Front squats are great - much higher percentage of the load is taken by the quads than in back squats which splits the load more between quads and posterior chain. Means you can do more for your quads with a lower weight than back squats.


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## Ironclad (Jun 23, 2009)

gold95 said:


> i can't even come close to using an olympic grip anymore, when weightlifting i could. i dont know any non weightlifters who can get that grip. olympic lifters don't get much credit but they have great flexibility u need to to do lifts like the snatch


A met a lady Olympic weightlifter recently. She took me home to show me her snatch...

:rolleye:


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## rodrigo (Jun 29, 2009)

:thumb :change to them for a while and find they really hit my quads harder than normal squatin , tho th weight is an issue as it gets hard as fcuk to breathe with the bar under you throat:cursing:


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## ivangg (Sep 16, 2009)

You are absolutely right lads,this is N1.


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## egyption t (May 21, 2009)

very good movement 4 the Quads,activates more quads fibers than th ham.,...and the outers also,if using narrow feet distance..i do them every other workout


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## Seyyed-Merat (Sep 1, 2007)

Yup I front squat, im 65-66kg, did 87,5kg for 5 reps (think 90kg is easy to attain for 5 tbh  ) only issue is my wrists kill like hell after doin em!

I like to warm up with em, did this for the first time on thursday, guy was using the squat rack, had like 4-5 sets and a training partner, thought might as well be productive, started to do front squats on the smith, yeh not amazing but pretty cool to warm up the quads, felt nice stretch and no issues with the wrists etc, but normal bb is waaay more superior obviously!


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