Front squats are a fairly common exercise you can see in the gym, not as common as the back squat however. But how much difference can it make having the bar in front of you instead of behind you?

Front squats place more tension on the quads and less tension on the glutes compared to back squats.

They also provide a greater range of motion for many people, allowing them to get into a lower position with a deeper stretch (an essential element of hypertrophy training).

Because you perform them using a barbell, front squats also allow you to lift heavy loads, in a quad dominant movement. You can think of front squats as a more advanced version of the goblet squat.

Front squats are also a full body exercise. In order to maintain your posture throughout the movement you need to have a strong upper back and strong core. Failure to do so could result in you bending forward and dropping the bar, so it is vital you engage these muscles.

However, front squats have some drawbacks.

Front squats are a more unstable movement than the back squat. One of the reasons for this is the risk of dropping the bar which we have just mentioned.

The grips used for this movement contribute to the instability and risk of dropping the bar.

Unlike the back squat, where the weight can sit on your back with relative stability, the front squat is a much more difficult position to maintain.

The movement has three grips, the crossed grip, the standard grip and the strap grip.

1. The crossed grip

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With this grip many people struggle to keep their elbows up throughout the movement.

Dropping the elbows means there is a danger of dropping the bar, losing your posture and potentially injuring yourself.

2. The standard grip

The standard grip as the name suggests is the traditional way to front squat. This grip is more stable than the crossed grip, you are less likely to drop your elbows, and the bar should feel less likely to roll away from you. This grip also most closely resembles the front rack position you find in the Olympic lifts and overhead press (see below).

However, this grip requires a fairly high level of mobility, and many find the position awkward to maintain. People with particularly long arms for example may struggle to get into the correct grip position.

3. The strap grip

The strap grip attempts to deal with the mobility problems of the standard grip. However, holding straps connected to a bar makes the movement unstable, but if it works for you then it works for you. Try some stuff out and see what you like.

So, are front squats bad?

So now you’ve heard some of the bad bits you may wonder if there is any point in doing front squats.

The exercise is a great way to train the quads through their full range of motion whilst moving a lot of weight.

The exercise is especially useful for Strongman and Olympic lifting competitors as it mimics the front rack position at the bottom of movements such as the clean and the log press.

The bottom of the front squat and the bottom of the jerk are very similar positions. You can usually front squat a heavier weight than you can jerk so you are able to train your quads, back and core to manage a heavy weight in the front rack position.

A strong upper back and abdomen is essential to the front squat and essential to the Olympic lifts and strongman movements such as the log press and the atlas stones.

For powerlifters, having a strong back and strong core is an essential part of all three lifts. Front squats can also help you develop the quads, if you find them lacking or you struggle to connect with them during your squats.

You can add a pause at the bottom of the squat to build power from a static position or keep a bounce to mimic the clean.

Conclusion

Now you hopefully have one more potential training tool to add to your arsenal. If you have been looking for new ways to target your quads or you’re hoping to improve your performance in strongman, Olympic lifting or powerlifting then front squats may be just what you need.

If you want to know more about Olympic lifting, powerlifting or Strongman then get in touch. We run dedicated classes for all three throughout the week.