Front squats with a barbell are one of the best exercises in CrossFit and bodybuilding, for training the gluteal muscles and the muscles of the back of the thighs.

Front Squat vs Back Squat

Unlike classic squats, in this exercise the bar is not located on the traps, but on the chest and deltoid muscles. Thus, when performing the exercise, the back occupies a close to a vertical position, which directly changes the muscles involved in the work. With frontal squats, the gluteal muscles and muscles of the posterior thigh are primarily involved.

The most difficult element of squats with a barbell on your chest can be holding the bar in front of you on your shoulders. It is necessary to practice this position until the brushes are prepared. For this purpose, walking on hands is very useful, which will strengthen the shoulders and increase the flexibility of the arms.

In front squats, the barbell is positioned in front. This means that its weight will try to pull us back. To avoid this, you will have to strain the muscles of the press. In the classic version, the bar will press on us from behind, trying to tilt the body forward. As a result, the entire load will shift to the muscles holding the spine. We can conclude that in front squats, the muscles of the press are more involved, and in normal squats, the lumbar region is more involved.

Less load on the glutes

Everything again rests on the position of our body. In SQUATS with a BARBELL ON the SHOULDERS, our body is bent forward. This causes us to pull our pelvis back so that we don’t lose our balance. Consequently, the gluteal muscles will stretch more and the initial movement during the ascent will be due to their efforts. In front squats, we keep the body as straight as possible. Therefore, we do not need to take the pelvic area so far away from us. This means that the entire load will go to the knee joint and quadriceps. And in order to stand up, we will have to strain the muscles of the front of the thigh.

Front squat is a more difficult exercise
Unfortunately, keeping the weight in front of you is much more difficult than on your back. Therefore, it will have to be lowered. But don’t get upset right away. After all, as soon as you get used to holding the bar in front and work out the technique of execution. The weight gain will only be a matter of time.

Muscles Used In Squats

Front squats involve a lot of muscle groups.

Quadriceps. This is the front of the hip. They are the main working muscle. Especially most of the load falls on their lateral part (external).
Bicep femoris. This is the back of our legs. In this exercise, it acts as a stabilizer and works in the negative phase. That is, during the lowering of the body down.
The gluteus Maximus muscle. I mentioned earlier that in this exercise, it gets a very small load. But this does not mean that it does not exist at all.
The adductor muscles of the legs. They are actively involved in any exercise where we bend our legs, whether it is a deadlift, or a plie squat. Stabilizes the legs.
Calf muscles. These are the muscles of the lower leg. They have a static load (that is, they do not perform movements). They help us stand steadily on our feet, stabilizing our feet.

How To Front Squat: Exercise Technique

Take the bar with a direct grip slightly wider than the shoulders and raise your arms so that their upper parts are parallel to the floor. Allow the bar to roll back so that it rests on the front of the shoulders oxandrolone effect review. As you inhale, sit down slowly so that your hips are at least parallel to the floor. Take a short pause, and as you exhale, return to the starting position.

Throughout the exercise, the upper arms are parallel to the floor. This will keep the bar from rolling forward and help you keep the body straight.