Barbell Front Squat is the best squatting mobility exercise

barbell front squat

The barbell front squat is one of the best exercises for mobility and strength. It helps to improve front-side hip stability, spinal flexibility, and overall core strength.

What is a barbell front squat?

When doing a barbell front squat, you usually hold the barbell in the front rack position, which places it on your shoulders and along your collarbone while your elbows are raised and your fingers underneath the barbell push into your shoulders to keep it in place.

Front squats are an excellent workout for strengthening the lower body and core. Most people, though, find it an odd action at first. This is due to the position of the bars on the front side of the body and the increased strain on the core to maintain an upright position. As a result, most people will begin with a substantially less weight load than their barbell back squat.

Benefits of barbell front squat

good for Beginners

Front squats are the preferred beginner’s barbell workout over back squats. This is because they allow for a deeper squat for those with limited mobility and aid in keeping the torso upright. This makes it much easier to maintain technique as weariness sets in.

Increased Testosterone

Front squats, for example, employ many muscle groups, resulting in larger increases in intensity and thus testosterone when compared to isolation workouts that stimulate fewer muscles. According to research, this is great for muscle building due to an increase in muscle protein synthesis. ‘The more muscles that participate in a given workout, the higher the intensity of that exercise becomes, and the more of an increase we find in testosterone,’ says trainer Jeff Cavalier. (1)

Improved Posture

‘Front squats nudge folks into more thoracic extension, which is going to be a game changer in terms of helping to improve posture,’ says trainer Tony Gentilcore. As you go closer to the earth, you have to ‘fight’ to keep from collapsing. If you don’t keep your thoracic extension, the barbell will fall off your shoulders.’ (2)

The front squat requires a locked upright torso to keep the bar in position, which carries over into everyday life. According to research, being conscious of your typical posture can help alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain. A 2018 study found that’self-reported postural awareness is connected with clinical symptoms in chronic pain patients, and increases in postural awareness are longitudinally associated with reduced pain in patients with spinal/shoulder pain.’

Exercises like front squats that bring an awareness to posture could actually reduce our chronic pain symptoms.

Improved Bone Health

Resistance training, such as front squats, has a variety of benefits for bone health, particularly as we age. According to data, ‘exercise training, particularly RE, is vital for the maintenance of musculoskeletal health in an aging society due to enhanced bone strength through mechanical loading. According to the existing data, RE, either alone or in combination with other therapies, maybe the most effective technique for increasing muscle and bone mass.’

Muscled worked by barbell front squat

Muscled worked by barbell front squat

A squat, in any variant, is a compound exercise, which means it engages several muscle groups and multiple joints at the same time. The quads are a big contributor to the muscles engaged in a front squat, but what additional muscles are involved? Let us investigate. (3)

Primary muscles: The glutes, quads, and hamstrings all work hard in a squat to power hip and knee flexion and extension. These muscles are the driving force behind a powerful and functional squatting pattern. (4)

Secondary muscles: Although they are less frequently highlighted, these secondary squatting muscles are equally as vital as the fundamental ones! Muscle groups such as the gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior all influence ankle mobility and range of motion, while the rectus abdominis and erector spinae aid in maintaining good posture during a front squat (which should have your torso upright). To help support your upper body during the activity, the front squat works the lats, trapezius, deltoids, pecs, and serratus anterior.

How to do barbell front squat

Front Squat

Barbell front squat Instructions

  1. Put the safety stops around your waist and the bar directly below your shoulders.
  2. Step beneath the bar, allowing it to rest on your shoulders, and drive your elbows high in front of your torso.
  3. To unrack the bar, take a deep breath, then press your hips forward and stretch your knees.
  4. Take a couple of steps back and set your feet shoulder-width apart.
  5. By bending your knees and pushing your hips back, you can sit directly between your legs.
  6. Once your thighs have achieved parallel with the floor, begin to reverse the exercise.
  7. Maintain a firm core and drive your feet into the ground.
  8. To finish the lift, exhale as you fully stretch it.
  9. Finish the lift by exhaling as you fully extend the hips and knees.

barbell front squat Tips

  1. The toe angle is quite personal; experiment to find out what works best for you.
  2. To relieve wrist pain when front squats in the front rack position, use 2 or 3 fingers.
  3. Focus on driving the elbows up and out of the hole to keep the torso erect.
  4. Use the cross-arm grip if you can’t get into a front rack position to front squat.
  5. Drive through the entire foot, aiming for three points of contact: big toe, tiny toe, and heel.
  6. As long as the knees do not deviate much inward or outward, some forward translation of the knees over the toes is permissible. Those with longer femurs will need to move their knees forward to keep upright.
  7. The neck position is also quite idiosyncratic; some people like a neutral neck position (keeping the chin tucked throughout the lift), while others perform well by staring straight ahead. Experiment with each to find which one best suits your anatomy.
  8. Don’t push the knees out excessively but ensure they track roughly over or slightly outside the 2nd toe.

Common mistakes of barbell front squat

Dropping Elbows Down

If your wrists are stiff, you may struggle to keep your elbows elevated. However, if the elbows drop down during the squat, the bar may roll forward and off the chest, posing a safety issue.

You can change your grip in addition to practicing wrist flexibility exercises. Under the bar, use two fingers instead of four, or a bodybuilder grip. Another approach is to spread the hands slightly wider on the bar to allow the elbows more leeway and relieve wrist tightness.

Using the Wrong Grip

If you work out in a gym, it’s easy to assume that the grip used by your fellow gym-mates is the right grip for you. But for this exercise, personalization is important.

Use the optimal grip for your body to maintain your elbows up and your chest high. Finally, keeping the barbell in position during squatting is significantly more crucial than using the same grip as everyone else in the gym.

Knees Rolling

Foot and toe positioning is critical for knee protection. Everyone’s stance will be slightly different, but in general, you want the feet to be slightly wider than a standard squat but not so wide that the knees roll in when you drop down.

Before you begin, check your stance without any weight. Lower your body into a squat by placing your feet in a comfortable posture. The knees are excessively broad if they dip in naturally.

Shallow Squat

A typical squat simply requires you to lower your hips to roughly knee level, demanding less hip and ankle flexibility. The barbell front squat necessitates a much deeper squat, which may be uncomfortable for some. (When in the lowest position, your buttocks are near to your lower leg.)

If you don’t use your entire range of motion during this squat variant, you won’t reap the full spectrum of advantages. To increase flexibility, do the movement without weight at first. When you’re ready, start adding weight to the bar.

Bouncing at the Bottom

This exercise should be done slowly and deliberately. If you’re bouncing at the bottom of the move, you’re either moving too quickly or not using enough weight. First, try slowing down. Increase the weight you’re using if this feels too easy.

Safety and Precautions

Before performing the barbell front squat, certain exercisers should avoid it or, at the absolute least, consult with their healthcare physician. This includes people who have had shoulder injuries as well as those who have had spine or disc problems.

Compared to back squats, front squats may be advantageous for those with knee problems (and for long-term joint health). The front squat is also known to produce less compressive forces than the back squat, which might make it easier for those with back issues.

Before performing this exercise, anyone with kyphosis (a postural issue characterized by an excessive curve in the upper back) should consult with a skilled trainer or physical therapist. Because of the spinal curvature, the barbell may not rest securely on the chest and may roll forward and off the body.

It is not advised to exceed 5 to 6 repetitions of this exercise. If you do too many, you run the risk of leg failure halfway through, placing you in a deep squat with heavy weight on your chest and nowhere to go. Safety bars are exceptionally important in this situation.

Barbell front squat Alternatives 

Hack Squats

Hack Squats

Either performed through the assistance of a machine or with the use of a loaded barbell placed behind the ankles of the exerciser, hack squats are another excellent substitute exercise to the barbell front squat with quite similar levels of training intensity in practically all muscle groups found throughout the legs.

Standing upright in the padded portion of the hack squat machine, disengaging the locks and squatting downwards, or placing the loaded barbell directly beneath the exerciser’s buttocks, gripping it at a comfortable distance in both hands and thrusting their hips outwards, pulling the barbell towards the back of the exerciser’s knees, is how the hack squat is performed.

Goblet Squats

Goblet Squats

The goblet squat is the most versatile alternative complex exercise in terms of equipment required since it can be performed with virtually any heavy object or training equipment, whether it be a kettlebell, dumbbell, bag of rice, or other weighted implement.

Pin Squats

Pin Squats

The pin squat is a barbell-based compound exercise that is performed from a low position to maximize the level of quadriceps femoris activation throughout the exercise. It is considered an advanced closed kinetic chain movement that is primarily used by experienced gymgoers and athletes to induce significant training stimuli in the entirety of their legs, with a particular focus on the quadriceps muscle group.

Bulgarian Split Squats

Bulgarian Split Squats

Bulgarian split squats are a single-leg compound exercise performed with the use of any free weight resistance equipment and an elevated surface on which the exerciser may rest their other leg while performing the needed repetitions.

The Bulgarian split squat is done by facing away from the elevated surface and placing one-foot sole up on the elevated surface, with the other extended some distance away towards the front of the body, resulting in a “split” position.

Barbell front squat Variations

Sandbag Front Squats

The barbell front squat is one of the best exercises for mobility and strength. It helps to improve front-side hip stability, spinal flexibility, and overall core strength. What is barbell front squat? When doing a barbell front squat, you usually hold the barbell in the front rack position, which places it on your shoulders and along your collarbone while your elbows are raised and your fingers underneath the barbell push into your shoulders to keep it in place. Front squats are an excellent workout for strengthening the lower body and core. Most people, though, find it an odd action at first. This is due to the position of the bars on the front side of the body and the increased strain on the core to maintain an upright position. As a result, most people will begin with a substantially less weight load than their barbell back squat. Benefits of barbell front squat good for Beginners Front squats are the preferred beginner's barbell workout over back squats. This is because they allow for a deeper squat for those with limited mobility and aid to keep the torso upright. This makes it much easier to maintain technique as weariness sets in. Increased Testosterone Front squats, for example, employ many muscle groups, resulting in larger increases in intensity and thus testosterone when compared to isolation workouts that stimulate fewer muscles.According to research, this is great for muscle building due to an increase in muscle protein synthesis. 'The more muscles that participate in a given workout, the higher the intensity of that exercise becomes, and the more of an increase we find in testosterone,' says trainer Jeff Cavalier. Improved Posture 'Front squats nudge folks into more thoracic extension, which is going to be a game changer in terms of helping to improve posture,' says trainer Tony Gentilcore. As you go closer to the earth, you have to 'fight' to keep from collapsing. If you don't keep your thoracic extension, the barbell will fall off your shoulders.' The front squat requires a locked upright torso to keep the bar in position, which carries over into everyday life. According to research, being conscious of your typical posture can help alleviate the symptoms of chronic pain. A 2018 study found that'self-reported postural awareness is connected with clinical symptoms in chronic pain patients, and increases in postural awareness are longitudinally associated with reduced pain in patients with spinal/shoulder pain.' Exercises like front squats that bring an awareness to posture could actually reduce our chronic pain symptoms. Improved Bone Health Resistance training, such as front squats, has a variety of benefits for bone health, particularly as we age. According to data, 'exercise training, particularly RE, is vital for the maintenance of musculoskeletal health in an ageing society due to enhanced bone strength through mechanical loading. According to the existing data, RE, either alone or in combination with other therapies, may be the most effective technique for increasing muscle and bone mass.' Muscled worked by barbell front squat A squat, in any variant, is a compound exercise, which means it engages several muscle groups and multiple joints at the same time. The quads are a big contributor to the muscles engaged in a front squat, but what additional muscles are involved? Let us investigate. Primary muscles: The glutes, quads, and hamstrings all work hard in a squat to power hip and knee flexion and extension. These muscles are the driving force behind a powerful and functional squatting pattern. Secondary muscles: Although they are less frequently highlighted, these secondary squatting muscles are equally as vital as the fundamental ones! Muscle groups such as the gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior all influence ankle mobility and range of motion, while the rectus abdominis and erector spinae aid in maintaining good posture during a front squat (which should have your torso upright). To help support your upper body during the activity, the front squat works the lats, trapezius, deltoids, pecs, and serratus anterior. How to do barbell front squat Instructions Put the safety stops around your waist and the bar directly below your shoulders. Step beneath the bar, allowing it to rest on your shoulders, and drive your elbows high in front of your torso. To unrack the bar, take a deep breath, then press your hips forward and stretch your knees. Take a couple steps back and set your feet shoulder width apart. By bending your knees and pushing your hips back, you can sit directly between your legs. Once your thighs have achieved parallel with the floor, begin to reverse the exercise. Maintain a firm core and drive your feet into the ground. To finish the lift, exhale as you fully stretch it. Finish the lift by exhaling as you fully extend the hips and knees. barbell front squat Tips Toe angle is quite personal; experiment to find out what works best for you. To relieve wrist pain when front squats in the front rack position, use 2 or 3 fingers. Focus on driving the elbows up and out of the hole to keep the torso erect. Use the cross arm grip if you can't get into a front rack position to front squat. Drive through the entire foot, aiming for three points of contact: big toe, tiny toe, and heel. As long as the knees do not deviate much inward or outward, some forward translation of the knees over the toes is permissible. Those with longer femurs will need to move their knees forward to keep upright. Neck position is also quite idiosyncratic; some people like a neutral neck position (keeping the chin tucked throughout the lift), while others perform well by staring straight ahead. Experiment with each to find which one best suits your anatomy. Don’t push the knees out excessively but ensure they track roughly over or slightly outside the 2nd toe. Common mistakes of barbell front squat Dropping Elbows Down If your wrists are stiff, you may struggle to keep your elbows elevated. However, if the elbows drop down during the squat, the bar may roll forward and off the chest, posing a safety issue. You can change your grip in addition to practicing wrist flexibility exercises. Under the bar, use two fingers instead of four, or a bodybuilder grip. Another approach is to spread the hands slightly wider on the bar to allow the elbows more leeway and relieve wrist tightness. Using the Wrong Grip If you work out in a gym, it's easy to assume that the grip used by your fellow gym-mates is the right grip for you. But for this exercise, personalization is important. Use the optimal grip for your body to maintain your elbows up and your chest high. Finally, keeping the barbell in position during squatting is significantly more crucial than using the same grip as everyone else in the gym. Knees Rolling In Foot and toe positioning is critical for knee protection. Everyone's stance will be slightly different, but in general, you want the feet to be slightly wider than a standard squat but not so wide that the knees roll in when you drop down. Before you begin, check your stance without any weight. Lower your body into a squat by placing your feet in a comfortable posture. The knees are excessively broad if they dip in naturally. Shallow Squat A typical squat simply requires you to lower your hips to roughly knee level, demanding less hip and ankle flexibility. The barbell front squat necessitates a much deeper squat, which may be uncomfortable for some. (When in the lowest position, your buttocks are near to your lower leg.) If you don't use your entire range of motion during this squat variant, you won't reap the full spectrum of advantages. To increase flexibility, do the movement without weight at first. When you're ready, start adding weight to the bar. Bouncing at the Bottom This exercise should be done slowly and deliberately. If you're bouncing at the bottom of the move, you're either moving too quickly or not using enough weight. First, try slowing down. Increase the weight you're using if this feels too easy. Safety and Precautions Before performing the front barbell squat, certain exercisers should avoid it or, at the absolute least, consult with their healthcare physician. This includes people who have had shoulder injuries as well as those who have had spine or disc problems. Compared to back squats, front squats may be advantageous for those with knee problems (and for long-term joint health). The front squat is also known to produce less compressive forces than the back squat, which might make it easier for those with back issues. Before performing this exercise, anyone with kyphosis (a postural issue characterized by an excessive curve in the upper back) should consult with a skilled trainer or physical therapist. Because of the spinal curvature, the barbell may not rest securely on the chest and may roll forward and off the body. It is not advised to exceed 5 to 6 repetitions of this exercise. If you do too many, you run the risk of leg failure halfway through, placing you in a deep squat with heavy weight on your chest and nowhere to go. Safety bars are exceptionally important in this situation. barbell front squat Alternatives  Hack Squats Either performed through the assistance of a machine or with the use of a loaded barbell placed behind the ankles of the exerciser, hack squats are another excellent substitute exercise to the barbell front squat with quite similar levels of training intensity in practically all muscle groups found throughout the legs. Standing upright in the padded portion of the hack squat machine, disengaging the locks and squatting downwards, or placing the loaded barbell directly beneath the exerciser's buttocks, gripping it at a comfortable distance in both hands and thrusting their hips outwards, pulling the barbell towards the back of the exerciser's knees, is how the hack squat is performed. Goblet Squats The goblet squat is the most versatile alternative complex exercise in terms of equipment required, since it can be performed with virtually any heavy object or training equipment, whether it be a kettlebell, dumbbell, bag of rice, or other weighted implement. Pin Squats The pin squat is a barbell-based compound exercise that is performed from a low position to maximize the level of quadriceps femoris activation throughout the exercise. It is considered an advanced closed kinetic chain movement that is primarily used by experienced gym goers and athletes to induce significant training stimuli in the entirety of their legs, with a particular focus on the quadriceps muscle group. Bulgarian Split Squats Bulgarian split squats are a single leg compound exercise performed with the use of any free weight resistance equipment and an elevated surface on which the exerciser may rest their other leg while performing the needed repetitions. The Bulgarian split squat is done by facing away from the elevated surface and placing one foot sole-up on the elevated surface, with the other extended some distance away towards the front of the body, resulting in a "split" position. barbell front squat Variations Sandbag Front Squats Pick up the sandbag from either end and bring it up in front of your chest, elbows up. Squat until your hip crease crosses your knee, then return to standing. Maintain an erect stance and a firm grasp on the bag at all times. Dual Front Rack Squat Clean a set of dumbbells onto your front shoulders. Drop into a front squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then drive back up. Maintain your upright posture by keeping your core tight throughout. Front Rack Carry Hold the barbell in front of you, knuckles almost touching your chin. Walk forward with purpose, keeping your head and chest up and your gaze forward. Try to walk in a straight path as much as possible, avoiding lateral movement. FAQs should the bar touch your neck in front squat?Step up to the bar, raise your arms, and rest the bar on the meaty top/front of your shoulders, close to (but not against!) your neck.What is a front barbell squat vs regular squat?The front squat has a broader range of motion than the back squat. It does not allow for muscle overload in the same way, but it works the quads better and is more taxing on the core muscles. A back squat, on the other hand, would be superior for developing the posterior chain, particularly the glutes. References

Pick up the sandbag from either end and bring it up in front of your chest, elbows up. Squat until your hip crease crosses your knee, then return to standing. Maintain an erect stance and a firm grasp on the bag at all times.

Dual Front Rack Squat

Dual Front Rack Squat

Clean a set of dumbbells onto your front shoulders. Drop into a front squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then drive back up. Maintain your upright posture by keeping your core tight throughout.

Front Rack Carry

Front Rack Carry

Hold the barbell in front of you, knuckles almost touching your chin. Walk forward with purpose, keeping your head and chest up and your gaze forward. Try to walk in a straight path as much as possible, avoiding lateral movement.

FAQs

Should the bar touch your neck in a front squat?

Step up to the bar, raise your arms, and rest the bar on the meaty top/front of your shoulders, close to (but not against!) your neck.

What is a front barbell squat vs. a regular squat?

The front squat has a broader range of motion than the back squat. It does not allow for muscle overload in the same way, but it works the quads better and is more taxing on the core muscles. A back squat, on the other hand, would be superior for developing the posterior chain, particularly the glutes.

Is barbell front squat better than barbell back squat?

Back squats allow you to add weight more quickly, promoting strength and power. Front squats, while not as quickly promoting strength and power, are an excellent exercise for building the quads. If appearance is important to you, prioritize front squats.

References

1. Cissik, J. M. (2000). Coaching the front squat. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 22(5), 7.

2. Bautista, D., Durke, D., Cotter, J. A., Escobar, K. A., & Schick, E. E. (2020). A comparison of muscle activation among the front squat, overhead squat, back extension, and plank. International Journal of Exercise Science, 13(1), 714.

3. Gullett, J. C., Tillman, M. D., Gutierrez, G. M., & Chow, J. W. (2009). A biomechanical comparison of back and front squats in healthy trained individuals. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23(1), 284-292.

4. Aspe, R. R., & Swinton, P. A. (2014). Electromyographic and kinetic comparison of the back squat and overhead squat. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 28(10), 2827-2836.

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