# How many of you guys do front squats?



## Shaggz (Jan 25, 2016)

How many of you guys do front squats?  Ive been doing them as a sort of physical therapy from a recovering back injury, to force better posture alignment, and attempting to not re injure it again

they are supposed to be key in maintaining and developing thoracic extension(super important).  but i feel they steel my thunder away from my glutes because my pants arent holding  up as good as when i was heavy squatting behind the neck instead


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## ECKSRATED (Jan 25, 2016)

I used to do them. It definitely forces u to stay upright forcing thoracic extension. They hit the quads more than a back squat which is why your ass is getting smaller. Lol. If u go deep enough u will still hit your glutes but not like a back squat. 

Have u tried doing high bar back squats with light weight to help recover?


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## SHRUGS (Jan 25, 2016)

Nothin wrong with some front squats brother. Light weight front squats are awesome and Im all for them non hernia related squats. Anyways, yup do em & love em.
!S!


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## Iron1 (Jan 25, 2016)

Count me in as another front squatter.


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## Fruity (Jan 25, 2016)

SHRUGS said:


> Nothin wrong with some front squats brother. Light weight front squats are awesome and Im all for them non hernia related squats. Anyways, yup do em & love em.
> !S!


which squats induce the best hernia?


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## Tren4Life (Jan 25, 2016)

I just started using an SSB for front squats. They're pretty fun.


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## snake (Jan 25, 2016)

I hate them; damn bitches on the shoulders and the bar slammed on my throat. NO THANK YOU!

Try a slant board some time. It's simple to make and really throws the weight into the quads while keeping you upright. You may find you can use more weight then front squats too. Just an idea for you; good luck!


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## jojo58 (Jan 25, 2016)

I could never get into them. All I have ever known are back squats.


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## jojo58 (Jan 25, 2016)

snake said:


> I hate them; damn bitches on the shoulders and the bar slammed on my throat. NO THANK YOU!
> 
> Try a slant board some time. It's simple to make and really throws the weight into the quads while keeping you upright. You may find you can use more weight then front squats too. Just an idea for you; good luck!



how high do you go with the slant board? I like to use a 2x4 under my heels and focus on my quads. I go wide and focus on my glutes. do you elevate your toe side or heel side?


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## SHRUGS (Jan 25, 2016)

Fruity said:


> which squats induce the best hernia?



Lol! Heavy ones very heavy.
!S!


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## trodizzle (Jan 25, 2016)

I do them, only have been for a few months now though. I find them challenging and my form is still isn't where I want it to be.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Jan 25, 2016)

I do front squats and variants.


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## Uncle manny (Jan 25, 2016)

I actually like front squats better then back squats. I do high bar, low bar but mostly front.


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## gymrat827 (Jan 25, 2016)

barely, and dont use much weight, but just do them to hit things from a different angle.


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## Fruity (Jan 25, 2016)

SHRUGS said:


> Lol! Heavy ones very heavy.
> !S!



I was being serious so I could avoid what ever form you were about to say.


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## WARRIOR (Jan 25, 2016)

My shoulders hate front squats, but my quads respond so well to them that I have to incorporate them a few times a month on leg day


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## saltylifter (Jan 25, 2016)

I don't do them unless it's at the end of my workout and I do lighter weight. Doesn't feel good on my left shoulder being I injured it and I chock myself out.


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## Shaggz (Jan 26, 2016)

Fruity said:


> I was being serious so I could avoid what ever form you were about to say.


 the ones that cause me back pain/pressure are heavy squats, with the bar set lower on my traps. i had to stop those because they cause me back pain/pressure (the original injury was by doing a deadlift with shitty form,  probably cause i skipped stretching and didnt do a warm up).

thanks for all the input guys! ill keep doing front squats, and i try doing high bar squats too


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## ECKSRATED (Jan 26, 2016)

Warming up is so fukkin important. I don't understand how guys walk into the gym cold and will throw like 80 percent of their max on the bar and start doing it. I warmup and stretch for like 15 minutes before every session. I hate when I see guys come in especially on bench and will throw 225 on the bar and will struggle to get 2 or 3 reps. Then they wonder why they ripped a muscle. **** I can bench a pretty good amount of weight and I still warm up with just the bar then 135 and so on.


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## Shaggz (Jan 26, 2016)

ECKSRATED said:


> Warming up is so fukkin important. I don't understand how guys walk into the gym cold and will throw like 80 percent of their max on the bar and start doing it. I warmup and stretch for like 15 minutes before every session. I hate when I see guys come in especially on bench and will throw 225 on the bar and will struggle to get 2 or 3 reps. Then they wonder why they ripped a muscle. **** I can bench a pretty good amount of weight and I still warm up with just the bar then 135 and so on.



lol so yea good point to add to the thread.. typically i spend 15 minutes stretching and warming up, but I had gotten to the gym late at 515 and at 530 on the dot thousands of people cram in, and then you have to wait forever to get a squat rack to open up.. but I saw one open and grabbed it ASAP and went straight to a 275 dead lift. big mistake. put me out of the gym for half a year.
so yea.. i learned my lesson.  stretching and warming up is key. especially now that I am in my thirties, recoveries aren't quick anymore, it makes all the difference.


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## TheLupinator (Jan 26, 2016)

Shaggz said:


> the ones that cause me back pain/pressure are heavy squats, with the bar set lower on my traps. i had to stop those because they cause me back pain/pressure (the original injury was by doing a deadlift with shitty form,  probably cause i skipped stretching and didnt do a warm up).
> 
> thanks for all the input guys! ill keep doing front squats, and i try doing high bar squats too




How long has it been since the injury? I've had some pretty bad pain from missed deadlifts - take a couple weeks off and start light. And fix your FORM. Small tweaks can make a big difference in squats and deadlifts. Unless you are severely crippled you should be able to squat/DL light weight without pain.



.....front squats for me are mostly an ab exercise


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## rburdge84 (Jan 27, 2016)

Yeah I do front squats occasionally and yes it's better for your back and will put more emphasis on the quads. There are plenty other glute exercises though. Just do like the moms and do aerobics for those buns of steel


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## viktor89 (Jan 27, 2016)

I do em all. Front, back high bar, narrow stance, wide stance and then box squats. 

All on the same day- but the heaviest I am able to go is on back high bar. 

Max I've done on back is 280 lbs and so far max I've done on front is 185lbs for 3x3.


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## silvereyes87 (Jan 27, 2016)

I do em. Love em more then back squats. Shoulders are always tender next day though.


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## gomad75 (Jan 27, 2016)

Front Squats are kinder to my body than back squats for some reason. I do a lot of front squats during the offseason.


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## {'Calcul08'} (Jan 29, 2016)

Zercher squats grew on me more so than the normal shoulder front ones..


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