Front squat question

[Shades McCool]

Ok I want to know what the best alternative to front squats are. I do back squats on Monday and Friday, but the front squats are on Wednesday.

I really dont feel comfortable doing the front squats and I would like to know if there is a lift that is as taxing on the quads.

All suggestions would be helpful.

 

[WarriorPL]

You can Zercher's squats. You hold the bar in your elbow pits in front of you.

 

[louden_swain]

Front squats can be uncomfortable for several people. . .they are for me as I can never get the form down. If you are looking to blitz the quads efficiently, I personally recommend these exercises.

Hack Squats: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

When performing hack squats, squat as low as possible. A close stance with feet forward will attack your lower and front quads like no other exercise. Hacks are great if you are wanting to specifically focus on your quads without placing additional stress on the lower back. If hacks do no work out. . .then. . .

Leg Presses: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

to get the fullest range of motion be sure to set the seat in the lowest position. I also recommend that you use a shoulder width stance and be sure to let the quads travel to the side of your chest. It is important that you do not go so deep where your lower back will roll out of the seat. Never lock out at the top, always keep continuous motion on the quads.

Leg Extensions: 3 sets x 10-15 reps

This is a great exercise for isolating the quads, but do not expect to gain any strength in the hip area. These should be used to promote flood flow in the quads and around the knees before you start heavy squatting or leg pressing.

Back Squats: 3 x 10-15 reps

This is probably the best overall body developer out there. Be sure to sit back, keep torso straight, head up, and squat to parallel or to near parallel position. If you are looking to place more stress on the quads. . .use a closer stance.

Overall, there are a number of options that you can use. Find out what works for you and run with it: Good luck my friend!

LS

 

[Shades McCool]

LS, you are the man. I am thinking about using hacks or leg presses. This workout I am on kicks ass!

 

[edgecrusher]

What feels uncomfortable about the front squats?

 

[BigBadBootyDaddy29]

Shades, those are all good alternatives, but what is your main problem with the front squat? From how you are aquatting 3 times a week, I am guessing you are on some type of Heavy-Light-Medium system....the reason fronts are done in the middle on the light day is because the poundages used are lighter than what one can handle in a back squat, so be careful with things like leg presses where you can use some serious loads because you'll be shot for back squats on Friday......Also, does your routine include cleaning? If it does the front squats are important, and I would advise you figure out what you're doing wrong and correct it......this is from a strangth athlete's perspective, but if you are bodybuilding, you can use a wide variety of alternatives, many of which were mentioned in the previous post, also if you are bodybuilding you really don't need to squat 3x a week, but if you're training for strength, as I suspect you are from the sound of things, I would address the front squat and get it down, if you want a big clean and a way to train legs on a light day....for strength, and athletic conditioning, the best way to develop strength that carries over to real life is to do movements where the only thing between the weight and the ground is your body, hence any type of squat.....while leg presses and leg extensions will develop your legs, you need to look at your goals, if it is strength and conditioning, you really need to evaluate the front squat and get them down....even if you use simply the bar, but if you really wanna hit yur quads in between back squat sessions, do hacks, exercises where the only thing between the floor and you is the weight......

 

[edgecrusher]

High bar olympic squats are also good for hitting the quads.

 

[Shades McCool]

The problem I am having with the front squat is it is not comfortable to hold the bar up on my shoulders like I am supposed to. Thats the problem.

Yes you are right I am doing strength training right now. You are also right about the fact that I am doing cleans also. They are first every Monday and Friday. On Wednesday I do my hang cleans.

Do you have anything you can help me out with when it comes to the front squat?

 

[SeymourCuts]

The problem I am having with the front squat is it is not comfortable to hold the bar up on my shoulders like I am supposed to. Thats the problem.

Yes you are right I am doing strength training right now. You are also right about the fact that I am doing cleans also. They are first every Monday and Friday. On Wednesday I do my hang cleans.

Do you have anything you can help me out with when it comes to the front squat?

Have you tried a Stingray? I don't do Front Squats anymore without it.

 

[Mildot]

Yeah, sounds like the Stingray may be just the ticket for you.
I love front squats, but the bar kills my front delts, even with a pad on the bar. I just say fuck it, and keep banging away at 'em.

 

[Dirty Workout]

I tried front squats the other day. I had no prob with the bar on delts but in the first few warmup sets around 135 my right knee started killing me at bottom. I never had knee problems b4. I just did low weights and high reps but I ddont know if I gonna do it again.

 

[BigBadBootyDaddy29]

Dirty Workout, you knees should not hurtdoing fronts, check your form again.....you still need to sit back as in a back squat and although the hamstrings ar recruited to a lesser degree, they are still keep tight and flexed throughout........Stingrays are okay if your goals are bodybuilding related, but for the strength athlete, I personally feel they have no place in the program......and this is why.....you can't use them to clean!!! This is what is bothering me Shades, and I am trying to help, not jump all over you......you said you are cleaning, you rack the clean in the same manner as the front squat, and yet you are only having problems with the fronts......this is like an alarm to me that something is wrong with your form on cleans......just check out some videos and pictures of cleans and front squats, then practice with just bar, stretch the forearms out good, and practice a nice, firm rack....it is okay if you don't utilize all of your fingers, just keep your elbows high and rest the bar on the shoulders and you shouldn't need a stingray.

 

[Shades McCool]

I use the resting the bar on my delts with my arms crossed method. Should I try the method with the bar positioned as if it were at the end of a clean? I know my clean form is just fine.

 

[SeymourCuts]

Stingrays are okay if your goals are bodybuilding related, but for the strength athlete, I personally feel they have no place in the program......and this is why.....you can't use them to clean!!!

You don't need to keep it racked on your shoulders unless you're gonna proceed to Jerk. I do Power Cleans while cutting and sporadically at other times. But I never do the Jerk. Therefore I never have a need to Front Squat with an Olympic grip. I also occasionally Front Squat *explosively* using the Stingray and a bodybuilding grip. So that can be done as well. It just seems to depend on his goals pertaining to the Jerk.

 

[SeymourCuts]

Actually what I do are High Pulls into a finished Clean position, not full Power Cleans.

 

[BigBadBootyDaddy29]

Seymour, regardless of jerking or not, a proper clean concludes with the barracked on the shoulders, if the bar is not firmly racked, it is not a clean, also there is no need to finish off a high pull with a finished clean position, a high pull uses the arms and a clean does not, they are 2 different lifts......I don't mean to go off, but that is misinformation....a clean is finished with a firm rack on the shoulders REGARDLESS of whether you are going to jerk or not, otherwise it is NOT a clean!!!!!

 

[SeymourCuts]

I don't mean to go off, but that is misinformation

Yep, that was my bad. I got confused as to when the Clean ends and the Jerk begins, so I looked it up to make sure. Turns out what was taught me and referred to as a Power Clean is actually a High Pull, and the Jerk starts later than I'd thought from watching C&J competitions.

 

[Curious George]

You could buy a manta ray for the front squat.

You could also end your workout with leg extensions supersetted with either sissy squats or put a board down and hold a 45lb plate....put your heels on the board and hold the plate and do a simple squat.....do these for reps after your leg extension.

You can also get inside the power rack, put the pins below your parallel squat....come down with the bar on YOUR BACK and sit the bar on the pins......stay tight but pause for 4 seconds, come up and rep with this.

You can do 1 and 1/2's by coming down on the BACK SQUAT, come half way up, go down below parallel again without bouncing and then come up.....that is one rep.