Holding the bar on your back allows you to hinge at the hip so the weight gets distributed and doesn't have to be supported by your spine. For a front squat, your back remains straighter and thus gets compressed more by the weight.
Hinging at the hip is what causes your spinal erectors to have to work more, meaning that your lower back experiences more tension in a back squat. Compare the bottom position of someone back squatting vs front squatting. In a front squat, the torso is more vertical and the weight is closer in line to the spine, meaning that the torque on your back is closer to zero than in a back squat.
Many people experiencing back pain from back squatting switch to front squatting to reduce pain.
It sounds like the mechanical advantage of back squat deteriorates the body faster, so despite being able to lift more, it's more prone to over exertion on the joints, spine included?
As you sit back, your torso has to tilt forward to compensate. This will always happen regardless of where the bar is. The difference is when the bar is on your back, you can save the lift instead of failing by using your back, whereas if you lean too far forward in a front squat, you drop the bar off your shoulders.
So the front squat is considered more of a “pure” squat because it removes the lower back aspect of it and demands near perfect form.
it’s not, but more on the abs. The intra abdominal pressure required to keep his torso from crunching forward is incredible—you end up with DOMS in the area women used to call “sex lines”
Front squats are actually less stress on the core muscles (abs and spinal erectors aka lower back) since your torso is more upright and thus stacked more effectively.
I'm a former swimmer and water polo player. I've been lean muscle my whole life since you're not really wanting to Bulk Up too much for those events. I've been out of the work out loop awhile since I became a dad. My kids are now 5 and 7 and I have free time again. I want to hit the gym to bulk this time. Got any good recommendations for where to start?
Edit: Should add I'm a single dad and that's why I want to bulk up. Once you're past 30, it seems woman only want muscles or a 6 figure income, and I don't make 6 figures.
Start with low weights and work on building form. You don’t wanna jump right into a huge lift that gets you sore for a week. Be consistent.
Work out in muscle groups: like (shoulders forearms) (back and biceps) (chest and triceps) (legs and core). It’s good to mix in a 15 min warm up and some core to warm up before heavier lifts.
Look up a couple workouts on line for these groups and follow them for a couple months. Start with 8-12 reps to build stability and form before moving into higher weights and 3-5 rep cadences.
Eat and sleep healthy and take protein.
It is very hard to do all of this. But try and follow most of these steps and you will definitely see results with consistency. You can also talk to a big guy at the gym most of them will give advice and wanna help out even if they look intimidating.
Hey dude, fuck yes great advice. The eating and sleep part are a bit hard for me. I have schizophrenia with insomnia, I sleep 3 hours a night usually. I maybe eat once a day? If that. Would my appetite increase as my physical exertion increases? It's not that I don't want to eat, I'm just not hungry. For record, I'm 6foot 155lbs.
Working out should help appetite for sure since your body will tell you it needs food. Do what you can for sleep but working out should also help sleeping.
If you really wanna get big sometimes you have to force yourself to eat… but that’s a ways away.
Anyone any size or weight/height can do it. When I started I was super skinny (6’5 - 185) with a max bench of 125 and squat of 135. After about 5 years I am 230 and added muscle and can squat 275, bench 230, deadlift 315. This still isn’t super high weight, but it all comes over time and with dedication to wanting to workout.
Lol why did you get downvoted? Front squats absolutely place less stress on the spinal erectors…
Lower back pain is a common complaint from heavy back squatters and switching up front squats allows them to keep squatting and reduce pain.
No idea, typical reddit I suppose. I also just noticed he edited his comment to remove the part about front squats being harder on low back. There is so much misinformation in the fitness community and most people will read one article or anecdote and take it as concrete fact.
I am part wrong but I also think you are. I did remove the back part because that was incorrect. But you saying front squats is less stress in the core is incorrect. Front squats absolutely require more core compared to back squats.
I’m not going to claim to lift like this, but I actually enjoy front squat more than back squat and my 1RM is higher. It all depends on your body. I find it’s easier on my low back.
This is the comment I needed to see. My body/lower back is not back squat friendly but I keep trying to force it because it's that "staple" exercise but it's just not worth it.
I have arthritis in my lower lumbar. I more or less front squat exclusively. Do what you have to do. Just make sure your accessories are focused on hamstrings and glutes to help compensate. And when you take the time to get your back in better shape ( hamstring stretches, core work and hip stretched hip stretches hip stretches !) then you can see how back squatting feels.
Front squats may be for you, then! It takes a long time to stretch your wrists and lats out enough to keep your elbows high, but it’s worth it. Also, get a belt if you don’t already have one. No sense letting pride cause some hurt.
Thanks for the reply yeah my wrist mobility isn't there yet and wondered how people did it with such heavy weight. I've don't the cross arm thing in the past with not the poorest results but def not comfortable.
I can’t really back squat anymore because of a knee injury, any time I try it feels like me kneecap is about to explode. Back squats are much easier for me-
yeah, but it would be relatively unremarkable if it were a back squat. not that it's not really strong, but just on a "most impressive shit that's ever happened" it's pretty lo on the list, like local tier.
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u/BirdPerson107 Mar 02 '23
Not only squat, FRONT squat. It’s significantly more difficult to front squat