Something I noticed when I started doing Zercher squats too is how much more my core engages naturally from having to pull against the force in front of you, rather than push against it like in a back squat
People also tend to forget that when you put the bar infront of the body, the center of mass is more inline with the body, so when you squat down you can keep your hips and ribcage stacked(which more people should start focusing on, when they doing any exercise) and your range of motion gets a lot better😊
This is legit an amazing exercise. Sometimes my older family members fall and they need to be lifted in this type of position to stand up again. I’ve never trained this movement but thank you so much for the idea.
yeah I recently had to help someone up like this and I just realized that the zercher squat perfectly mimicks that position. Even though it's not that hard to lift someone up like this, it can't hurt to be stronger in that position. And I'm sure it would be useful in other scenarios as well
Love Zercher squats. Still figuring out Zercher cleans though. Bruised my forarms so bad it looked like I'd been tortured. Didn't hurt though. Probably just need to get used to them.
great general stimulus as well. for a lot of people it ends up as a squat-y hinge. doesnt really target any one area very well but targets a lot of muscle mass in a single movement which has utility.
I never would have thought of this as a squat. This is perfect for some of my summer activities coming up. I genuinely might have to haul someone in an emergency.
As a brick/stone mason, Zercher squats translate perfectly to better functionality on job sites. Zerchers forever! Back squats are just never going to translate like that.
about the elbows issue, as I workout at home I wear my BJJ Gi when doing zerchers. But you can use a heavy jacket, hoodie or shirt or wrap a towel on the bar 💪
I’d be cautious about pain in your arms. I have done zercher squats with 315lbs and I felt a sharp pain in my left elbow. My left arm stayed numb for nearly a month and I’ve never done a zercher lift since that day.
This shit absolutely wreaked havoc on my forearms. Nothing more humbling than box squatting 315 for reps then having to do 115 pound zerchers and struggling to hold it 🤣
I might actually try these. I have a very sensitive nervous system and anything with relatively high axial fatigue almost always gives me migraines and causes a lot of vomiting. So back squats and hack squats are actually off the table for me as options for leg day. Belt squats and Leg press have been my go to as an alternative. Im curious if these would have less axial fatigue as well.
Love the way he does this front squat with absolute perfect form and u can just imagine that right there is hard asf but but more beneficial for everyday life
Just started these recently, only problem I’m having is that I feel like I can go a lot heavier than I am, but my elbows aren’t used to it yet. Hit 205 today and felt like I had the strength to do a lot more, I’m looking forward to be able to see how much I can really do.
I recently started doing this and i fell in love with it but only problem is the area above elbow where i hold the bar with starts burning like crazy as if my arm will fall apart when i go above 100 kgs.
Hey eugene ,love your content man, i just wanted to ask u a question that is their leg exercises where a person can only stand on their toes ?. I needed to know cause recently i had a right heel injury which is prohibiting me from doing any compound leg movements as all pretty much require to stand on the whole feet , rightfully so.
There's a sitting work out you can do. I forgot what it was called but it's usually attached to end of the bench for leg work out. It won't give you full leg work out but at least you can do something.
I'd really appreciate an answer off someone who knows more than me. I've been told to avoid back squats as I bulged two disks a couple year ago but I miss squatting like alot. Would these be safe for me? Or safer at least? Idk what to do for legs bar bike riding now lol
Why would I do a painful exercise when there are other pain-free alternatives? My back never hurt when doing regular squats and it doesn't start hurting as I increase the load. My elbows with this exercise on the other hand...
It's an amazing excercise. But aren't you releasing tension at the bottom? I have never really understood why make pauses when tension is gone. It's like ligaments / connective tissue testing?
I have a problem with dead lifts. Had my left hand crushed at work and lost three fingers. Using the hook grips but I really don’t like it. I need to find a different movement for Deadlifts.
It is fine but direct lower back work would be better. Do stiff leg deadlits but keep the weight far away from your shins as possible. Kind of like doing it "wrong" on purpose. It can be dangerous to do this if you don't already know how to deadlift properly. But is the best lower back accesory imo.
I love Zercher squats, but I messed up my biceps in the right hand with 100kg yesterday🥹. Inside part of the biceps torn off from the ligament. Shit happens even I was doing heavy pull ups with 40-60 kg, I thought my ligaments are strong enough. Be careful. Hope the operation will go well and they will return everything in the correct place and I will come back even stronger.
