Thanks dude. After years of scrolling and reading and paralysis by analysis, this is officially the last video on lifting ill ever watch. From now on I’m sticking with the basics and doing what made me feel good from the start. Curls.
As a 6ft8 guy with long legs, Front Squats have really helped me get max knee bend compared to high bar squats. Weightlifting shoes help with back squatting for tall guys, but man the depth and lack of low back discomfort tall guys get from Front Squats make it hard to argue against (for the 0.5% of the population over 6’5)
No where near your height, but I'm probably built with the same body proportions. My SFR is higher with front squats that any back squat variation for just the reason your describing. Rep-to-rep, back squats tax my lower back and wear my out systemically MORE so than with front squats. I feel the exercise in my quads more. I'll agree with Dr. that the bar rolling is real, and you can't do as much weight because the bar starts digging too much into your shoulders. Other than that, I'm with you on it.
I do both front and high bar back squats. I think this is the first RP video I've disagreed with, but I'm probably not usual when it comes to squats. I think my experience is more representative of tall lifters probably: If I had to choose one, I'd choose front squats. I don't have most of the issues mentioned in this video. Never any shoulder issue at all. Stability I have no idea what you're talking about - feels far more stable than a back squat. Quads are the limiting factor by a little, but it's also really the only good way for me to train my traps. Whenever I do shrugs I get injured, e.g. radiculopathy, no idea why. Back squats used to make my arms numb, but after my traps got bigger doing front squats that issue isn't so bad. The only argument really for back squats that seems persuasive is I can do a little more weight with it, but it feels far worse in terms of injury risk vs front squats (both lower and upper back). When I'm at failure on front squats I don't feel like I'm going to get a serious injury like back squats. Fatigue to stimulus ratio seems better for front squats. The lung thing I don't get at all. I'm breathing out at that point, and I get more out of breath from back squats.
I've preferred the front squat to the back squat for a few reasons. Honestly I find the form breakdown to feel less dangerous than the back squat. The bar rolling down in front of me is better than behind imo, which I find stresses my lower back and even my knees too much. I find it more of a struggle to not good morning the weight up with the bar on my back than to keep my upper back stiff and strong to catch the bar from rolling down my front. However, I do really enjoy the carryover to upper back gains, and the more vertical posture even helps with my OHP. I also tend to feel my quads the most with thr heel elevated front squat anyway, so even if I can't life as much for the reasons you described, it is much easier for me to get more out of less weight. Great video as always!
I’m with a lot of the people here. Back squats fuck up my low back, my front squat form is so much better, so it’s worth it for me. I haven’t given up on back squats but front squats feel so much better for me
It is. The level of balance and stability needed for a front squat is far superior than a back squat. I’d say for a balanced routine, doing both is the way to go. Back squat as the heavy compound and the front squat as an accessory .
I'm 65 years old have been obese for years but beat obesity three years running. My knees were crap so ive been doing partial squats with low weight dumbbells, arms hanging. My knees are now solid so i progressed to deep squats, slow controlled movement. Now I'm increasing the weight, higher volume, light to heavy sets and my legs feel powerful. Most people my age can't get up from the floor.
I think they have some benefits for strongman training, because in strongman when you load, carry or clean and push press objects there often is a front squatting pattern involved
Dr. Mike is the man and I have 0.00% ability to provide any discourse to the contrary. That said, I had brain stem decompression after my tour in OIF with the Marines, lumbar disc replacement surgery and have a case of tethered cord. Am I able to back squat 525 and deadlift 550 anymore? No. The front squat has given me the ability to grow my legs without direct compression on the spine cord and provided a great mechanism that didn't exist previously. I can't do belt squats and can do hack squats depending on the heel placement. I would still encourage people to try front squatting if it is functional for you. My case is unique and rare, and the shoulder "buy-in" is no BS.
Maybe you’re being sarcastic but just making sure Dr Mike has good content but this video is a miss and he’s wrong here Update: in retrospect it's def sarcasm
I think that if you’re strong at front squatting you are strong at back squatting, but not the other way round. To me it’s the better exercise, i feel my quads more and have the mobility, so i do them
This video confirms what I have always hated about the Front Squat. The exercise is so uncomfortable. There are so many better options. i.e. back squat, hack squat, etc
Also don't forget, front squats can help you with the skill of confidently holding your smartphone in front of you while you poop in a so called squatting hole
I agree with all points in the video. The only reason for me why I do Front Squats because it strengthens the spinal erectors way more and much closer to a front carry.
I don't care that people use PEDs, but I do have more respect for people that reach those goals while remaining natural. I think it displays another level of discipline that deserves recognition.
Hey Dr. Mike, not sure where to suggest videos so leaving a comment here. As someone who has been fighting a cold/virus for a week now, I would love a video on how to handle training when you're sick. I know that can vary due to the sickness but I think you'd have some great insight and it'd be a popular video being cold/flu season and all. Love all your stuff, super helpful and well thought out and articulated. Thanks!
I used to back squat in the gym, but as I didn't go often enough I had poor technique and ended up hurting my back doing them. I switched to front squats because 1. the bar wouldn't be resting across area of my spine that got sore. 2. performing it correctly would mean increasing my flexibility. As this is an area that I really hate, it is like an exercise & a stretch at the same time. 3. whilst the weight I could load the bar with would be lower; the gym has those leg machines. If I want a heavy load on my legs I can use those and stay safe. 4. I like deadlifts as an exercise so am then performing 2 of the 3 components of the olympic lifts and that seems pretty fun. Because lifting should be fun.
I exclusively train the front squat. I have a chronic hamstring injury that is aggravated by barbell back squats. Front squats don't give me any issues going full ROM, atg. They feel good and I'm just glad I can barbell squat again, even if they're not as superior. They're obviously not ideal for hypertrophy which is why I still do hack squats to compensate for that.
If the goal is “bigger and stronger”, then you have a point. If the goal is stronger and healthier then front squats are excellent in exposing mobility issues in the hips, shoulders and thoracic spine, as well as excellent for core stability. This unmasking is what allows a person to improve on them and ultimately get better. Replacing it with another exercise to avoid working on these problems is not better, it is more convenient maybe, but definitely not better.
Front Squats / Zircher Squats are the only squats are the only squats I can do with my degenerative spinal disease and it allows me to continue to be strong
As a taller guy I could never feel good highbar back squatting. I always had to do low bar with an extremely wide stance to be able to squat comfortably. So for squats and quad development I tended to lean toward front squats. But let me tell you - after years, over a decade of avoiding high bar back squats - about 3 weeks ago I finally figured out how to squat with a normal stance for quad focus and it feels AMAZING. The only difference I made was doing a hybrid squat - low bar positioning with high bar biomechanics. I’ve tried this before in the past when seeing Johnny candito talk about that style but it still didn’t feel good at the time.. something just finally clicked and I’m working up my strength on these squats now and the quad stimulus and growth I’m already noticing has been phenomenal
Back squats hurt my shoulders _way_ more than front squats. It's not even close. I often do front squats when my shoulders are too trashed to do back squats...
I just love front squats more than back squats in terms of just fighting the urge in literally almost everything from the pain and discomfort to the stability and it is also easier to recover from but it is not grindier that back squat due to being in a disadvantaged position but I will say everyone who wants to improve their back squat must also do front squat, it has one of the best carryovers but it is not easier than others but is indeed safer to bail just drop the weight in front of you not unlike back squat once you are falling down in front of you, you're neck sure is farked, front squat is a valuable exercise if you know what you are doing, you just gotta love them.
When I first tried front squatting, it felt so uncomfortable that I was immediately like "fuck that." I came back to it a few years later after having watched multiple videos of people extolling its benefits. I must say, I'm very glad I stuck with it and am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. One of the proponents (Enkiri) explained it's a great upper back exercise. As you explained, the barbell tries to bend you over, so holding it up trains your back. Despite having a strong back, I injured my lat from front squats because it couldn't handle carrying the load so long. Eventually got over it. Essentially, all of the reasons against front squatting are that it is incredibly uncomfortable and takes a lot to just get used to it. I think that's all the more reason to do it. Get rid of all weaknesses. Additionally, it seems easier on the CNS than back squats, so you can do them even more often. Front squats helped me get through plateaus on back squat and have improved my leg and back strength and my vertical. Highly recommend.
My backsquat was weak today after deadlifting yesterday. So I switched to front and was able to PR. I’d argue you’re more upright doing front. Idk about the shoulder pain but the hardest part is having the flexibility to front rack. Agree cross arm is less stable.
If you are injuring your lower back on the back squat then you have a weakness you need to work on, after all you are only as strong as your weakest link. More often than not it is their core strength because people don't spend 20 minutes, 2x a week training their mid section (abs and lower back). Stop skipping accessories, train your abs, train your obliques, train your lower back, train your glutes, follow a good back squat program, you do not need to switch to front squats. If you are doing the front squat for the sake of increasing ankle mobility you need to lighten the load and high bar back squat, properly, like stop cutting depth and hunching over like a good morning, if you high bar back squat with strict balance and posture you will build the specific strength over time to be able to high bar back squat properly, even if your leverages are shit. By all means if you've injured your lower back again, switching to front squat is not a bad idea, anything to get you back in the gym.
Ok Mike I’m going to pull rank here as a competitive strongman The front squat has many benefits to strongman, but the BIGGEST one is that so much of what we do is in front of our body. Stones, Sandbags and everything we do overhead are directly made stronger through using front squats. I won’t disagree on the bodybuilding side, and I’ll even stay out of it for powerlifting but for strongman they are an extremely valuable tool.
I’ll take it a step further. Squatting with a barbell at all is stupid for most people. The SSB or other specialty bars will target your quads better and will save your shoulders and elbows so you can train your arms more.
i like front squats for the sole purpose of being able to say to women “amazing front rack you’ve got there” w/o being slapped or pepper-sprayed or fired from my job
I've generally added front Squats at the end of a leg workout to help me get used to weight being in front of me for Log Press and Axle Press, not saying it's optimal, but I've definitely felt it helped me when sitting the log across my chest before a press
Dr. Mike. Should i always keep doing 3-5 seconds eccentric. Because i feel like i just dont get any stronger doing it and it feels very wrong on some specific excercises
I'm a gym noob, but I just like the movement of the front squat. Would also love overhead squats. Then again, if I had the chance, I'd go into Olympic Weightlifting without a second thought.
Great advice Dr. Mike! Now it makes sense as to why i couldnt do wrist contortion to hold the bar in front squat mode the way my firmer know nothing crossfit coaches were telling me to do. No more crossfit.
Front squats feel better to me than back squat. I can be more up-right doing front squats, which feels better when getting a nice deep position. I don't want to work my back while doing squats. I like the focus on the quads of a front squat, then I can work my back and hamstrings by doing deadlifts right after. However, the volume and total weight I can move on a front squat is way less than back squat, so it hurts my ego, which is probably healthy. High bar back squats sometimes will give me neck strain at higher weights, and then my neck is sore, and I have a headache for 3 days. There's also the possibility that I've been doing back squats wrong and need a trainer.
I really gotta disagree with Dr. Mike and his perspective on recreational lifters here. Even if as a recreational lifter you say you only care about size, you will not notice or appreciate an extremely marginal differential in quad size from front squatting to high bar back squatting. You will notice and greatly appreciate improved athleticism, coordination, etc etc etc (speaking more broadly about training athletically vs training purely for SFR). Just remember you're buying more than just muscle size with that fatigue, don't discount everything else. Everyone loves a gymnasts biceps, but they train them in the worst, lowest SFR way possible, but they still get there even if it's not optimal, and they get a lot else on the way.
It does squash your lungs , done them exclusively for 4 years. It’s hard to get a big breath after 4or 5 reps. It also does demand A LOT of stability and bandwidth. Guess I do them because my backsquat was 315 for reps when I switched but my deadlift was already 420 so I thought I would help target my quad deficit. My best set so far I’m currently at 305 raw for 5 reps.
Front squats are not necessary for bodybuilding They are one of the best exercises for building general strength every person should do. Almost every single labor job requires some form of front squat. One of the best stability strength builders that has been in use since the cave man days.
Love your channel but sometimes I'm reminded that I'm training for strength and not hypertrophy. Cause yeah, you wanna train legs/size? Back squat or leg press. Front squat trains core, back, as well as legs. And I'd agree, if you cant do the "clean catch" hold, reduced stability will cut out how much you can drive.
I like front squats for some reason because I also like to hex bar deadlift a lot. I find that back squats are extremely uncomfortable on my back moreso than deadlifts, which I feel is strange because I think I have decent form and I can hit my depth but I'm always left in more pain than gain.
Just use wrist straps as grips to rack and hold, or do zombie front squats with lighter weight. Personally, front squats have helped my high bar range of motion and flexibility.
Not everything has to be about muscle growth. Front squats are amazing for the upper back & core, its also a very athletic movement and increases your mobility over time. Great for those suffering from hernated discs such as myself, since i can train the squat pattern with less load on my lower back. Ot definitely has a lot of uses
Curious if anyone that low bar squats actually experiences any shoulder discomfort? For me that was the real advantage from switching from back squats to front squats.. less shoulder discomfort and not more. I was pretty skinny at the time and always had bruising on my upper back. Not at all with back squats anymore. Also as much as hand and wrist pain can be difficult to deal with on back squats I find it even worse with front squats. If that bar ever slips off the front delts and you don't drop it, it can lead to a serious hand injury.
I really like front squats for teaching youth athletes (generally young men) to squat. If they get overzealous they just dump the bar rather than stapling themselves. They have to control their torso actively rather than back squatting with a spine like a question mark. However, once they get a good baseline of strength we incorporate them less and transition to the back squat.
I fee more shoulder pain with back squats than front squats. And fronts give me better mind muscle connection. And my fro to back squat weight ratio isn’t much lower so I’m probably gunna stick to fronts
I just use a front squat attachment and that allows me not to hold it on my shoulders. I have used 405 on that attachment, so it’s really stable. I see the points in the video though.
I tweaked my back like a decade ago and started front squatting as a way to be self-limiting. It's been a long journey and I think my core could still use some strengthening, but I feel a lot healthier and stronger and have started alternating between front and back squats.
I always wondered why I don’t see the front squat being trained in RP training videos. Personally, I only learned proper squat form and improved my mobility thanks to the front squat and that is even though I have pretty long forearms that make the front rack hold not any easier. But I feel actually working on front rack mobility is very much worth it, because I feel my quads so much more with front squats than with back squats.
I have to pick up my bar (dumbbells cliped on short bar) from the floor. It's easier for me to front squat since I otherwise have to get the bar over my head, then back over when I'm done. I don't have a squat rack in my building's gym.
If you have long femurs, you might also like front squats, because the bottom position is more comfortable for the back. Still, the points mike made apply, but you Might feel better doing front squats.
Front squat on smith machine…. problem solved. 🤷🏼♂️ I feel more activation on front squats in my quads esp going ass to grass deep front squats without having to worry so much with the bar balance. Just my 2 cents.
Reason to front squat: to train for BJJ specific athlete. Playing as guard passer you are dealing with weight pulling you forward all the time. Reason to Zuercher squat: ^ same as above. Thoughts on the above?
I do both Front Squat and Back Squat. Mainly to mix it up. It's fun trying different exercises, I'll even try Zercher Squats, Overhead Squats, Sissy Squats, and Bulgarian Split Squats. Squats are fun!
If you're not in a strength/performance sport like weightlifting or strongman and you're just a bodybuilder that strictly focuses on hypertrophy, DON'T DO THESE. (Mike says strongman shouldnt do these but they absolutely do as part of their sport.) If hypertrophy isn't your primary goal and you want well rounded strength and TITANIUM low, upper back and core, DO THESE. I promise you your upper back will cry in agony.
I'm 52 and have front squatted exclusively for the last 10 months. Took a while to improve flexibility and thoracic strength and stability to improve but the benefits have been great. No stress on lower back compared to low bar back squats, posture and core improvements were significant. Overhead strength went way up. Hoping to front squat 315 by my birthday 🙏👍
Yes! When I used to do them I felt they were amazing for posture/thoracic extension. Felt some muscles there that otherwise were hard to target. That in combination with the quad work and overall mobility seems like an amazing bang for buck with front squats. Need to get back into it.
Hey, that's awesome. You committed to the movement and are seeing success from it because of that commitment. I think Dr. Mike's point is, it may not be the best investment of time and energy for general strength and hypertrophy trainee. But if you like it, and it's works for you, go forth and crush it, my friend! It does not HAVE TO be optimal if you're having a good time and making progress.
I love Front Squats. Using a strap prevents shoulder mobility issues and I find I can get great quad stimulation at a much lower weight compared to back squats. Plus no back pain!
Front squat is my main squat variation. All your points are valid so I'll explain why it works for me. I used to low bar squat in my teenage years and now at 28 I have only been front squatting for the past year. I don't have experience with high bar squat. 1) Anthropometry. I am quite tall and lean, I find that front squat keeps my torso more upright and there is less load on my lower back (I have some minor issues there). I also have no problem with rack position because my arms are long. 2) It forces me to have at least a decent level of squat technique. With low bar you can almost turn it into a good morning and I see plenty of people with bad/unsafe back squat technique in the gym. With front squat, if the technique is bad, the bar will just fall off (I see it as built-in safety feature). 3) it allows me to squat very deep with full range of motion. The load is lower then on a back squat, but for me range of motion compensates this. 4) I feel it is a much safer variation to drop the bar if you cannot finish your ascend. Learning to abandon back squat is a skill in itself. With front squat it's mainly a push with your hands far away from your body. I lift alone and it's important. 5) Like you I also do grappling and I feel it's a a very front loaded sport and I can see a direct carryover 6) it feels more fun. Like the movement itself looks much more badass to me and I feel as if the front squat is a more athletic squat. I really enjoy your content, Mike, and thank you for all the knowledge you share with the world!
I'm the same body type as you and I agree with all of this. I don't grapple (but I used to) but on all other points we're in agreement. I'm 197 cm and weigh about 95 kg with quite low fat %. I messed up my lower back doing squats way back when I was at the university. I've tried to pick up back squats a couple of times ever since then and every time my lower back pain comes back. When I do front squats I feel nothing. So I will continue to front squat. Also I do the crossed arms hold because my forearms just can't bend in the power lifting way.
Love front squats. I’m tall and lean too. 6’2 202lb 9% body fat. And my highschool weight would have us main the back squats but, still had us do front squats here and there and i always loved front more. We also mained hang/power cleans which is my favorite lift easily. No back pain, no need for a spotter if youre goin heavy, and it 100% feels more explosive and athletic for me personally. AND I can get ass to grass, i have the sprinter build long legs shorter torso. my mobility is good but, it was always weird trying to get ass to grass on back squat.
Front squatting has helped me a lot as a manual laborer as it’s the closest movement to how I lift boxes. It’s my favorite squat variation to use as a secondary lift. I just use the smith machine to make up for the lack of stability and my lack of Weight Lifting technique. I get it’s not ideal for hypertrophy but I’m not a pro and it’s fun.
I'm not that impartial as a weightlifter, but in my opinion it is really worth it to learn how to front squat properly with front rack and full depth and practicing on a regular basis as a strength move, like with sets of 2 to 5 reps. It works all the body and will allow you to gain mobility on arms, shoulders, hips and legs and transfers very well on athletic stuff like jumping and sprinting. Then you should add some more legs exercises of course.
Exactly my thoughts. As a movement it’s really good for developing mobility and general athleticism, which are good things for long term health, which will allow you to train everything else more effectively
@@BGeezy4sheezy what's even better is doing exercises that you actually like so you enjoy working out and stick with it. There's nothing you get out of the front squat you can't get in other ways.
@@chonkusdonkus you’re right- the best exercises are the ones that you enjoy. I guess you need to do a few things you maybe don’t like to address weaknesses, but sometimes you can learn to like things through repetition. But the best way to train is the way you find personally most fulfilling
@@chonkusdonkushaha as someone who is trying to learn both weightlifting and rings gymnastics skills your comment made me laugh. Most of the exercises in these two sports make you hate existence, but then it's that much sweeter when you get them right, or at least I find satisfaction in that. An iron cross on the rings, or a heavy snatch, scary things at first, maybe not the best for hypertrophy, but have you seen gymnasts and weightlifters? They're no bodybuilders but I'd be ok with that.
As a weightlifter myself I love front squats, but for MUSCLE GROWTH I 100% agree with the doc - it is purely a strength exercise for me, you just can't do enough reps to make it valuable for hypertrophy before it becomes completely a back exercise - yes you can get muscle growth from it, but you'd get the same results from something much easier and less time consuming (on something like backsquat you could just do 3 sets of 8 reps, 24 total reps, good muscle growth. Meanwhile if you tried that on front squat, you'd be absolutely wiped out after 1 set with your back and core just dead and less stimulus on your legs. It's a great exercise if you're doing triples for example, having a strong front squat carries over to everything, but if your goal is just muscle then it's basically useless)
My strongman coach had me doing front squats to support push-pressing, but now that I'm not competing in strongman, I took them out of my program because it got difficult to breathe in the higher rep ranges. I find Safety Squat Bar (SSB) squats as a substitute to front squats has really allowed me to hit my quads harder. Long femurs make high bar back squatting challenging, and I've low-bar squatted for so long that switching to SSB was a nice change of pace.
Barbell hacksquats are good too. I think the deadlift version not the original version of the barbell hacksquat would be best. The original version without a doubt would hit the quads the best but for transfering over to the strong man not entirely sure about that since its basically like a sissy squat at the bottom of the movement
I do front squats because, as a VERY hip dominant person, it actually forces me to put emphasis on the quads. It's very difficult to keep myself sufficiently upright even with high bar back squats let alone having the bar lower (which is way more comfortable to me). I feel it takes way too much focus to battle all my instincts and not lean forward. Front squats resolve this problem automatically as only a very marginal lean is possible. Second, and equally important point, is that front squats are easy on my lower back. I like deadlifting and doing its variations so my lower back gets a lot of work already, I really don't want squats to put extra strain on my lower back. This is not to say that I think front squats are of particularly high value. They just happen to tick a few key boxes for me. It is possible that if I manage to drag my FS numbers up the negatives will start to show.
@tupacsoulja I was thinking this when I read the comment as well. Long femur squatting is challenging. People are too obsessed with thinking their squats need to be perfectly upright. Your squat can hugely beneficial even with forward lean.
Lol we’re opposites and I’m jealous of you. I had to focus heavily on low bar squats since I’m quad dominant 🤣 but if I could choose I’d be posterior dominant like you, way more strength from comes from the hips and glutes
You have to activate the glutes more so you don’t use the hips that much. Activate glutes with abductors and zumo deadlifts and the like. I still prefer front squats with my elbows out not in cross.
Bizarrely, I did front squats this very morning and made a mental note to search for videos on benefits and technique because I was finding the battle to keep the bar on my shoulders detracted me from focussing on my quads. And here’s Dr Mike. Goodbye front squats
I think just trusting Dr. Mike blindly like that is not the way to go. You’re gonna let just one man’s opinion Change your mind like that? Why don’t you stick with them for a couple weeks and then decide for yourself? I love Dr. Mike and his videos but I don’t blindly follow everything he says and don’t think you should either
I would argue front squat is essential for strongman: 1. Maintaining front rack mobility with an acessory like front squat makes overhead events like axel press much less taxing on your mobility 2. Huge focus on thoracic extention for events like sandbag carries, atlas stones, log press 3. The inherent stability in the exercise improves stabilizer muscles for other movements that also have inherent instability (almost every event in strongman)
Then you might be better off programming more tyre flips, power cleans, and stones. Then for stability do back squats in wider or narrower stances depending, whilst still getting the loading
Yeah biggest RP L in quite a while. Any front carrying exercise has overlap with the front squat. I did exclusively front squats/Zercher squats for strongman.
