[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Definitely, experienced guys in-tune with their body can tell the difference in the quads doing front versus back squats, but most guys are battling with proper positioning of the bar, elbows, depth, upright torso position, direction of their eyes, etc when doing front squats. Once all of these mechanical factors are well established, one can focus on their quads a bit more, even at heavy weights.
Comes with experience, just like a million other variables in training.
[quote]Akuma01 wrote:
Well, i agree that you shouldnt be aiming to feel contractions on squats, but front squats are a different story, right? I mean i totally feel my quads when front squatting.[/quote]
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I think the take-home message is, if you have good form like the OP does, keep adding the weight, keep getting stronger, stick with what your doing. 100lbs more on the bar, and you’ll probably feel it, and, as a plus, your legs will be bigger!
You could experiment a littel with other variations too (like hack squats, split squats). If not you could go straight for leg extensions or leg presses. (If you are concerned with quad development)
If you’re concerned about the front squats in particular you could exercise your mind muscle connection, make sure your form is perfect and keep your lower back straight when performing it.
The problem may come from the muscle (meaning that you may be a littel slow-twich dominant or stuff like that) or is may be your nervos system. To find out if its nr 2 you could do some extreme drop-sets on the last sets.
Experiment with tempo and failiure and you may solve it.
Great advice given. Here’s mine: I agree that regardless of what you “feel” or not, you ARE working your quads. I would definitely recommend some pre-exhaust work and not going ass-to-grass (A2G). Stop parallel to the ground, then push that weight up AND don’t lock out at the top. Do the 10x10 and tell us how you feel. You could also alternate every other rep with A2G and parallel.
Great advice given. Here’s mine: I agree that regardless of what you “feel” or not, you ARE working your quads. I would definitely recommend some pre-exhaust work and not going ass-to-grass (A2G). Stop parallel to the ground, then push that weight up AND don’t lock out at the top. Do the 10x10 and tell us how you feel. You could also alternate every other rep with A2G and parallel.
I definitely agree with coming up 3/4 of the way and not locking out. I stumbled on this little gem by accident and it works. You have to pump them out though, since you can’t stop anywhere to catch your breath, which also makes it (atleast for my out of shape ass) a great conditioning exercise as well.
I had been having the same problem. One thing that I found really helped (besides elevating the heels, but I guess you said your shoes were already elevated?) was stretching the hamstrings and the glutes right before jumping under the bar. Rather than pre-exhaust the quads like Stu said, you can burn the hamstrings out in the stretch, forcing your body to utilize the quads more in the squat. Hope this helps.
[quote]Deadsion wrote:
I definitely agree with coming up 3/4 of the way and not locking out. I stumbled on this little gem by accident and it works. You have to pump them out though, since you can’t stop anywhere to catch your breath, which also makes it (atleast for my out of shape ass) a great conditioning exercise as well.[/quote]
Yeah i did this yesterday my workout was the following
back squat
135x4
225x4
275x3
315x2
365x1
405x1 barely got this one! these sets was as little rest as possible probly 90 seconds max before the max attempt. then with no rest in between i did
315x2
225x15
135x15
took literaly 5 seconds
135x12
then leg extensions
100x12
140x18
200x12
then leg curls
95x6 (by this time i could hardly walk and legs gave out a bit after every step)
then 150x20 my heart rate was pushing 180+bpm by this point. when i stripped weights on the squats and did the high reps i didnt lock out at all and did them very fast and it destroyed my legs as a whole:P I never have had a problem feeling my quads working on the squat, and i use the power lifting stance, very close to sumo but not quite but that could have to do with the way my bodies structured. hope this helpes at all
I took a closer look at the video and you shouldn’t lean forward so much. Try keeping your back straight, don’t go lower than parallel (because you lose the tension there and you put a lot of stress on the knees) and also experiment with wider and closer leg stances.
If a new idea on bulking your lower body: try sissy squats!
just wanted to say i started front squatting with a close stance, heels elevated following a light pre-exhaust leg extension and ass to grass with a pause at the bottom–> not only do i feel a lot more balanced and stable, but i can get lower, feel it a lot more in my quads and i am FINALLY starting to progress on my squats which have been very very slow to progress for quite sometime.