Depth for Front Squats

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Hi little buddies,

Im about to start doing front squats. I did have a spell with front squats for about a month a year ago, but never really got into them.

Anyway a few questions;

a. Is there any difference in the depth that should be achieved with front squats compared to back squats. I do just below parallel for back squats, does that mean I will be doing just below parallel for front squats swell, or can I go deeper due to the difference in technique?

b. I use a box when I back squat to help me know where my depth is. Do i do the same for front squats?

c. Should the width of my stance be any different? I workout in vibrams, is that ok for front squats? I don’t really want oly shoes.

d. Any tips on learning this technique? I plan to do them using my hands, which means I have some mobility work to do with my wrists.

Thanks in advance.

Uncle Bird.

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2

These should help you find out some of your answers. Maybe not all of them

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I’ve been doing mine very narrow and with heels elevate on plates, in vibrams, I’m enjoying them a lot.

4

a. I can go MUCH deeper on the front squat than on the back squat. As for how deep you should go - as long as your quads are under tension go down as low as you can. If you feel like the tension is better when you don’t go down as low as you can, stop a bit higher.

b. No idea, I don’t use a box

c. My stance has always been narrower on the front squat. Play around with what feels best, I don’t think it necessarily has to be exactly the same. Vibrams should be ok, I train in Chucks until I get a pair of olympic shoes

d. You mean using clean grip? I’m hoping to work towards that in the coming months by racking pushing the bar against pins/J-hooks while trying to rack it using a clean grip. Sort of a stretch against the bar/rack.

B.

5

a. I personally go rock-bottom on front-squats. Most people seem to go lower on these than back squats. Watch Olympic lifters, they show how deep you can get in a front squat position.

b. I’ve never seen a box used for front squats, basically for the reason mentioned above. There isn’t much of a reason to limit ROM on this lift.

c. vibrams are fine. I do them barefoot. I don’t know how you back squat, so I can’t say if your stance should be different. Whatever’s comfortable and allows good depth.

d. using your hands? what does that mean? you mean oly-style? My biggest difficulty in front squats was keeping my elbows up when using the clean grip. I also had trouble keeping my fingers under the bar. I still usually just keep 3 fingers touching the bar, I let my pinky come off. The fact is you can actually do these without even touching the bar with your hands, as long as the load is light enough. You can stick your arms straight forward. Flexibility in shoulders and wrists is key for using the clean grip though.

hope this helps, I’m by no means a front squat expert, but I’ve gone up to 275 on it using a clean grip.

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[quote]theBird wrote:
Hi little buddies,

Im about to start doing front squats. I did have a spell with front squats for about a month a year ago, but never really got into them.

Anyway a few questions;

a. Is there any difference in the depth that should be achieved with front squats compared to back squats. I do just below parallel for back squats, does that mean I will be doing just below parallel for front squats swell, or can I go deeper due to the difference in technique?

b. I use a box when I back squat to help me know where my depth is. Do i do the same for front squats?

c. Should the width of my stance be any different? I workout in vibrams, is that ok for front squats? I don’t really want oly shoes.

d. Any tips on learning this technique? I plan to do them using my hands, which means I have some mobility work to do with my wrists.

Thanks in advance.

Uncle Bird.

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a) I find that I can get to a lower depth with front squats. There was a recent article that explained why this is so, but I can’t remember which one it was.

b) I’ve never thought about using a box for front squats. Perhaps it would be best to do it without a box and film yourself. That way, you can analyse the video and work on your technique. That’s what I do.

c) I front squat in Vibrams all the time. Feels good to me. Probably great for ankle mobility too. My stance is about the same for front and back squats - but then, my back squat is high bar and fairly close stance aka “Olympic” style. I’ve never heard of anyone doing front squats wide - my stance is probably just wider than shoulder width. I post in the BOI, so you can see my front squats there. I’m still working on my technique a lot with them.

d) Just practice. Try stretching your wrists before squatting and throughout the day (this is what hungry4more advised me to do). Drive your elbows up and try and make sure the weight of the bar is resting on your delts/clavicle, not your hands. I’m working on this myself. Try and stay upright and sit down between your legs. This is not a lift where you sit back excessively or lean forwards much - you’ll see why when you start doing them.

I love front squats, perhaps more than I like back squats. I think they utilise the abdominal muscles more than back squats. Also, when you start doing them, your upper back may fail before your legs. For this reason, I rarely go above five reps with them. Happily, my upper back is no longer the limiting factor for me, but I still prefer low reps for front squats.

I’m by no means an expert, but this is what has worked for me so far.

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Thanks for your help buddies.

Ill let you know how I go. Im going to start practicing my form once or twice a week until Im ready to pile on the weights.

Lightweight!

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Dear Mr. Blue speedo person.

If your doing whole body workouts, try doing some barbell overhead pressing after your heavy front squats. You might like it.