Front Squat Tips

Training Powerlifting
41

Here’s what I did ramping up to 405x3 front squats:

Barx5
135x5
225x4
315x3
365x1
405x3

Ramping up to 435x1 was almost the same, with one differenc:

Barx5
135x5
225x4
315x3
385x1
435x1

At 80-90%, I definitely say only 1 working set, with occasional exceptions. With 70-80%, 2 working sets is acceptable if you desire, but even then…if you’re truly going balls to the wall on that 1st set, you should only get half the reps, or less, on the 2nd set, assuming the same weight. And if you’re using less weight, what’s the point? Why would a second lighter set be beneficial? Get where I’m coming from?

Along the lines of keeping working set reps under 6 reps, that’s too much of a blanket statement, but has its uses. With big compound lifts, I usually follow that, with exceptions on occasion. Generally speaking, the less muscles involved in an exercise, the higher reps I will do. But this is best done once you have a good mind-muscle connection with a given muscle group, and have made large size/strength gains with that group. It’s hard to efficiently perform low, heavy reps, targeting the intended muscles, when your mind can’t recruit them very well.

Most common exception to the 6 rep rule is high rep squat variations, because of the legs naturally having such a large percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers…therefore, there’s lots of hypertrophy to be had by keeping your legs well rounded. I’ve back squatted 525x1, 495x3, 315x21, 135x100, front squatted 435x1, 405x3, 315x12…you get the picture. I don’t limit my leg training to any one rep range, though it is MOSTLY below 10 reps. I happen to think it’s worked pretty well so far…to each his own.

Wow, that turned out longer than I’d expected.

42

[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Knee, wraps? thought this was raw bro? lol.

It’s up to you, i’ll just be using a belt fwiw.

PS checked out your training log, damn nice lifts yourself. [/quote]

Haha belt it is, just thought I’d ask since I saw that maurader had some on. Lol thanks, my lifts are getting better, bench sucks, always has though ha.

43

Me too man, me too. I keep tweakin’ my left forearm, but thankfully have managed to avoid that for a few weeks straight now, excited about next time I shoot for a 1rm. Recently hit 295x6 RGBP, triceps are solid…just need more chest work, I always fail off the chest.

44

[quote]hungry4more wrote:

[quote]maraudermeat wrote:

[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Damn man. Do you think you had more in you with the 405x4? Cuz those were awfully fast reps.

405x4 is what I’m shooting for next time most likely :)[/quote]

yeah… 4 was the goal for that day but i’ve hit 10 pretty easy since then. but then again… i’ve got over 50lbs on you…sooo…yeah.
[/quote]

Sounds like a new goal to me :smiley:

405x10 FS at around 200 lbs bw. I’m game. [/quote]

Can’t wait to see how this turns out :wink:

45

A lot of great information! Can’t wait for my next FS session!

46

[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Me too man, me too. I keep tweakin’ my left forearm, but thankfully have managed to avoid that for a few weeks straight now, excited about next time I shoot for a 1rm. Recently hit 295x6 RGBP, triceps are solid…just need more chest work, I always fail off the chest. [/quote]

Nice, yea I don’t know exactly what it is, think I just need to bench more and get the sand outta my vag lol. Well good luck to ya, I just quickly looked to see if you kept a log on here but didn’t find one. Do you keep one on here? If not keep me posted on the progress, I’m gonna try to work in some FS but my lifting will be mostly focused around back squatting but I’ll be doing a lot of safety bar work so that’ll make up for my lack of FS haha, afterall that’s all I did last time lol.

47

[quote]hungry4more wrote:

[quote]kross001 wrote:

You need to talk to Hungry4more, he is around here somewhere. He has a fantastic front squat (with extra homo).[/quote]

LOL.

PMing OP now…[/quote]
I get a 10% finders fee of any weight he gains or puts on the bar.

48

Foot stance:

Wider or narrower than shoulder width?

49

Wider. Unless you want to involve quads, and nothing else, which of course will decrease your weight you use…also may cause knee problems, depending on a few factors.

50

Yesterday was the first time I attempted to front squat. I love back squats but want to mix in some FS for lower quad development. I could not figure out how to hold the bar comfortably. I stopped after a couple of light sets, went to the computer and found this thread. hungry4more’s tips fixed the issue.

"Move up to the bar, with feet about shoulder width or a bit wider, and place the bottom of your neck/top of your chest up against it firmly. Stick your arms out as far as possible under it, as if you’re trying to reach out for something that you just BARELY can’t reach, this brings you in tight to the bar, and helps to properly position it on/almost behind your shoulders. You should have a slightly uncomfortable pressure in your neck/windpipe at this point, don’t worry, that’s normal.

Now, grab the bar, with hands grasping the bar pretty much at your neck, maybe a few inches apart."

So I’m bumping this thread for 3 reasons.

1.) Great tips for front squats.

2.) Use the search function people. Stop asking the same questions over and over. Search.

3.) And most importantly - what are you lifting a year later hungry and meat???

51

awesome thread and I never wouldve found it if this hadn’t been bumped. I’d also like to know how those strong guys’ FS are going… I also have my own question- does a safety/cambered bar squat take stress off of the lower back? In my head I imagine that it does, but I’ve been having a sore lower back (yes i do GHR’s) after squatting and I’m thinking of going cambered/safety or maybe switching to FS. I’ve been doing goblet squats 130x15 so I think I’m ready to learn how to FS