I have a recurring wrist injury which has made it difficult to hold an olympic grip, so I’ve been doing the crossed-arm variation of front squats. Everything was going well until I went for a 3RM and did something to my back.
Thibs explains in one of his articles how the “strap method” for front squats is inherently better from an injury-prevention standpoint than the crossed-arm version. Has anyone had any success implementing this into their training? I don’t own a pair of straps but may pick some up if this is a good variation
Thanks
When my knee tendinitis finally heals, I’m going to start front squatting with the straps!
[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
I have a recurring wrist injury which has made it difficult to hold an olympic grip, so I’ve been doing the crossed-arm variation of front squats. Everything was going well until I went for a 3RM and did something to my back.
Thibs explains in one of his articles how the “strap method” for front squats is inherently better from an injury-prevention standpoint than the crossed-arm version. Has anyone had any success implementing this into their training? I don’t own a pair of straps but may pick some up if this is a good variation
Thanks[/quote]
Honestly I tried maybe 7-8 times. I went in on off days just to practice this movement. Honestly I ended up doing a zercher most of the time. Try it out; I’m just telling you what happened to me.
[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
I have a recurring wrist injury which has made it difficult to hold an olympic grip, so I’ve been doing the crossed-arm variation of front squats. Everything was going well until I went for a 3RM and did something to my back.
Thibs explains in one of his articles how the “strap method” for front squats is inherently better from an injury-prevention standpoint than the crossed-arm version. Has anyone had any success implementing this into their training? I don’t own a pair of straps but may pick some up if this is a good variation
Thanks[/quote]
It’s a great variation and helps you keep strong and upright.
It’s great - I use it whenever my wrists feel like they’re getting bothered by clean grip. You can focus on pulling up on the straps as well as pushing your elbows up to keep your arms high.
I cant do clean grip and tried the starp method and couldnt get it right. I now use no hand with hands crossed on delts with wide stance and staying upright. felt the best and it really made my delts/traps to pop out too.
This method got front squats to being a staple exercise for me. I couldn’t do the clean grip but could do the cross hand grip. Still, the strap was way superior because my back felt in a way more natural loading position.
The first time I tried it, I couldn’t get it right because my hands were too far wide apart and I failed to grip the straps properly. Once I got to figuring out how to wrap the straps tight around both hands with my knuckles facing me and my elbows up, the strap method proved to be a very simple way to deal with holding the bar up for a front squat.
[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
I have a recurring wrist injury which has made it difficult to hold an olympic grip, so I’ve been doing the crossed-arm variation of front squats. Everything was going well until I went for a 3RM and did something to my back.
Thibs explains in one of his articles how the “strap method” for front squats is inherently better from an injury-prevention standpoint than the crossed-arm version. Has anyone had any success implementing this into their training? I don’t own a pair of straps but may pick some up if this is a good variation
Thanks[/quote]
I use CT’s method, I actually was doing it before just that CT explains it really well in the video.
I used regular straps, meaning the same as I’d use for rowing exercises, DL etc.
I am told re-stitched car seat belts work very well as well for tension, feel etc.