It seems every time I front squat it becomes an entirely glute movement. Do I want this happening for my C&Js?
Should I be warming up with quad specific exercises before I move onto my front squats?
My Knees are as far foreward as they possibly can be throughout the bottom half of the movement.
If you’re just looking to push more weight, you want as much muscle mass involved as possible, so the fact that your glutes are kicking in is a good thing.
Do you use oly style shoes or elevate your heels at all? This should help recruit more quad.
[quote]StonesAreFun wrote:
If you’re just looking to push more weight, you want as much muscle mass involved as possible, so the fact that your glutes are kicking in is a good thing. [/quote]
I don’t know if I necessarily agree with that… If his glutes are overly dominant and he’s using them to move the weight, he’s not getting his quads as involved. I would try focusing hard on pushing straight up instead of pushing my knees out(I guess more powerlifting style). If your quads are weak to begin with, there’s obviously more work to do than strictly technique
What stance are you using? try a closer stance, that does the trick for me. Usually wider stance involves my glutes much more and closer is much more quad dominant.
I am not using oly shoes yet. I was told i would not need to buy gear for the first couple of months.
I was going to make them my first purchase anyways.
Martyh, I actually came from a powerlifting background and want to cross over to weightlifting before I am too old. The power style squat is what I am used to.
The stance I use now is exactly shoulder width, coincidentally.
Also partially duck-footed stance.
Are you wearing flat footed shoes, because like mentioned above keeping some sort of arch in your foot allows for more quad dominance, and less gluts/hams
Try slipping some 10lbs plates under your heels and see what that does for you… I got oly shoes for christmas and WOW do they make a difference.
Also you mentioned that you come from a powerlifting background, your probably holding the bar really low on your neck, try moving the bar a little higher, that also make the movement put more stress on your quads.
i wouldn’t say use a 10 pound but a 5 pound is probably more useful, its not as much of a drastic incline. possibly even a 2.5 donut
[quote]xivb4m wrote:
Also you mentioned that you come from a powerlifting background, your probably holding the bar really low on your neck, try moving the bar a little higher, that also make the movement put more stress on your quads.[/quote]
He’s front squatting.
I just got a pair of Adistars and holy shit the difference it makes is incredible.
Other than that constantly focusing on the quads extending helps.
Oh fuck i didn’t read that right my fault!
[quote]forevernade wrote:
The power style squat is what I am used to.
[/quote]
Just remember to approach front squats differently than a PL squat. Break at the knees first rather than ‘sitting back’, stay as vertical as possible during the entire movement, and keep the elbows high. If your upper body starts to sag or kick your hips back too far you’ll start using less quads.
You need to note the weight you are Fr Squatting as well. as you get up in weight you will begin to recruit both sides well.
But for now try a 1-2 sec pause at the bottom. that or concentric only or concentric first front squats from the boxes [bottom up, lower, relax, repeat] will cut the gluteal preloading and force recruit the quads. note that you will suck dick at concentric only/first front squats so either do them alone or give the ego the day off.
and if you’re weight lifting then get the right shoes. I did it in chucks for a year and wish i hadnt.
-chris
I can’t comment on WL shoes but I’ve heard good things. I have some issues with my right ankle so I never wanted to try them. If you’re from a PL background, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to stop back squatting altogether (if you haven’t already) for only a short period of time to get the groove. I improved my ratio of fs/bs from 315/510 to 430/530 mainly by focusing on only front squatting for 6 weeks or so, til I felt comfortable with them.
[quote]martyh wrote:
I can’t comment on WL shoes but I’ve heard good things. I have some issues with my right ankle so I never wanted to try them. If you’re from a PL background, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to stop back squatting altogether (if you haven’t already) for only a short period of time to get the groove. I improved my ratio of fs/bs from 315/510 to 430/530 mainly by focusing on only front squatting for 6 weeks or so, til I felt comfortable with them.[/quote]
good idea. I did that too and it worked like a weekend-only prostitute.
Good looking numbers by the way. I also have ankle issues but have never felt better than when in weightlifting shoes. I have the polish ones but the adidas ironwerks will give you the same stable effect. try it out if you have a funky ankle as i do.
-chris
A couple of things. Does anyone have a link or youtube on various bar hold methods on the front squats? I’m still not feeling right with that.
Also on the front squat, I feel most of my core being worked. It really does feel like a more atheletic manuever than a back squat.
[quote]djrobins wrote:
A couple of things. Does anyone have a link or youtube on various bar hold methods on the front squats? I’m still not feeling right with that.
Also on the front squat, I feel most of my core being worked. It really does feel like a more atheletic manuever than a back squat.[/quote]
Bar hold methods? just at the top of your clean [known as your rack position] with your hands on and your shoulders up. maybe search it. make sure your hands dont touch your shoulders in this position.
Front squat is “the” core worker second to overhead squat. Every time your abdominal erectors lose tension you fail. Whereas back squat you can depend more on your lumbar erectors to keep the tension from breaking.
-chris