What type of squat do you prefer for quad development: SSB or Front Squat. Maybe you prefer hack squat over both or smith machine.
I am trying to decide which I like better. I can lift more weight with an SSB but for some reason I just like front squats. I think they are the most difficult variant to use but keeping an upright posture seems to really hit the quads well along with the upper back for bracing.
I prefer SSB for higher rep work as I find high rep front squats can be a challenge to maintain the rack position before your quads wear out.
Anyway, thinking of revising my “leg day” and trying to decide which squat pattern to use. Right now I alternate between many different types but looking to focus more on one for a time.
I have longer legs and short torso, so I like both these options. I made myself a SSB out of steel pipe, but it puts the weight a little too far forward, so that heavier weights are a challenge as it bothers my neck. At the moment I’m really liking front squats with lifting shoes and heels on a 1/2 inch plywood strip. It keeps me more upright and it hits the quads pretty well. Then I’ll do higher rep Bulgarian split squats to finish the workout.
If the goal is leg growth, I prefer the Smith machine. The ability to stay upright is excellent. There is no lower back fatigue or need to brace as hard. Your upper back will not give out. You can also have a closer foot placement if desired.
I’m pretty similar to you @mechinos, where front squat feels awesome on my quads but SSB is much preferred for higher reps.
Over time, I’ve just gravitated toward SSB as my squat of choice. It doesn’t beat me up, I can work up to something heavy and then still do a back-off set of higher reps (so I don’t have to make trade-off decisions), and I can treat it as a main movement or an accessory. Plus I can just stay in there and do BSS or lunges or GMs if I’m feeling silly (I never do, but hypothetically I could). It’s just an all-around great bar/ movement for me.
A lot of times I’ll start warming up and realize today is not going to be a day I’m going heavy, so I just stay light and do a ton of reps. Or maybe the squat isn’t feeling good at all and I’ll grab a box and just focus on drilling my position. If I was warming up with a straight bar for front squat, that would annoy me more to have to actually change up the plan/ equipment.
Thinking I will warm up with landmine hack squats then proceed into either SSB or Front Squat.
I think I may start with FS as it may save my lower back a bit more since the camber on SSB seems to really want to pull you over with heavier weights.
I guess you can’t really go wrong with either approach it seems.
It for sure does, but I do find it folds me at the upper back more than putting torque on my lower back. Not discounting what you’re saying, just leaving my $0.02 that the bar is still a little more low back friendly than a straight bar (back squat not front) for me.
Hack squats on the Titan Leverage squat machine hammer my quads. So do front squats, and I like a kabuki bar for those. Leg presses light me up too. Really anything that takes my hips out of the equation.
It’s been a while since I have done zerchers. I never have pulled them from the floor using a normal barbell. I found using a camber squat bar from the floor worked well as the diameter of the bar is larger, no knurling, and the distance to begin was about right.
Do you pull these from the floor with a regular barbell or put them in a rack to begin?
My shoulders and elbows were getting so upset at squats I went and bought the Titan SSB to leave at my gym.
Something else some folks like but I have done a ton of is doing front squats with the SSB. I guess it’s a bit more comfortable and still puts you in that front squat position.
Anyway, I’ve seen these suggested for bodybuilder/mass focused guys, I’ve seen them as assistance for powerlifters and recommended for old, washed up guys. Even my old buddy Cantankerous Chris, who hated everything, liked Hatfield Squats.
Yeah I used to do those years ago when the gym I trained at actually had them. I remember being able to rep 315 with SSB front vs only 1-2 reps with the barbell.
You guys all threw out some great ideas. Going to work my way through each of them over next couple weeks.
I tried Hatfield squats for the first time today. I thought they were stupid so I never gave them any thought before. Damn was I wrong; these were amazing and exactly what I was looking for. I started light today as I had no idea what kind of weight to use. This seems like a movement you can pile the weights on. It reminded me of a garage gym version of a leg press.
I am doing a Yates split for now so I am looking for things I can do to go past failure without a spotter (my spotter isn’t any help…just licks the sweat off my calfs while trying to squat). With the Hatfields you can cheat the last few reps by using more arms/rowing to squeeze out more reps to burn up your quads.
