Front Squat Hand Positioning

So… really jacked up my left hand doing front squats the the other day. i kind’ve hold it as if i’m about to military press, but let it rest on the shelf above my chest, below the neck, using my fingers to keep it stabilized…dumb idea! now that im up to ~275 that grip just doesnt work anymore. what do you guys do to keep the bar stable, and hands/elbows/wrists/shoulders in-tact?
thanks

-805

Snatch grip is the best to hold the bar imo but it murders my wrists. Arms crossed holding the bar works decently, but don’t expect to put up quite as much weight because you don’t quite get the same stability.

BS… I exclusively use the crossed arm style… When your back gets strong enough and you keep your elbows high it wont matter which position you use… I can no longer use the snatch grip since I had wrist surgery years ago… Honestly though I never like it anyhow… Its really about what you get used to.

I front squat Olympic style and use more than 275 lbs with 0 issues so it can be done.

Trick is, don’t hold it like a military press with your elbows down…you need to push them up as high as possible.

If my elbows are down, not only is it hard to hold, but I don’t squat correctly and instead start leaning quite a bit forward with the weight on my toes.

Go to youtube and check out some olympic front squats.

you should be able to let it rest on your shoulders with only 2-3 fingers holding it just fine. take a look at this guy

Well I have put up over 375 on a front squat and I have zero issues with cross arm fronts.

[quote]Swolle wrote:
Well I have put up over 375 on a front squat and I have zero issues with cross arm fronts.[/quote]

I don’t think anyone is saying dont do cross armed front squats…Just that military press front squats, the way he described them, sounds like he’s not using proper O Style form and he can fix that.

Whatever is more comfortable…but you won’t be having fun doing front squats if you hold that bar like you are about to MP it.

let me clarify, it is 2 fingers, sometimes 1, and it looks very similar to how that guy is holding it in the video. i tried describing it the best i could however i clearly did a poor job. I have watched plenty of videos on form, but seems as though my hands simply do not appreciate being bent in such a manner. could be due to my bad left shoulder, which may compromise how i set/hold the bar. i do maintain that my from/grip parallels that of the video.

Swolle, thanks for the input. i’ve tried cross arm a bit, but never really put it to the test. tomorrow ill be hitting the front squat and i will try that grip for the duration of sets. 'preciate it dude

-805

have you tried using straps to hold it? CT usually gets people to try that before cross arm.

if you’re doing it right you dont need to hold the bar at all.

I got this tip from H4M and occasionally do front squats with my arms straight out in front of me.

Use straps like the above post shows and work on your wrist flexibility.

Glad to know my back squats turn into a deadlift.

Not a bad explanation on how to use the cross the arm form though.

Used to use the x-arm grip with no issues. Swapped over to using straps a few years ago and have found it to be much more comfortable and stable for me (after a couple sessions).

Other than his pansy ass half depthing the 225 (his 135 was almost 5 inches deeper than the 225)LoL…he was pretty spot on for cross arm form… Its really just about finding the balance point on the shoulders… Fronts are an easier lift for me than back squats… Im not stronger but they feel more comfortable. Then again I have a mechanical advantage with short femurs… I front squat to the floor every rep every set… But my goal is size and for me that means full range of motion with a weight I can control on every single rep.

as for not holding the bar… yeah with light wieght that idea has legitimacy but when you start putting some working weight on that biotch… Good luck with the not holding the bar. Good way to F*&k yourself up in a hurry. Not a recommended practice. And for anoyone who would argue that … Your not putting enough weight on the bar…

[quote]Swolle wrote:
as for not holding the bar… yeah with light wieght that idea has legitimacy but when you start putting some working weight on that biotch… Good luck with the not holding the bar. Good way to F*&k yourself up in a hurry. Not a recommended practice. And for anoyone who would argue that … Your not putting enough weight on the bar… [/quote]

ironically…from tonight.

[quote]eightohfive wrote:
So… really jacked up my left hand doing front squats the the other day. i kind’ve hold it as if i’m about to military press, but let it rest on the shelf above my chest, below the neck, using my fingers to keep it stabilized…dumb idea! now that im up to ~275 that grip just doesnt work anymore. what do you guys do to keep the bar stable, and hands/elbows/wrists/shoulders in-tact?
thanks

-805[/quote]
IMO straps are the way to go, much more stability and it gives you that tight feeling because you can pull hard on the straps.

After hearing about the straps method I liked it much better. It eliminates those little aches and pains in the wrist and elbow that can come with the lift. Can really pull on them driving the elbows up allowing you to lead with your chest out of the bottom.

really? All you have to do is stretch your wrists a few times a day for a week or so and you should be good. Back in highschool when i discovered cleans and front squats i realized i would never be able to do them properly without alot of wrist flexibilty…so i just sat at my desk and stretched both extensors and flexors throughout class.

Within a week or two i was able to get my whole hand under the bar comfortably, so you should be able to get at least 1 finger under there no problem with a bit of dedication. IMO it is much more secure than the crossed arm variation and i believe it helps keep the elbows and thus your back upright.

Not saying I have flexibility issues. I have the flexibility to do them regularly. I just prefer the straps. Especially for higher rep sets on the front squat.