Just asking if there is anyone who can front squat more than they can olympic back squat??
Just that im getting bored of back squatting and thinking of dropping them for front squats.
I know that back squats can increase front squat max cause it increased mine but I wonder if it would do the same the other way round
Everyone I know can back squat more than they can front squat. The same holds true for me.
If you are using squats as a quad exercise, I recommend front squats over back squats, as they stimulate my quads more. But that’s just my experience - try both, and see what works for you.
I think it’s pretty rare for someone to be able to front squat more than they can back squat. My understanding of why it works this way is that front squats place more emphasis on the quads and limit hamstring involvement, whereas back squats allow the hamstrings to get involved to a greater extent. I might be wrong about that, but it’s what I’ve heard.
Regardless, I’d say that if you want to drop back squats for front squats, you should be fine. Your leg strength should increase, and if you ease back into back squats after front squatting for awhile (so you rebuild efficiency on back squats) you should find yourself back squatting more.
if you front squatted loads, and never backsquatted, then probably.
How are you bored of back squats?
I dropped back squats for 2.5 months having a max of 335 at a body weight of 175. My max back squat went down as I only focused on front squats, to which my max jumped to 315 from around 290. Recently I incorporated back squats back into my routine and have gotten back up to 315 but haven’t pushed a max really since I’ve started them again. Essentially, my back squat and front squats are equal. I’m sure this will be changed soon as I’ve been increasing the volume of my back squats, but it is definitely worth changing it up. My back squats stalled and I wanted the numbers to start going up again so I completely dropped back squats and moved to front squats. Since re-incorporating back squats, strength has come back and I’m sure I’ll be hitting a new max soon. Try a bunch of different things. Bigmac73nh is correct, front squats are definitely quad dominant and will help them grow, back squats require the hamstrings more. Life is about experimenting and training to find what works, so try different things and go with it until it stops allowing you to improve.
I can front squat more than I can back squat. But I’m an example of what Caveman said. I’ve never done back squats.
I train at home and don’t have a rack. So I primarily deadlift, but I front squat to get good at the movement. And since I don’t have a rack, I can really only front squat as much as I can clean. Which isn’t much.
[quote]caveman101 wrote:
if you front squatted loads, and never backsquatted, then probably.
How are you bored of back squats?[/quote]
I don’t know its just i do them so often and i think i like front squats better. Thanks for the replies. Might only drop frequency of back squats and not completely drop them then
i don’t know anyone who can front squat more than they can back squat.
olympic lifters sometimes (but not always) don’t do very much back squatting at all…
but then when they do (high bar position) they usually get happy face over how much more weight they are suddenly able to move.
because the glutes / hammies are now in a better position to help out, yeah, and because the glutes / hammies really do add a lot to standing the weight up.
i think front squats help back squats because they teach you not to goodmorning the weight up. i learned front squats first - was told that if i learned to front squat properly then i should be able to easily transition into competent other squats - whereas the reverse is not usually the case.
what do you mean you are ‘getting tired’ of back squatting?
you being a pussy, boy??
[quote]alexus wrote:
what do you mean you are ‘getting tired’ of back squatting?
you being a pussy, boy??[/quote]
Well too be honest, yea. I think i just get too stressed. I always try and get within 95% of my max and I always feel like shit if i don’t hit it. I almost always hit it but I get really nervous before each lift.
But with front squats i dont get stressed at all. I don’t feel anything at all lol. Just normal. The other thing is i haven’t done front squats in a while as well. I pushed my max front squat from 90kg to 130kg from doing only high bar squats. Strange, but yeah so I started doing them again.
[quote]alexus wrote:
i think front squats help back squats because they teach you not to goodmorning the weight up. i learned front squats first - was told that if i learned to front squat properly then i should be able to easily transition into competent other squats - whereas the reverse is not usually the case.[/quote]
Also i believe this should be the case for anyone wanting to do squats. teach em front squats first then move onto back squats
don’t be a pussy!
maybe do a back squat program that has you having a deload and requires you to push yourself on them less frequently. like… 5/3/1 or something like that. the program has you back squatting once per week - you can do front squats as assistance.
most people think that there are benefits from back squatting that mean you shouldn’t try and replace them with fronties. unless you have serious issues with your lower back or whatever.
would be a bad habit to get into switching to a newer exercise (that is typically thought to be easier in the loading / amount of weight lifted sense) when the going gets tough…
the hormonal benefits of the back squat are thought to be great…
mental toughness etc…
[quote]Pullproject wrote:
Just asking if there is anyone who can front squat more than they can olympic back squat??
Just that im getting bored of back squatting and thinking of dropping them for front squats.
I know that back squats can increase front squat max cause it increased mine but I wonder if it would do the same the other way round[/quote]
I’ve never heard of anyone front squatting more than back squatting, but changing it wouldn’t hurt any. Front squats are more geared toward using your quads while back squats use more hamstring involvement. I don’t think front squats would help increase back squats, but I could be wrong on that. Do a little more research on it.
[quote]alexus wrote:
don’t be a pussy!
[/quote]
Its funny how you say that because most people are actually scared of the front squat more than the back squat
olympic lifters front squat up their cleans daily and some (though not all admittedly) think that training front squat is more important for standing up cleans than training back squat.
i’m just thinking back in my own case…
when i decide i’m going to change up my style of squatting often that comes from the place that is getting scared with whatever it is i’m supposed to do next time squatting.
so, for instance, i might be doing high bar back squats. linear progression. then of course the going gets tough and i’m lying awake at 3 in the morning with a queasy tummy because i’m really quite fearful that i can’t do what my program requires of me in the next training session.
now sometimes you surprise yourself and you can. that is awesome. you wouldn’t have known that you could if you didn’t try… you wouldn’t want to miss out on that - would you?
but othertimes progress stalls. not because you wuss out (by not doing the freaking program) but because hiss or scream or whatever the fuck it is that you do that weight simply isn’t going up.
so…
if the latter is the case time to move to a program with periodization / lighter days built in. if the former is the case then sorry but you are wussing out. wuss. wussy wuss wuss.
(i’m a girl by the way).
hey, if you move to 5/3/1 for squats you could pick up front squats in addition if you like…
but if you REPLACE your current squats with fronties…
in my own case starting a new style of squat involves my dropping the weight considerably while i get reacquainted with the form. that is sensible etc. but from the perspective of getting stronger it is a wuss move. if i’m going to be doing linear progression with a new style of squat then i’ll want to start with just the bar and so really how many months will it take me to come up near the end of the progression (where the weight actually feels challenging)??
oh… and when the weight actually feels challenging… thats the time to take up low bar back squatting amirite??