Front Squat to Back Squat Ratio Too High?

I’m absolutely terrible at HBBS and LBBS feels worse (adds 20+ lbs at most). It’s probably a mobility issue, but it might be crappy levers as well.

Best beltless front squat 340/best beltless HBBS 385/best beltless hybrid 405
Best with belts 350/405/don’t know, haven’t tried

Front Squats

335

350

365 attempt

Back Squats
405

I’m noticing that I’m able to keep the bar basically over the center of the foot in the bottom position on the front squat, but it goes over the front of the foot on back squats.

Need to hit the hips harder mobility wise or is this just a common issue and I need to get stronger?

Short term goal is 405/455. What can I do to get there? Everything other than back squat goes up with just increased effort, but my BS has sucked forever.

Your FS and HBBS ratio seems normal. I’m not sure if there is an ideal ratio for that but in general I’ve seen 85-90%. How often do you LBBS, HBBS and FS?

[quote]lift206 wrote:
Your FS and HBBS ratio seems normal. I’m not sure if there is an ideal ratio for that but in general I’ve seen 85-90%. How often do you LBBS, HBBS and FS?[/quote]

LBBS never
HBBS 1x a week
FS 2x a week

[quote]amayakyrol wrote:

[quote]lift206 wrote:
Your FS and HBBS ratio seems normal. I’m not sure if there is an ideal ratio for that but in general I’ve seen 85-90%. How often do you LBBS, HBBS and FS?[/quote]

LBBS never
HBBS 1x a week
FS 2x a week[/quote]

Haha that’s the reason why. When you get close to peaking, transition to LBBS so that you get used to it.

For reference, in one of Dan Green’s videos where he trained to break the world record total he said he did all FS work up to about two months out where he maxed out on his FS. He then transitioned to LBBS from two months out to carry over the gains from FS. He said that if he wasn’t satisfied with that max attempt for FS he would keep a bit of FS work in for awhile longer.

Greg Nuckols has also written an article about a simple linear progression program that seems very simple and I may try it in the future. The program consisted of linear weight progression using a variation of the main lift for each mini cycle and once a 5RM was reach for a variation of the main lift, you would move on to a slightly stronger variation and continue to move up in weight. He suggested front squat, HBBS beltless, HBBS belted and then LBBS belted. As you can see both programs hold similar ideas of building a base with a more difficult lift and eventually transitioning to the competition lift at the end of the cycle.

  1. you lose points for squatting in pants.

  2. Looks like from your back squat video, you will benefit from training your hamstrings and glutes more. If you slow down the video, right where your sticking point is, is where your hips should be driving forward. Then to get past that sticking point, your body pushes the weight forward to rely more on the quads. Probably why your knees bother you after back squats.

Glutes, hams, low back work.

Box squats baby!!! Get those glutes and hammies up and the lbbs will go up also.

I’m thinking of doing the following

Day 1
Sumo Deadlift to 5/3/2 rep max
Paused Back Squat to 5/3/2 rep max

Day 2
Back Squat to 5/3/2 rep max
Deficit Deadlift to 5/3/2 rep max

Day 3
Sumo Deadlift to 5/3/2 rep max
Front Squat to 1 rep max, 3x3 at 70% paused

Assistance each day
GHR 3x10-12
Seated Good Morning 3x10-12
Hanging Leg Raise 3x10-12

Unless there’s something more I can be doing for glutes and hamstrings. Are box squats anyway superior to paused squats?

[quote]amayakyrol wrote:

Unless there’s something more I can be doing for glutes and hamstrings. Are box squats anyway superior to paused squats?[/quote]

Yes, when trying to specifically target the hips, box squats do a better job. When you sit back onto the box, your hamstrings have to pull you off. Throw them in as an assistance move for a while and see what happens.

[quote]Alrightmiami19c wrote:

[quote]amayakyrol wrote:

Unless there’s something more I can be doing for glutes and hamstrings. Are box squats anyway superior to paused squats?[/quote]

Yes, when trying to specifically target the hips, box squats do a better job. When you sit back onto the box, your hamstrings have to pull you off. Throw them in as an assistance move for a while and see what happens.[/quote]

Okay, I’ll try box squats for a cycle.

yeah!!! A box squat convert. Make sure to stay really tight on the box except for the hips. I rock back on the box and then use the hips to flex off the box.

[quote]Alrightmiami19c wrote:

[quote]amayakyrol wrote:

Unless there’s something more I can be doing for glutes and hamstrings. Are box squats anyway superior to paused squats?[/quote]

Yes, when trying to specifically target the hips, box squats do a better job. When you sit back onto the box, your hamstrings have to pull you off. Throw them in as an assistance move for a while and see what happens.[/quote]

You may have answered this already, but…

I am always going to make regular low bar squat my main lift for squat day, but how would you program box squatting as assistance after a 3x5 low bar squat?

My squat looks basically the same as his. I have been told I have weak glutes/hams, and if this helps bring em up, I’ll do em.