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Front Squats or Back Squats

Lets discuss stupid.

For ****s and giggles, I powercleaned 60kg, with yellow bands around the bar and under my feet, makes for a very different moment. Why? To see if I could.

Something even stupider, I powercleaned a bar with 25kg of chains on it, when the chains swung back, the bar hit me in the throat, but it was a succesful lift lol

You guys understand I'll never allow ANY of my clients to do this, I just love to try stupid things, like chin/dips.

My dip bars are under my chin bar. I place my left hand on a dip handle and my right hand on the chin bar, then I push/pull at the same time. What a great way to tear my OTHER pec lol

Not recommended, its just an old guy behaving badly.
 
PowerSports said:
Yea your not really helping someone if your showing them how to squat on a smith machine.

I saw a "trainer" the other day getting someone to do deadlifts on a smith machine lol.
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Are you serious? Deadlifting on a smith machine? I wish I could see that. You should of taken a picture of it. That is stupid. Serious, I wonder how some people today do become personal trainers. I wouldn't be using someone like that as a trainer.

raphsta said:
I'm hoping I see someone power cleaning on the smith machine.. that would make my day, or week even...

:)
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I think that itself should qualify for the funniest home videos award or something along those lines, same with the deadlift on the smith machine:D
 
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brendon said:
do both. Front squats work the quads a bit more than back sqauts.

back squats to get lower its about flexibility and practice. try widen your stance a little and point your toes out to the sides a little. practise practise practise and your back squat will become ATG style and become awesome.
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Something interesting happened tonight at home. I don't know if it has anything to do with the front squats I did today (as those I can go all virtually all the way down no problem, hamstrings close to the calf area).

Anyways as I was just working on my back squat stance in the evening just for the heck of it, I found myself able to go down that little bit lower with more ease now (not as low as the front squats, but when I was able to check in the mirror, I can tell I was definitely lower, because the thighs were not parallel, they were that little bit lower.

I wonder if those front squats triggered something lol.
 
xassius said:
I've been thinking of pulling a few powercleans on the smith machine for laughs. :D

I'd just be interested to know how it'd feel :p
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It can not be done. Unless of course you're thinking of crossfit type of powerclean. Olympic weightlifting pulls/power cleans/cleans are an impossibility on any bar that is fixed.

I know, I'm being serious. But please do carry on with the fun, it's all good...on the forum, not in real life. I love my joints too much!


Fadi.
 
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You are probably just getting more flexibility lordoftime, which is a great thing. Now to add a Barbell.
 
VERY odd that you can front squat without drama but your back squat has a depth issue.

Post some vids of you doing front and back squats because I reckon you are doing something wrong.
 
are u doing the crossed armed thingy with ur hands(not sure what its called) or holding the bar like a power clean for ur front squat?
 
NPR said:
VERY odd that you can front squat without drama but your back squat has a depth issue.
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Not anymore, my back squats depth are now very good. They are very low now (I can feel my hamstrings close to the calf muscle area).

In fact, now my depth and flexibility of back squats are so much better now. SO whatever issues I have had in terms of flexibility, they have been dealt with.

So no more restriction in range of motion for my back squats. I was doing them the other day, and was told I am very low. :)

My only issue with the front squat is bar placement (i hate the crossarm method). Problem is when I do the other method, the bar placement is a problem. ANd unless I am mistaken, is this problem common with many who try the front squats?
 
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Its common because many are not use to it. I use to find 80kg really uncomfortable 12 months ago, today I did and easy 150kg front squat.

Practice, practice, practice.
 
lordoftime said:
Not anymore, my back squats depth are now very good. They are very low now (I can feel my hamstrings close to the calf muscle area).

In fact, now my depth and flexibility of back squats are so much better now. SO whatever issues I have had in terms of flexibility, they have been dealt with.

So no more restriction in range of motion for my back squats. I was doing them the other day, and was told I am very low. :)

My only issue with the front squat is bar placement (i hate the crossarm method). Problem is when I do the other method, the bar placement is a problem. ANd unless I am mistaken, is this problem common with many who try the front squats?
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Hey mate - thats great news!!!! - very pleased to hear that your back squating.
 
I wonder if some of the acupuncture I have had recently could of also contributed to this?

It is the first time in years I have been able to have this flexibility again.
 
Itll be your body adaptiing to the new stresses you're putting it through.

I used to think my wrists would snap whenever I did cleans or front squats, they still get sore after a long session but no where near as bad as earlier on.

Remember to stretch your arms and wrists out really well before you front squat, helps HEAPS.

As Nick said... practise practise practise!
 
My problem with front squats is literally bar placement. ANd going by what is said on the Stronglifts website, I cannot get the bar to touch my shoulders unless I do the crossover arm method, and I really don't like to do that method, because I will be more concerned in making sure the barbell doesn't roll onto my throat lol. Once again, this maybe due to my shoulders being somewhat uneven.

How about those wrist straps? ANyone use them for Front Squats?

Bluey said:
Itll be your body adaptiing to the new stresses you're putting it through.
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Well whatever has happened in regards to my ability to back squat with deeper depth, I ain't complaining. I remember years ago (this was before I got ill) my depth was good, but this time, I feel my depth is that better. So all in all, its like a whole new exercise lol.
 
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If possible can you get a pic of you front squatting?

Theres a sweet spot for the bar to sit when you have your arms/elbows up. The bar will more then likely be against your throat but not pressing on it hard. As long as you keep your elbows up and back straight the bar should just sit in the hole created when you haev your arms up and not roll around.

You dont need to keep a full clean grip on it either, I just have 3 fingers each hand to steady the bar.
 
Bluey is on the money. Don't try and hold it firmly in your hands, it should be sitting on the ends of 3 fingers. That is to stabilise the bar, otherwise it completely rests on your shoulders.
 
this is a good pic of how I hold the bar when front squatting

(not me in the pic lol )
josh.sacks.power.clean-706512.jpg
 
SO when squatting deep, does that mean not only the quads are being worked, but does the hamstrings and glutes get the work out too?
 
lordoftime said:
SO when squatting deep, does that mean not only the quads are being worked, but does the hamstrings and glutes get the work out too?
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Most definitely the hammies and that "tear drop"quad muscle. The glutes and lower back come into play more so with the back squats than the front squat. You've got a sore back? Do front squats. Simple.


Fadi.
 
Fadi said:
Most definitely the hammies and that "tear drop"quad muscle. The glutes and lower back come into play more so with the back squats than the front squat.
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Thought so with the hammies.

So when one does deep squat compared to a parallel squat, the whole body is getting a better workout on the whole if my understanding is correct?
 
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