So I was wondering if there is a difference between front and back squats. In my workouts I'm currently doing back squats and I was wondering if it would hurt my progression if I started doing front squats as well. Thoughts? Edit: Front Squat [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVTkbggmxR0"]Front Squat - YouTube[/ame] Back Squat [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6u_rtRkiig"]Olympic Back Squat - YouTube[/ame] Yay for T-Nation Guy!
Surely if you dont know just how different they are you should stick to the back squat until its good. I'm sure the Oly lifters will point out the technical differences, one obv is most people struggle with the shoulder flexibility and so take a lot of weight into the arms which is wrong. Still... on deload weeks I would switch to front squats, and of course they are already a part of the Full Clean. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aorXqDcqWco"]A Few Tips To Help You With Your Front Squat - YouTube[/ame]
What if I was to do a superset workout of Back Squats Front Squats Lunges ? And I will keep that in mind thanks!
front squats = lighter weight, greater depth potential (easier to go ATG), more focus on quads, abs and mid-back (T-spine extension). not a replacement for back squats unless you supplement with extra glute and hamstring work (SLDLs, GHRs, etc). back squats = heavier weight, not as much depth potential, somewhat quad-focused (less so if done ATG), huge upper back and arm use to keep the bar in place. low-bar back squats = even heavier weight, even less depth (difficult, if not impossible, to go ATG correctly), focused on posterior chain (glutes, hams, lower back), less so on quads. if you're gonna superset back squats with front squats, i'd suggest trying out low-bar for the back squats, so you have more juice remaining in your quads for the front squats. edit: oh, and god help you with the lunges afterwards
personally I wouldn't superset anything with Back Squats. that is when I did them, it would be with as much as I could do. whereas I'd only manage about half the weight with Front Squats, so some Lunges might be doable. that's me though
The biggest difference is the muscle groups worked. Front squats, you would probably want to start a lighter weight load, but it will work more of the stabilizers in your abs, whereas back squats would focus more on the back/glutes. It wouldn't hurt to switch to front squats, but I would not recommend doing them on the same day. My best recommendation is to do one or two specific exercises (Back squats and lunges or deadlifts and front squats)for a period of 3-6 weeks, then switch up. IF you are going to do front squats, I would recommend you check with a trainer to make sure you are doing them in good form, and don't overload your weight at first. start low and work your way up. Another option is to follow a dedicated program that tells you which exercises to do and when. I personally follow a specific program for building power in martial arts. PM me if you want to know more.
what haru said. i initially misinterpreted what you said. i'd suggest getting all of one type of squat in, then all of the other after a brief rest. i'd also suggest doing the front squats first, since then you at least know you'll be able to use at least the same weight, if not more, rather than trying to guess how much you need to deload to be able to front squat.
The physics and musculature of the two different lifts has already been stated, so I'll say this. The front squat is a lighter exercise - it can be a deload after a heavy back squat program, or simply a nice lighter day in between heavy squatting days. A friend of mine has some pain in her knee back squatting but not front squatting, the angle differ enough. So she alternates the lifts. I personally like to back squat for a full session the front squat to a heavy single or double directly afterward. One of the nice things is that I don't need to warm up much for the front squat, if at all. EDIT: Do NOT superset them. Do one, then the other, if you must.
If you look in my log you'll see I work up to 3x5 back squat, then deload it to 3x5-8 front squat. Makes my quads grow pretty sharp. Really though, are you not over thinking yet again? how long have you been squatting? Properly. And you want to change things up already? Do 3x5 or 5x5 squats for the next 4 month then think about it. If you can't squat at least 1.5 BW then you needed worry about your front squat. The end.
Sometimes I do the occassional work up to a heavy triple on front squats over 5 sets and then hit a few sets of 5s or 8s starting with the last weight I used on front squat. I also like front squats to get a break from weight off my lower back. A nice back to back pairing is Good mornings and front squats. Or even better yet, do 5 reps on a front squat, drop to the elbow crooks and hit 5 reps on a zercher squat. Clean it back up and hit a few more sets.
i front squat twice a week and back squat once a week. but then i clean and snatch from the floor so i get more balance hamstring wise. my coach has been doing the same since he was 11 and made continuous gains. he's 50 something now and just yesterday hit a number he hasnt hit in 3 years.
