Front squats with a barbell: what muscles work and technique

Front squats are a barbell chest exercise performed with a specific core position. In the article, we will consider the correct technique for its execution, and also tell you what mistakes beginners make most often.

The front squat is the best leg workout. It allows you to outline the muscles in a short time, form a beautiful relief, and achieve ideal proportions. It requires high energy costs, therefore, paired with a suitable diet, it is excellent for weight loss. If, on the contrary, your diet is aimed at increasing muscle mass, you will very quickly increase the volume of the hips.

The exercise is recommended only for experienced athletes with a developed level of coordination, strong core muscles, and ligaments and joints accustomed to heavy weights. Beginners should first squat with an empty bar to get a good understanding of the technique.

Try to start exercising in a Smith machine, in which the bar is fixed and moves up and down only within the established trajectory. Thus, the athlete does not need to control balance, which greatly facilitates the performance of squats.

What are the advantages of the front squat with a barbell, let's dwell on this point in more detail:

1. Productively pump the muscles of the lower body and press;
2. Do not exert extreme stress on the knee joints and spine;
3. The technique is easy even for beginners. If they start to move incorrectly, there will be no harm to the body, since the bar will simply fall out of the hands;
4. Help develop a sense of balance
5. They actively contribute to the burning of fat mass and muscle growth.

What muscles work?

What muscles work in front squats with a barbell, let's find out in order to better understand their beneficial effects:

• Quads;
• Hip biceps;
• Gluteal muscles;
• Muscles stabilizers (abs, back, lower back);
• Calf;
• Hamstrings
• The muscles of the back of the thighs.

Execution technique

We have come to the study of the technique of performing front squats with a barbell - this is the most important part of the material, therefore, study it carefully:

1. Place the shell on racks at a height just below the shoulders;
2. Sit down under the bar, slightly bending your knees, and grab it with your hands so that your elbows point straight ahead (with your palms facing you). The bar should rest on the front deltas. The distance between the hands is more than shoulder width;
3. Throughout all stages of the front squat, make sure that there is a deflection in the lower back;
4. When you feel that you have taken the projectile with confidence, gently straighten your knees and stand up straight. Carefully move away from the frame and take the starting position: feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned, elbows raised up;
5. Inhale and squat at the same time until your thighs and calf muscles touch. At the same time, keep your back straight, do not take your pelvis back, do not bring your knees together, do not lift your heels off the floor;
6. In the lower position, do not brake, immediately begin to rise up, at the same time exhale;
7. Push the weight out with your legs, push your heels hard into the surface. If you stand up using your back, the bar will fall or you will lose your balance;
8. After reaching the top position, immediately start a new squat.

Just starting out, track your squat breathing technique. At first it will be difficult, and then you will get used to it and will do everything automatically.

For beginners or women, it is recommended that you start this exercise with the front squat with dumbbells - they are safer and more comfortable. The technique is fully preserved, the shells are held in the hands with palms forward, placed at the chest.

Frequent mistakes

Let's take a look at some of the most common mistakes beginners make when doing the front squat for the first time:

• Do not keep the vertical position of the body;
• Bring your knees in a squat. It is correct when they look in the same direction with socks throughout all stages;
• They transfer weight from heels to toes - the bar falls at the same time;
• Round the back, lower the elbows down.

All of these errors lead to increased stress on the back and knees, and also prevent the completion of the exercise. In other words, you either tear your back and feel it, or you drop the barbell. That is why the correct technique is so easy to master - it is intuitive.

What is better front squat or classic squat? What is the difference?

So what is better, front squats or classic squats, let's find out right now.

• In the classics, the bar is installed on the trapezoid, that is, behind the neck, and in the frontal method, it is held on the chest;
• Classic squats are also done with a straight back, while the lower back is slightly sagged, but the grip method is not important here - take it as it suits you;
• With frontal exercises, the weight will always be less than with classical ones, because here you additionally need to maintain balance;
• Front squats versus classic squats are based mainly on this - they are safer for the lower back, since they do not load the spine.

It is difficult to say which squats are better, because each of them has its own beneficial effect. We recommend that you include both in your training program - so you probably won't miss anything. Most importantly, assess the level of your physical fitness soberly, do not overload and study the technique carefully. At first, it might be worth hiring an experienced coach.

Watch the video: Muscles worked in the front squat and back squat (November 2024).