- Want to gain mass? Squat!
- Want to jump higher? Squat!
- Want to run faster? Squat!
- Want to increase you Deadlift, Push Press or Jerk? Squat!
Back Squat
The back squat, which is the most common type of "squat" seen in your local fitness centers, consists of placing a barbell on your back stepping out of the rack and lowering your hips down below your knees and then standing back up. The back squat works primarily the quads and glutes, but it also involves the adductors and the hamstrings to a certain extent. This all depends on the position of the lifters torso during the lift. In the high bar back squat, the lifter keeps his/her chest straight up, then they will place more of the load on their quads. In the low bar back squat, the lifter leans forward, their hips will shoot further back, thus placing more emphasis on the hamstrings, adductors and lower back as well as the quads and glutes. Since the latter of these two descriptions involves more muscle groups, then that means you can lift more weight with the low bar back squat.The low bar back squat also requires less mobility than the high bar back squat. This makes the low bar back squat suitable for powerlifting.
Front Squat
The front squat involves placing the bar on the front of your shoulders while lowering your hips below your knees. The placement of the bar on the shoulders in the front of the body requires the lifter to keep their chest almost completely vertical during the lift. Not only does this exercise require much more mobility than the back squat, but it is also more technical. The front squat is also more applicable to athletes as well, due to the fact that the front squat teaches the lifter how to brace their core/trunk under a heavy load. Of course, since this exercise requires more mobility and technical perfection, the amount of weight that a lifter can lift is greatly reduced. The front squat emphasizes the quads and glutes as well as the upper back, abdominal midsection and spinal erectors group. However, the latter of these muscles are mainly stabilizing the trunk under the heavy loads.
Overview
The front squat is very similar to the high bar back squat, both place a greater emphasis on the quads and glutes and both require the lifter to keep their chest more vertical throughout the lift. Thus, the high bar back squat and front squat will work well in an interchangeable fashion throughout a lifters training program as main lifts. The high bar will allow the lifter to lift more weight while the front squat will retain technique and mobility. If lifters would prefer the low bar back squat instead, then they should use the high bar back squat/front squat for assistance work. Cycling either of these lifts for the high bar/front squat will hinder progress on the low bar back squat and leave the lifter frustrated. It is best to pick one squatting method and to stick with it, because if you switch up your game, the only thing you'll be burning away in the gym is your time.
Happy Lifting!!!
