Replacing back squat with front squat as my primary leg exercise?

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Replies

  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    I do both. For heavy power days I do high bar squats, then for high volume hypertrophy days I do front squats. I prefer high bar since no matter what I always end up with a pain in my collar bone. Never suffered any sort of knee problems with either though.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"

    I can't ever here them over the sound of how awesome I am- so it never bothers me.

    who the *kitten* comes and critisizes someone doing NO HANDED FRONT SQUATS.
    #stabby
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"

    I can't ever here them over the sound of how awesome I am- so it never bothers me.

    who the *kitten* comes and critisizes someone doing NO HANDED FRONT SQUATS.
    #stabby

    The oly coach actually got me doing my warm up sets without holding on. Something about control and body position.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"

    I can't ever here them over the sound of how awesome I am- so it never bothers me.

    who the *kitten* comes and critisizes someone doing NO HANDED FRONT SQUATS.
    #stabby

    Just out of curiosity after seeing your stats on your lifts, how long have you been lifting for? They were pretty damn impressive.

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"

    I can't ever here them over the sound of how awesome I am- so it never bothers me.

    who the *kitten* comes and critisizes someone doing NO HANDED FRONT SQUATS.
    #stabby

    The oly coach actually got me doing my warm up sets without holding on. Something about control and body position.

    I actually don't mind it- I mean- it's hard AF- but I like the challenge.
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"

    I can't ever here them over the sound of how awesome I am- so it never bothers me.

    who the *kitten* comes and critisizes someone doing NO HANDED FRONT SQUATS.
    #stabby

    Just out of curiosity after seeing your stats on your lifts, how long have you been lifting for? They were pretty damn impressive.

    almost 2 decades- I started lifting heavy things when I was a kid (horse ranch)- and high school included weight training for the off season of cross country- I was introduced formally to oly/power lifting in college- but actual weight lifting and developing of strength began when I was a child. I'm fortunate my family never tried to make me "look" a certain way- or make me "stop doing" those things. I love lifting- I always have.

    The words "raging lady lifter boner" actually crossed my lips yesterday- because I get THAT kind of excited about lifting. just- so awesome. I LOVE lifting.
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 17,357 Member
    edited December 2016
    KDar1988 wrote: »
    I do fronts because I can't get the back squat form right. My upper arm feels like I am twisting it in an unnatural position. I do other exercises to target the back of my legs so I hope I am getting the right balance.

    Same here. My upper arms really hurt (I think it may be flexibility). Plus the fact that my right shoulder has about 95% of its mobility back after a long stretch of adhesive capsulitis, but I still can't do back squats (just tried the bar alone) without pain in the right upper arm. I am having trouble trying to do front squats even with little weight - it feels like my quads are about to get ripped into two pieces well before my knees bend enough to reach parallel. I was using a broomstick just to get my arms and wrists into the right form.

    ETA: I don't have trouble doing goblet squats though.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"

    I can't ever here them over the sound of how awesome I am- so it never bothers me.

    who the *kitten* comes and critisizes someone doing NO HANDED FRONT SQUATS.
    #stabby

    The oly coach actually got me doing my warm up sets without holding on. Something about control and body position.

    I actually don't mind it- I mean- it's hard AF- but I like the challenge.
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"

    I can't ever here them over the sound of how awesome I am- so it never bothers me.

    who the *kitten* comes and critisizes someone doing NO HANDED FRONT SQUATS.
    #stabby

    Just out of curiosity after seeing your stats on your lifts, how long have you been lifting for? They were pretty damn impressive.

    almost 2 decades- I started lifting heavy things when I was a kid (horse ranch)- and high school included weight training for the off season of cross country- I was introduced formally to oly/power lifting in college- but actual weight lifting and developing of strength began when I was a child. I'm fortunate my family never tried to make me "look" a certain way- or make me "stop doing" those things. I love lifting- I always have.

    The words "raging lady lifter boner" actually crossed my lips yesterday- because I get THAT kind of excited about lifting. just- so awesome. I LOVE lifting.

    That's pretty sweet, I know the feeling you're talking about. You wake up in the morning and the first thing you think about is hopping into a power rack that day when you're done work.

  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    jessef593 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I have to stick with back squats. Front squats are HELL on my wrists.

    I don't hold the bar at all- I broke my left arm as a child and the set the bones completely fkered up- so it's almost impossible for me to actually do front squats with the "traditional" positioning for more than 1-5 reps- and I can't do them at all heavy- or for high reps. I do cross grip- but mostly since I'm high rep- eventually my shoulders give out so now I just don't told the bar and hold my hands out in front of my face.

    I used to do that but eventually became tired of always having to deal with form police saying "well that's not how Olympic lifters do it"

    So turn so you're facing them. Do your squats that way, but with middle fingers raised.
  • mgalovic01
    mgalovic01 Posts: 388 Member
    Russian/ Cossack dance anyone?