Front squat and press - wtf?
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Yes the video is good. Seems to differ in elbow position though. I've been hung up on the elbow height in the book.... the position in this video would suit me a lot better0
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I never could get the bar positioned correctly without it stressing one body part or another (wrists, delts, clavicles). I agree with other posters about it being a power move that gets the body working together as a unit. It improves balance and coordination, along with overall power and strength.
This is how I ended up doing them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVBgKB4Gnsw&list=PL4CE51ED9E54AA7C3&index=19
Notice how she's using her upward momentum to rise up onto her toes as if she's trying to throw the weight up through the ceiling. Just as it's quoted in our book, bullet point #4 under the "Lift" section.
Also noted in the book on pg. 179, this exercise is meant to be done with fast, explosive action. The goal is muscle power. Power is the ability to move something as fast as possible. The above video is a perfect example of this.
I also like the idea of using a weighted Swiss ball to make sure you're squatting deep enough.
Side note: notice how SHE'S doing pull-ups while the man is doing chin-ups. Pull-ups are much more difficult. She's one strong cookie.
OMG, now THAT is why I want to eventually start crossfit...she is AMAZING!!
jomarnes - agree, she totally has her elbows down instead of foward. cant wait to do these again next week in stage 4!!0 -
Yes the video is good. Seems to differ in elbow position though. I've been hung up on the elbow height in the book.... the position in this video would suit me a lot better
I still swung my elbows up, just not as high and with out bending my hands back the way they show you to in the book.0 -
bump to study later....0
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Like someone already said, the bar should be resting on your shoulders when you do front squat. The fingers are there so that you can grab the bar when you are ready to push press it. Keep your elbows up the whole time for the squat and when you are almost at top , roll the bar in your hands and push press it. Keep trying , you will get it. It's a great power move! Don't split it.
How do you rest the bar on your shoulders without choking or decapitating yourself?? I'm thinking that maybe my arms are proportioned differently than the model in the book, because if I put my elbows up and hands back like she does, my hands are behind my shoulders.
I believe this is also my problem. I feel like my forearms are too LONG to keep my elbows at that 90 degree angle. When I'm just bending my elbows at the 90 angle, without any weight, my fingertips are past my shoulders. I know I don't have short arms but this makes me feel a little crazy! In order for my fingertips to rest at about my clavicle (so that the bar would be on my biceps/chest) my elbows are a bit bowed out and my hands and wrists feel completely scrunched up. It makes me wish I could chop off about five inches from my forearm.
I just want to make sure that this is the same awkwardness that everyone else is feeling before I suck it up and keep trying it. I just don’t want to end up hurting myself if this position is something I should modify.0 -
So THAT is crossfit. The local gym is setting up an area for crossfit right now. I might actually join now. Hmmmm...0
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Bumping to answer a similar question that was posed.
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Bumping to save for later. 0
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Ok, so I'm now on stage 4 and back to the FSPP. So today, with the video linked here in mind, I went to the gym and attempted this move without looking at the books description. And you know what? Best yet! Although, it is certainly different to what is described. I'm wondering whether it matters? Basically, I was able to repeat the move much faster than previously as I was less focused on how to hold the bar. The result was that during the squat, I did not rest the bar on my body, but rather in my hands, about an inch away from my body, at shoulder height. Do you think this is still right? It sure felt better than before. I could also bang out the 3 x 8 reps with the 20kg olympic bar, an improvement in weight since before.0
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jo - I do something similar. the bar is touching my chest, but not resting on my chest. The problem is that if we use our arms to hold up the weight, we will be limited in how much we can front squat. Not really worryed about that at the moment, though...I am maxed out on the overhead lift. congrats on your progress!!0
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This is how I ultimately end up doing them as well. I have bad mobility in my right wrist.
I have mastered regular front squats with the crossover grip, but that's about the best I can do.0 -
Tried these today; it was horrible! My wrists felt like they were going to snap, and I was choking myself with the (empty) bar. I asked a trainer for help and ended up just holding the bar up at chin level, nothing with moving my elbows higher, and did a squat and press from there. I still could only do 5. I have to reread this thread later on my laptop.0
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They are nasty! My partner is a personal trainer and tried to help me with these but eventually suggested I do the front squat (which chokes me too) and overhead press separately for now. He said that you need to be able to get the upper arms parallel to the ground at the start of the move which I can't do. He also said that they're really tough (and far tougher than standard squats) as the front position of the bar overbalances you and shifts the weight of the body so it's quite a different move. I can sort of do it with lighter weights but struggle to manage 10.0
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bump for later. Thanks all for the great links!0
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bump for starting stage 2 next week0
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bumping for later0
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I still don't see how the height of the elbow has much factor in the overall move. Surely it's about where the weight is in relation to your body (i.e. being at the front) and adjusting your centre of gravity during the squat? I can't see how elbow position matters. I am doing front squats now as part of supercharged but there is no press this time. I do feel I can squat lower with the front squat, but can't lift anywhere near the same weight as a back squat.0
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I did this with an ez curl bar + plates--I had to start low, and then injured myself doing something else so never got far. But it took out the balance issue I was having in addition to the weight issue. Not my favorite.0
