One of my favorite lifts. Very underrated. Agree with everything here. It's a super honesty-requiring lift. Right now doing them from pins at ATG level...pretty amazing so far. Quite humbling, but I can tell it'll carryover to other lifts. I've found historically that they help my sumo deadlift a lot. Also a good bracing tool, not much crushes the transverse abdominis as much as these, at least for me.
I'm training oly lifting atm. I front squat 3x a week, twice on c&j days and once a heavy single. Its a fantastic lift to destroy the quads, has insane carryover and I would personally recommend it to taller lifters. I front squat more than I back squat, and the core development from it is more than any other exercise I've ever done. If you have a strong upper back it allows you to go ATG easier due to bar position, and also you can go heavy without spotters as you can easily bail the bar. Everyone should do front squats.
Front squat is my favorite lift as well! I was hit by a car and had to spend years recovering from back and hips imbalances and the the front squat was great and feels way better on my lower back! Great video !
Front squats and front rack holds are two of the best assistance exercises for hinges, plus the core/thoracic strengthing work you get from them is unmatched. If anything, they're some of the best Rectus abdominis exercises you can do for bodybuilding purposes.
“It’s a very punishing lift, and if you do don’t do it properly, you’re going to get injured.” Sign me up! I can’t wait to add this to my program, though. Mainly to help me avoid the catbacking with deads. Going to need several weeks of acclimating the wrist and getting the technique down before doing a real working set.
Unironically, zombie squat is saver for me when it comes to front squat because I just hit a deadstop recently with my wrist mobility and just gave the variation a try. It also makes you stand out from other front squatters, especially the gymbro
Heel elevated ATG front squats are probably my favourite exercise to put focus on my quads. I usually follow them up with hanging knee raises, makes an amazing superset! Edit: also feel great for the glutes IMO, particularly when followed up by Romanian Deadlifts or Good Mornings.
Front squat is the best squat option for quad biased if there is no good hack squat or Smith machine accessible to really trash the knee flexion pattern without being limited by the erectors (for full quad focus), that being said for most it won’t be a problem. Getting to a 3 plates is attainable by anyone and it’s a perfect example of basic exercise that can be used for cluster or strength skill set rep scheme.
Yes, front squat uses less load, but most of the load goes on the quads, as compared to back squat. So with front squat, you actually have more load on the quads compare to the back squat, despite the fact this is lighter (for exemple : on a 120kg back squat, you'll have like 75% on quads if lucky, so may'be 90kg at most, while on front squat you'll have almost "100%" of an 100kg of weight. Doug Brignoles explains this very well!).
@@GuillaumeLeValiant yes bro. Exactly my point. Back squat requires specific high mobility, good technique and anthropometry. A little wood plank under heels won’t always be enough for that
I love front squats, I do them at least once a week. For me personally, they're a way to work deadlifts into my squat day as I have trouble back squatting and deadlifting on the same day. Front squatting takes some of the load off my posterior chain which allows me to pour full effort into my deadlifts in a way that I can't do with back squats. Plus they're fantastic for core strength which is never a bad thing. Anecdotally also, they helped to rehab my shoulder and restore mobility and stability in my rotator cuff.
The jerk is not a press, it’s a catching motion. And full grip will give a lifter greater contact with the barbell and thus more control. However, if mobility does not permit a full grip with proper thoracic extension and external rotation of the shoulders the finger tips approach is superior. But I agree with many of your sentiments and I highly recommend my clients implement front squatting with appropriate attention to proper form as to improve the strength of their core, back and legs.
Front squat is great for form correction on the deadlift, I used to do full body 3 x week and putting some after the deadlift felt great. I also like to do assisted pistol squats instead of leg press (it irritates my lower back) and find they are a great alternative.
I front squat about half of the time (high bar is probably my other half). I like how hard they are and it feels like they really help my posture / core strength for OHP. I also feel like I can get deeper than back squats. I'll have to try out 100% front squats in my next program block.
i can speak with experience for the front squat did a hypertrophy routine for legs, had a specific front squat variation that combined with the platz squat, and three months of doing this gave me a very noticably larger outer quad, as well as some visual improvements in the general leg area my back squat also went up pretty nicely too, another benefit of using this exercise with high reps. would absolutely recommend this movement as a bodybuilding implement.
Zercher squats are better in terms that it targets the quad and glutes more than the front squat. Louie simmons himself said that the zercher squat is the best squat to teach the natural squatting pattern. Like the front squat, you load the anterior side of your body so your upper back will get worked by reinforcing tight upright posture. It's also easier on spinal compression than the back and front squat. It's also a great hip and posterior chain movement if you change the foot position and focus of the movement. The zercher squat is a foundational lift that we SIMPLY have gotten away from and I'm bringing it back. I zercher squat more than I front squat and it increased my front squat without even doing front squats. Other benefits: great for conditioning (sets of 20 are killers ) it's a phenomenal way to build your entire trunk, your traps get worked since it's at its most stretched position as you're maintaining the weight on the crooks of your elbows. You can also go from squat to good morning by simply hinging . Zercher good mornings are also a great alternative to regular good morning, especially if you have this awkwardness of HINGING your hips with load on your back. If you fail a rep, you can simply drop it so you can never worry about being "stuck" on a zercher squat as opposed to the front and back squat. You wanna talk about the front squat, I'll bet you my life that the zercher squat can get ANYONE strong. Just gotta get out of your head and embrace the suck because the exercise is rather uncomfortable at first.
I was gonna say yeah but good luck ever withstanding the pain of 315 or more....but then i looked on your channel lol...damn bro zercher with 500... good job! Eventually do your elbows just get immune to the pain lol?
Don't forget the zombie squat option too Zerchers are tendinitis proof! I used to get tendinitis from them, but then since I've adapted to it there's nothing that makes my elbows hurt anymore. Nothing!
Yessssir. I'm telling people that zerchers will get comfortable the more you do it. The more you do it the more you're gonna get used to the pressure of the bar , not the pain.
One of my favorite lifts, but I don't have front them in my program right now, first time in few years that I've omitted it from a program. I put in dumbbell overhead carries to hopefully keep myself in decent condition to come back to the front squats (needed some shoulder stability work too). Fingers crossed.
I elevate my heels when doing it.. if you’re just looking to build big juicy thighs then that’s not an issue. However, if you’re working on powerlifting or something else, then that’s not an option for you.
There's honestly nothing wrong with that. I've done this on occasion with good results. Front squats seem to do pretty well with 2 times a week frequency.
After dislocating my hip/femur?, I haven’t programmed back squats for two years. I’ll do SSB squats every now and then if I’m bored, but I honestly don’t see any reason to stop doing FS primarily because I’ve seen more quad growth despite using less weight.
I sucked so hard at the traditional front squat because of the rack position that I changed to the zombie squat and had much more results. My wife is able to rack with no issues.
Haha I’m late on this video but I almost never back squat only front. My range of motion is so limited from benching and lack of flexibility that it’s hard to hold the bar behind my head. I think front squats are ultimately the best lift for strength, a front squat failure set really gets the legs growing.
I agree with most of this, but I'm not sure I agree that there are plenty of alternatives for leg work. There aren't really any free weight exercises that target the quadriceps so well as a the front squats. High bar squats are the only thing which can, imo, compete, but even in this case, the posterior chain is recruited to a greater degree. Knees-over-toes split squats can target the quads very well, if you want to double the length of your workouts. I just don't see anything among free weights which can compare with front squats for the efficiency and specificity with which they load the quads.
@@NaturalHypertrophy what are your thoughts on the heel elevated trap bar "deadlift"? I have not tried them yet, but trap bar lifts appear to be one of the only free weight leg exercises that is not limited either by low back or upper back strength.
NH I have a new series idea. Just like you videos on berserker physique and Baki physiques, I think making videos breaking down certain types of physiques and now to obtain them as bodybuilders would be good. For example I am shooting for the Olympic weightlifting (especially Chinese) look. I know its obvious that to get that physique I should train like them but the time and effort to learn clean, jerk etc isn’t worth it especially if I don’t care about the sport. I do know that OHP, deadlifts, squats and high pulls are key.
Strange to say I have never had issues with the front rack, but back squat just causes arm pain and biceps tendonitis regardless of grip width or bar placement. Maybe I'm just an odd human
My deadlift was getting stuck at the knees and one of the coaches at the gym suggested front squats because my sticking point was basically where you shift from hams and but to quads. Also, on my regular squat...yeah...I 100% fail from a collapsed torso every single time. After 2 weeks I hit, not a PR exactly, but hit my existing DL PR smoother than I'd ever done it. No sticking points at all. Just a smooth ride to the top. So frustrating I can only front squat about half of my back squat though. lol. That thoracic lift is a bitch
Hey NH any thoughts on Zercher Squats? I use them as primary movement because I have bad wrists + more technical I guess so I try not to do front sq knowing that mostly it's about elevated elbows not wrists.
I do them as a primary movement too. They personally feel the most natural to me of all the squatting movements I've done, and I can go ATG easily for any squat. Edit: On top of this, I wonder if he'll ever do a video regarding "unconventional" lifts and movements. Although zerchers are the only unconventional thing I do, I enjoy videos discussing weird lifts.
@@ohhellothere3217 I also do zercher anderson squats which are basically pins in the bottom position and you start from there , come back down , reset breath and another rep. Do you find with zerchers that holding the weight in the nook of the elbows can be a limiting factor when you're in the 90% + rep max? When I last did a 2 rep max I felt I could push more reps but maybe my position was fatiguing. I intended to do only 2 reps so I didn't attempt another. But could have maybe managed one more only.
I use zerchers as a backoff variation for front squats and really enjoy them. They seem to hit a similar part of the quad as front squats, but almost have an element of hinge to them.
I hate the cross arm version so much. I had to transition to it though due to some elbow pain and it feels way harder and throws off my mechanics as a whole. If you're a bigger guy then you can probably do the cross arm grip more successfully but the Olympic grip is still the way to go if you're able to do it.
@@chrisstanley9477 Yeah my left elbow isn't tolerating the Olympic grip at the moment. I can do the cross arm but my problem is inconsistency with it. Some days it feels pretty good but others the bar slips a bit.
I have no interest in doing any front squat variations now or in the future. However when I used to do any front squat variations I did zombie squats. They remove factors such as wrist mobility and even thoracic mobility to a degree while causing the weight to be lighter and forcing you to remain upright. Though I find their SFR not as good as other available quad options, that definitely is a variation where the LEGS are the limiting factor tbh.
I've tried to do it a lot but I think that I am anatomically incapable of using the olympic grip. I've been doing front squats twice a week for 3 months now, I must admit that I still struggle going atg when lifting heavier, I believe you must go deeper on front than on back squats no matter what so I generally rather cut reps than ROM. I haven't really noticed the imbalance issue from cross grip though, only that at first my throat would feel umcofortable after a couple of sets but this has gone away for the most part.
Using straps really helped me get started with this lift because it allowed me to focus on thoracic ext and leg drive rather than front rack which can be painful. Plus if you're not an oly lifter, is front rack really necessary? I'm all about the quad gains personally
@@Wayf4rer gotta take a page from the Bugez playbook and use sleeves. I actually stole a bunch of cotton arm sleeves from my former employer before quitting for that sole reason lmao
Would you make a video taking about targeting different quadricep heads? I feel like my medial quadriceps are much smaller in comparison to the other two.
@@NaturalHypertrophy I’m curious if it’s actually possible to grow specific heads of quadriceps (also triceps and biceps). I’ve read some about it but it’s hard to tell if the information is good because roid boys write most of it.
@@kemptonbryan You cannot individually target specific heads of the quadriceps, but you can emphasize them, the easiest tip with this is just to experiment with your form on different exercises and see where you feel it.
How much I love the front squat is probably the the only reason I’ve trained legs so consistently over the past couple of years. When I used to do back squats, I dreaded legs and would come up with any excuse to not go to the gym that day. As someone with thoracic kyphosis, though, the fact that thoracic extension is the #1 limiting factor on these sucks hahaha my legs can definitely push more, but I absolutely cannot hold that kind of weight up with my back for more than a rep. I’ve been working on my thoracic mobility lately, but any cues for keeping upright when everything wants to pitch you forward?
What about using the front squat for low rep strength work and then using a back squat for slightly higher rep work after the legs got warmed up by the front squat?
What are your NON-NEGOTIABLE thoughts on belt squats? Highly underrated exercise for building thicc legs... can take legs to absolute failure as its not as technical. I always did cross grip on front squats ronnie coleman style lol
@M B yeah you need a prober belt otherwise it kills your groin. You can use a dip belt if you can ignore the pain haha Those belt squat machines are hard to find in most gyms but they are really easy for loading weight on the legs.
@M B belt squat is absolute king...I tried EVERYTHING, but this is the best version...especially cuz ur hands are free,and in home environment ur not at risk of either killing self or house...the feeling is beyond in any aspect
Some find jesus, some reach nirvana, but others like NH have found salvation in front squats. Wheymen.
Wheymen
Wheyman
Wheymen 🙏🏽
Wheymen 🛐
One of my favorite lifts. Very underrated. Agree with everything here.
It's a super honesty-requiring lift. Right now doing them from pins at ATG level...pretty amazing so far. Quite humbling, but I can tell it'll carryover to other lifts. I've found historically that they help my sumo deadlift a lot. Also a good bracing tool, not much crushes the transverse abdominis as much as these, at least for me.
Hey Geoffrey :)
@@its_james_fitness hi!
I'm training oly lifting atm. I front squat 3x a week, twice on c&j days and once a heavy single. Its a fantastic lift to destroy the quads, has insane carryover and I would personally recommend it to taller lifters. I front squat more than I back squat, and the core development from it is more than any other exercise I've ever done. If you have a strong upper back it allows you to go ATG easier due to bar position, and also you can go heavy without spotters as you can easily bail the bar. Everyone should do front squats.
Front squat is my favorite lift as well! I was hit by a car and had to spend years recovering from back and hips imbalances and the the front squat was great and feels way better on my lower back! Great video !
Front squat and pull up r my favorite exercises
Front squats and front rack holds are two of the best assistance exercises for hinges, plus the core/thoracic strengthing work you get from them is unmatched. If anything, they're some of the best Rectus abdominis exercises you can do for bodybuilding purposes.
Heaviest Front Squat Unrack you’ve done?
“It’s a very punishing lift, and if you do don’t do it properly, you’re going to get injured.”
Sign me up!
I can’t wait to add this to my program, though. Mainly to help me avoid the catbacking with deads. Going to need several weeks of acclimating the wrist and getting the technique down before doing a real working set.
It's one of the most "athletic" exercises, it requires good strength and mobility. Don't forget about the zombie squat variation.
Zombie squat is probably a good variation if u don't have mobility
@@amkool6135 *alec enkiri wants to know your location*
@@chrisstanley9477 farm at langley non negotiable
Also zerchers are great too
Unironically, zombie squat is saver for me when it comes to front squat because I just hit a deadstop recently with my wrist mobility and just gave the variation a try. It also makes you stand out from other front squatters, especially the gymbro
Heel elevated ATG front squats are probably my favourite exercise to put focus on my quads. I usually follow them up with hanging knee raises, makes an amazing superset!
Edit: also feel great for the glutes IMO, particularly when followed up by Romanian Deadlifts or Good Mornings.
Do you do them Front Squat mod or back squat?
Front squat is the best squat option for quad biased if there is no good hack squat or Smith machine accessible to really trash the knee flexion pattern without being limited by the erectors (for full quad focus), that being said for most it won’t be a problem. Getting to a 3 plates is attainable by anyone and it’s a perfect example of basic exercise that can be used for cluster or strength skill set rep scheme.
Yes, front squat uses less load, but most of the load goes on the quads, as compared to back squat. So with front squat, you actually have more load on the quads compare to the back squat, despite the fact this is lighter (for exemple : on a 120kg back squat, you'll have like 75% on quads if lucky, so may'be 90kg at most, while on front squat you'll have almost "100%" of an 100kg of weight. Doug Brignoles explains this very well!).
@@GuillaumeLeValiant yes bro. Exactly my point. Back squat requires specific high mobility, good technique and anthropometry. A little wood plank under heels won’t always be enough for that
Quad size has drastically improved since doing them 2x a week
Love front squats! I'm actually considering to front squat more than I back squat for the next few months, and make it my main squat variation.
I love front squats, I do them at least once a week. For me personally, they're a way to work deadlifts into my squat day as I have trouble back squatting and deadlifting on the same day. Front squatting takes some of the load off my posterior chain which allows me to pour full effort into my deadlifts in a way that I can't do with back squats. Plus they're fantastic for core strength which is never a bad thing. Anecdotally also, they helped to rehab my shoulder and restore mobility and stability in my rotator cuff.
The jerk is not a press, it’s a catching motion. And full grip will give a lifter greater contact with the barbell and thus more control. However, if mobility does not permit a full grip with proper thoracic extension and external rotation of the shoulders the finger tips approach is superior. But I agree with many of your sentiments and I highly recommend my clients implement front squatting with appropriate attention to proper form as to improve the strength of their core, back and legs.
Front squat is great for form correction on the deadlift, I used to do full body 3 x week and putting some after the deadlift felt great. I also like to do assisted pistol squats instead of leg press (it irritates my lower back) and find they are a great alternative.
On wrist pain, I use wrist wraps. Really helps
Front Squats have always been easy for me. Never had any issues doing them.
I front squat about half of the time (high bar is probably my other half). I like how hard they are and it feels like they really help my posture / core strength for OHP. I also feel like I can get deeper than back squats. I'll have to try out 100% front squats in my next program block.
Cross rack also works well for front squats if you’re a bodybuilder and have poor wrist mobility.
i can speak with experience for the front squat
did a hypertrophy routine for legs, had a specific front squat variation that combined with the platz squat, and three months of doing this gave me a very noticably larger outer quad, as well as some visual improvements in the general leg area
my back squat also went up pretty nicely too, another benefit of using this exercise with high reps. would absolutely recommend this movement as a bodybuilding implement.
Zercher squats are better in terms that it targets the quad and glutes more than the front squat. Louie simmons himself said that the zercher squat is the best squat to teach the natural squatting pattern. Like the front squat, you load the anterior side of your body so your upper back will get worked by reinforcing tight upright posture. It's also easier on spinal compression than the back and front squat. It's also a great hip and posterior chain movement if you change the foot position and focus of the movement. The zercher squat is a foundational lift that we SIMPLY have gotten away from and I'm bringing it back. I zercher squat more than I front squat and it increased my front squat without even doing front squats.
Other benefits: great for conditioning (sets of 20 are killers ) it's a phenomenal way to build your entire trunk, your traps get worked since it's at its most stretched position as you're maintaining the weight on the crooks of your elbows.
You can also go from squat to good morning by simply hinging .
Zercher good mornings are also a great alternative to regular good morning, especially if you have this awkwardness of HINGING your hips with load on your back.
If you fail a rep, you can simply drop it so you can never worry about being "stuck" on a zercher squat as opposed to the front and back squat.
You wanna talk about the front squat, I'll bet you my life that the zercher squat can get ANYONE strong. Just gotta get out of your head and embrace the suck because the exercise is rather uncomfortable at first.
I was gonna say yeah but good luck ever withstanding the pain of 315 or more....but then i looked on your channel lol...damn bro zercher with 500... good job! Eventually do your elbows just get immune to the pain lol?
@@sunkillsmoon yeah. If you aren't feeling the zercher that day I wouldn't push it. Over time the pain will minimize
Lol the loading glitched up for a sec and said this vid was 42min long I was like ...bruh
I do front squats once a week after deadlift. Took a year to be comfortable with it. Love it
Cant wait too front squat again when the gyms open in scotland! Crossed arms checking in haha
Surely bodybuilders would only be doing quarter front squats cos they love that short range of motion
lol, when you call them out on it, they are like "going any lower than parallel doesn't do anything for hypertrophy BRO !"
why are you being a ROM police on a bodybuilding channel
@@HL-zh7qi #teamfullROM
@@kalipiana3880 were you spying on me? Thats EXACTLY how my exlerience went 😂
@@getstrongby4038 its common for gym bros to say this............
Don't forget the zombie squat option too
Zerchers are tendinitis proof! I used to get tendinitis from them, but then since I've adapted to it there's nothing that makes my elbows hurt anymore. Nothing!
Yessssir. I'm telling people that zerchers will get comfortable the more you do it. The more you do it the more you're gonna get used to the pressure of the bar , not the pain.
@@WilliamsWrestlin it also enlarges the joint itself, I believe
Tho of course it's not a compassory movement for bodybuilding
Been waiting for this one!
high bar ATG back squat master race................
One of my favorite lifts, but I don't have front them in my program right now, first time in few years that I've omitted it from a program. I put in dumbbell overhead carries to hopefully keep myself in decent condition to come back to the front squats (needed some shoulder stability work too). Fingers crossed.
Idc if it isnt optimal, i love how it looks, ill do it
My Ankles say no when I try to go down while staying vertical.
yeah, it sucks, I can't even squat without having my heel elevated
I elevate my heels when doing it.. if you’re just looking to build big juicy thighs then that’s not an issue. However, if you’re working on powerlifting or something else, then that’s not an option for you.
thankyou brother i like front squatting and want to get yoked doing it
I love Front Squats so much that I am tempted to drop Back Squats completely or at least rotate them with front squats once every 2 weeks.
There's honestly nothing wrong with that. I've done this on occasion with good results. Front squats seem to do pretty well with 2 times a week frequency.
After dislocating my hip/femur?, I haven’t programmed back squats for two years. I’ll do SSB squats every now and then if I’m bored, but I honestly don’t see any reason to stop doing FS primarily because I’ve seen more quad growth despite using less weight.
with all my busted up stuff I hardly manage to get up in the morning, let alone squat
I sucked so hard at the traditional front squat because of the rack position that I changed to the zombie squat and had much more results. My wife is able to rack with no issues.
Haha I’m late on this video but I almost never back squat only front. My range of motion is so limited from benching and lack of flexibility that it’s hard to hold the bar behind my head. I think front squats are ultimately the best lift for strength, a front squat failure set really gets the legs growing.
Tried doing front squats a few times, twice i screwed up my wrists. Would rather do back squats, can lift heavier, and I dont injure myself 🙂
Zercher squats
Do crossed arms
I was literally just looking into those like 2 days ago. My man.
Just in time when i reintroduce it 2 days ago!
Man you can use straps on front squats as an extension of the fingers and hold on to them and mobility problem solved
They're the only squat a bodybuilder should do.
I agree with most of this, but I'm not sure I agree that there are plenty of alternatives for leg work. There aren't really any free weight exercises that target the quadriceps so well as a the front squats. High bar squats are the only thing which can, imo, compete, but even in this case, the posterior chain is recruited to a greater degree. Knees-over-toes split squats can target the quads very well, if you want to double the length of your workouts. I just don't see anything among free weights which can compare with front squats for the efficiency and specificity with which they load the quads.
Outside of machines, heel elevated squats will greatly improve quad recruitment while significantly lowering stress towards the posterior chain
@@NaturalHypertrophy what are your thoughts on the heel elevated trap bar "deadlift"? I have not tried them yet, but trap bar lifts appear to be one of the only free weight leg exercises that is not limited either by low back or upper back strength.
FS are superior to Back Squats and nobody can change my mind
Ok
Stalled on back squats. Put in front squats. Boom, stall obliterated
How much ya front squat and back squat?
I rarely max on squats but I did 280x6 back and 220x5 front last time I did them
@@TM-td7vg Belt or no?
jeetsupa belt. But no belt isn't too far behind maybe a 10-15 pound difference
NH I have a new series idea. Just like you videos on berserker physique and Baki physiques, I think making videos breaking down certain types of physiques and now to obtain them as bodybuilders would be good. For example I am shooting for the Olympic weightlifting (especially Chinese) look. I know its obvious that to get that physique I should train like them but the time and effort to learn clean, jerk etc isn’t worth it especially if I don’t care about the sport.
I do know that OHP, deadlifts, squats and high pulls are key.
Strange to say I have never had issues with the front rack, but back squat just causes arm pain and biceps tendonitis regardless of grip width or bar placement. Maybe I'm just an odd human
I can only front squat using a smith machine with straps. Otherwise, I'd just rather do zercher squats because I won't injure my wrists.
My deadlift was getting stuck at the knees and one of the coaches at the gym suggested front squats because my sticking point was basically where you shift from hams and but to quads. Also, on my regular squat...yeah...I 100% fail from a collapsed torso every single time. After 2 weeks I hit, not a PR exactly, but hit my existing DL PR smoother than I'd ever done it. No sticking points at all. Just a smooth ride to the top. So frustrating I can only front squat about half of my back squat though. lol. That thoracic lift is a bitch
Hey NH any thoughts on Zercher Squats?
I use them as primary movement because I have bad wrists + more technical I guess so I try not to do front sq knowing that mostly it's about elevated elbows not wrists.
I do them as a primary movement too. They personally feel the most natural to me of all the squatting movements I've done, and I can go ATG easily for any squat.
Edit: On top of this, I wonder if he'll ever do a video regarding "unconventional" lifts and movements. Although zerchers are the only unconventional thing I do, I enjoy videos discussing weird lifts.
@@ohhellothere3217
I also do zercher anderson squats which are basically pins in the bottom position and you start from there , come back down , reset breath and another rep.
Do you find with zerchers that holding the weight in the nook of the elbows can be a limiting factor when you're in the 90% + rep max? When I last did a 2 rep max I felt I could push more reps but maybe my position was fatiguing.
I intended to do only 2 reps so I didn't attempt another. But could have maybe managed one more only.
I do them as a primary movement as well but mainly cuz i dont have a squat rack at my gym, they helped me a lot with my squat depth
I use zerchers as a backoff variation for front squats and really enjoy them. They seem to hit a similar part of the quad as front squats, but almost have an element of hinge to them.
Good lift
Any thoughts on using straps for avoiding wrist pain in the rack position?
I tried once, felt horrible
I hate the cross arm version so much. I had to transition to it though due to some elbow pain and it feels way harder and throws off my mechanics as a whole. If you're a bigger guy then you can probably do the cross arm grip more successfully but the Olympic grip is still the way to go if you're able to do it.
I have no choice but to do cross grip my mobility in the wrists is piss poor haha having decent shoulders helps for the bar to rest in position
@@chrisstanley9477 Yeah my left elbow isn't tolerating the Olympic grip at the moment. I can do the cross arm but my problem is inconsistency with it. Some days it feels pretty good but others the bar slips a bit.
9:38 :0 subtly insulting the British! It should be us giving that gesture to the French, not the other way around!
I have no interest in doing any front squat variations now or in the future. However when I used to do any front squat variations I did zombie squats. They remove factors such as wrist mobility and even thoracic mobility to a degree while causing the weight to be lighter and forcing you to remain upright. Though I find their SFR not as good as other available quad options, that definitely is a variation where the LEGS are the limiting factor tbh.
I've tried to do it a lot but I think that I am anatomically incapable of using the olympic grip. I've been doing front squats twice a week for 3 months now, I must admit that I still struggle going atg when lifting heavier, I believe you must go deeper on front than on back squats no matter what so I generally rather cut reps than ROM. I haven't really noticed the imbalance issue from cross grip though, only that at first my throat would feel umcofortable after a couple of sets but this has gone away for the most part.
This exercise kinda scares me but I'll add it in as a variation eventually just to try it.
Below the knee front squat
yes
Olympic weight lifters and Strongmen, sure. Bodybuilders ? Personal preferance. Probably not advised though.
It must be technical, i just can't seem to be find the balance. Im very new to bar squats itself tho.
Take your time bro
Using straps really helped me get started with this lift because it allowed me to focus on thoracic ext and leg drive rather than front rack which can be painful. Plus if you're not an oly lifter, is front rack really necessary? I'm all about the quad gains personally
I can get into a front rack position but the wrist pain is severe, so I'm forced to use cross arm like a beta male 😩
@M B I'm not alpha enough to zercher, that shit destroys my elbows lol
@@Wayf4rer gotta take a page from the Bugez playbook and use sleeves. I actually stole a bunch of cotton arm sleeves from my former employer before quitting for that sole reason lmao
As I said in the vid, it isn't
Do a manga/anime character review about Rock-lee
Would you make a video taking about targeting different quadricep heads? I feel like my medial quadriceps are much smaller in comparison to the other two.
Hmm, I personally have never focused on that
@@NaturalHypertrophy I’m curious if it’s actually possible to grow specific heads of quadriceps (also triceps and biceps). I’ve read some about it but it’s hard to tell if the information is good because roid boys write most of it.
@@kemptonbryan You cannot individually target specific heads of the quadriceps, but you can emphasize them, the easiest tip with this is just to experiment with your form on different exercises and see where you feel it.
Rho,le gros accent franchouillard à couper à la tronçonneuse!c’est abusé!😎
Got a herniated lumbar disc, is it advisable to front squat?
Give it a try with light weight
Master!
How much I love the front squat is probably the the only reason I’ve trained legs so consistently over the past couple of years. When I used to do back squats, I dreaded legs and would come up with any excuse to not go to the gym that day. As someone with thoracic kyphosis, though, the fact that thoracic extension is the #1 limiting factor on these sucks hahaha my legs can definitely push more, but I absolutely cannot hold that kind of weight up with my back for more than a rep. I’ve been working on my thoracic mobility lately, but any cues for keeping upright when everything wants to pitch you forward?
Elbows up and a proud chest works for me
Drive the elbows up as much as you can when front squatting.
What about using the front squat for low rep strength work and then using a back squat for slightly higher rep work after the legs got warmed up by the front squat?
If front squat is your main style, why not. Otherwise, I prefer to do it the other way around
I have no idea how to do these without my wrists lighting on fire, lmao. I would like to include them but it is so uncomfortable, almost painful.
Your wrist is handling the load most likely
What are your NON-NEGOTIABLE thoughts on belt squats? Highly underrated exercise for building thicc legs... can take legs to absolute failure as its not as technical. I always did cross grip on front squats ronnie coleman style lol
@M B yeah you need a prober belt otherwise it kills your groin. You can use a dip belt if you can ignore the pain haha Those belt squat machines are hard to find in most gyms but they are really easy for loading weight on the legs.
@M B literally hardly any risk on the lower back its just so hard to set up if you dont have access to a belt squat machine.
@M B belt squat is absolute king...I tried EVERYTHING, but this is the best version...especially cuz ur hands are free,and in home environment ur not at risk of either killing self or house...the feeling is beyond in any aspect
Good quad accessory
My front rack mobility sucks
Any advice for wrist pain during front squat?
Yeah , zombie squat or zercher
Fix your form + stretch in the injury prev. playlist
Thoughts on hacksquats for tall lifters. I do SSB squats one day lower reps and hacks the other in high rep ranges.
If it saves your lower back do it
I only do Front Squats 😎
Not related but how would you manage your workout if you're on holidays and have no acces to a gym?
Calesthenics?
Bodyweight stuff every day
👍👍
Front squat ?only if holding it with my elbows count
front squat vs back squat for vertical?
?
@@NaturalHypertrophy like jumping height , which is more beneficial. I looked into it though both are used for athletes
Why is your right pinky finger always bent?
Tendon missing
do you have an instagram account?
Yes it's NaturalHypertrophy
@@its_james_fitness thanks
Yes! Ronnie Coleman does! You do too!
"Aint nothin to it but to do it!"
@@JR-gl1nx “ yeah buddy “
"That was light"
I hate front squats with a passion
Wrist pain from hell.