Category — front squat

After the post on Coaching the Front Squat, I was reminded of a question I once received:

“I’ve been using and teaching the front squat with my Physical Education classes through our strength training units. I’ve noticed a couple of things, especially when working with young women.

I’ve focused on the participants maintaining their weight on heels throughout the exercise, and have found that knees tend to roll inward toward the center, rather than staying over their feet and ankles. We haven’t been using much weight, so no one has complained about knee pain, but I want to ensure balanced performance and good technique. I’ve also been encouraging folks to focus on keeping the weight on the outside of their feet, as well as their heels, and consciously rolling their knees out to maintain a well aligned position.

Any ideas for me on this issue? Thanks in advance for the advice.”

Here are some suggestions…

1. Don’t worry about weight distribution “on the outside of the feet.” That’s too complicated. Instead, tell them to angle their toes out (probably about 30°-45°). This will make the femur track better both at the hip and knee joints. It is a more natural range of motion.

2. For weight over the heels promote hip flexion first, knee flexion second. It’s almost like two movements, but when athletes improve you won’t be able to see much of a transition between the two movements.

3. Teach box/bench squats. Have athletes straddle a bench and sit down on it, or on a plyometric box to teach proper form.

4. Use straight-arm front squats. Instead of putting the hands on the bar, have the arms be straight out in front (about parallel to the ground). This forces them to use a good trunk position otherwise the bar will wind up on the ground.

5. Women will have a tendency to bring the knees toward each other more because their “Q-Angle” (which is the angle of the femural articulation into the hip or acetabulum) is greater than men. This means they have a natural skeletal structure with knees angled toward each other to a greater degree (also known as valgus angle). You have to coach women more to avoid this then men.

Let me know how this works out, and keep up the great efforts!

What’s the difference between a champion and 2nd place? Usually not much. The difference lies is in the training that leads up to competition. One of the goals of this blog is to provide scientifically based, practical information for coaches, parents, and athletes, in the hopes of enhancing athletic performance and reducing the chance of injury.

Each article will describe how to properly execute specific exercises and routines related to athletic performance for all sports and athletes. Where possible, I will discuss the ideas behind training theory and common misconceptions on how to prepare for athletic contests.

I am excited about this opportunity and truly hope the information contained in these series helps to positively influence the lives and performances of the athletes, coaches, or parents who are reading. The NLP Strength blog isn’t your only resource, though. Greater Manchester Sports has created an exclusive online training forum where you can post questions and exchange knowledge on how to help each other out. It is a free service and is accessible through the GMS website.

So onto today’s exercise – the SQUAT. This is a great exercise to enhance power output of the lower body, general coordination, and vertical jump. A few examples related to the squat: rebounding in basketball, coming out of a stance in football, the lacrosse face-off, and any form of sprinting. Oh wait, that’s every sport out there!

Performing the Front Squat

1. Optimally, use a power rack. Power racks have adjustable pin settings, and allow you to self-spot. Set the spotting pins to a height that is just below parallel. This means when you squat to a low position, when the top of the things are parallel to the ground the pin height should be just below your bar height. So if you fail a lift, you only have to drop another inch or two before unloading the bar, preventing a possible crushing hazard.

2. Stand underneath a barbell with your feet spread slightly wider than shoulder width. Place the bar on your trapezius, not the spinous process (top sequence, bottom left).

3. Lift the weight off, step back (or forward) and establish a strong base. Feet should be spread wider than shoulder width to comfort and angled out slightly. Weight should be over the heels, not the toes, chest up, back straight.

4. Take a deep breath and keep the core of the body tight.

5. Begin the lowering phase by flexing at the hips first, not the knees (left).

6. Lower the weight until the thigh is approximately parallel to the floor. Continue to hold your breath (right).

7. During the ascent maintain sound body positioning; weight over the heels, back straight, chest up, hips and shoulders rise at the same cadence. Exhale once you have pushed through the sticking point and not before. The “sticking point” is the most difficult range of motion of the lift usually found at the midpoint of the movement, and can be found in every exercise you perform.

Spotting the Front Squat

If you are using a power rack no spotter is necessary. Place the weight on the safety pins if you fail. If you are not using a power rack, 2 spotters are necessary, 1 on each end of the bar. Spotters should communicate and coordinate their efforts to assist the participant if a failure occurs by lifting the weight together, avoiding any lateral tilt of the bar.