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front squat foot positioning

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FazcIcon...24-01-2007 @ 02:23 
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Sports an extremely muscular arse.
Member 38, 6253 posts
Post Edited: 24.01.2007 @ 02:31 AM
Originally posted by Rob...
I understand the relevance of the front squat as assistance to the back squat and DL; what I'm trying to point out is that I don't think the stance of it can vary that much to target different muscles significantly.


Ah good! It's been a while since i've done the internet discussion thing, was afraid i'd totally lost ya there.

Short answer, yes the stance can target different muscles very significantly, although that's not the only factor. Key to note is what I said about movement mechanics. The body will always opt for the strongest path, when pushed. This is the classic beginner thing of elbows flaying out when Benching, or butt rising too quickly when Deadlifting thing. Certain muscle groups overpower others and dominate the lift. This is precisely why we do assistance exercises, to bring the weaker muscles groups back in line, so our form is safer and more efficient.

How this relates to the Front Squats. If we choose a familiar and comfortable set up, like myself. Feet out wide, butt going down and back and then continue to push hard without getting time to acclimatise to the new form, it's very, very easy for the body to revert back to it's strongest movement path. This does nothing to benefit us. (This is what I mean about Squatting similarly to Front Squatting).

What we need in an assistance exercise usually is to lower the weight right down, and start from scratch. In this example, close stance squats done as upright as possible and as deep as possible for the most knee flexion (if its safe). Building up slowly so you can concentrate on maintaining the form you want to build your weak areas, rather than what the body is used to.

Again, like Olly said earlier, he's noted this in good Oly coaches. It's not just pointless theorising.

...sometimes we perhaps do assistance work that detracts from the point and will be useless all things said and done?


Sure. The point of stuff like this though, is to evaluate what you're doing so that doesn't happen. People ask how I can make that kind of progress in the Squat in such a short time or just have the lifts I do at my bodyweight. It's not that I was inheritantly strong, I was very weak when I started. But a lot of is to do with thinking about my weak points and addressing them sensibly. I have very few assistance exercises in my routine, because everything is accounted for to the goal of helping my powerlifts. It's this type of evaluation that helps me to do that.
RobIcon...24-01-2007 @ 11:08 
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Good post!
CuddlesIcon...26-01-2007 @ 16:05 
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Eat.Cycle.Sleep.Win
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Nice discussion. Good to have you on board Faz mate!
FazcIcon...26-01-2007 @ 23:47 
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Sports an extremely muscular arse.
Member 38, 6253 posts
Thank you, kind sirs!
little_aIcon...05-02-2007 @ 19:41 
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still a devious weightlifting bastard
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Originally posted by Joni...
any opinions about the width of the front squat foot positioning?

Wide enough for you to sit in with your arse between your ankles. Too wide and you cant sit in, too narrow and you're sitting on top of your feet. Neither of these are desirable.
Fronties wont do much for your back sqt though. You simply cant handle enough weight for carry over. Personally I consider them more an upper body excercise than purley legs, but maybe thats just me.
JoniIcon...06-02-2007 @ 09:18 
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left the country satisfied
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SQ 240, BP 150, DL 270
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interesting take from a man who front squats around the same than i back squat Happy

Cheers for the input, i think if i continue front squatting, it will be for front squatting - not as an assistance, but as a lift in its own right. I still want to nail that 140kg.

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