More front squats – Sounds pretty obvious, but the best way to get better at all aspects of front squats is to do more front squats.
Squat at the start of your session– So many athletes I see complain about how bad their front squats are, but when you look at their programs, it’s the last thing they do on leg day. Stop tagging your front squats on the end of your session, or on high volume leg day. If you want to improve or increase a skill or movement, then prioritize it. Treat it like any other compound lift, squat first and frequently for a sustained period.
Mobility - You know you need to do it, even more so if you’re squatting multiple times a week. So do it. Perform mobility work on the ankles, hips, and thoracic spine, along with some form of rack position work at the least.
Squat deeper - For maximum carryover, muscle recruitment, glute activation, all round bad-assery, and bad-ass ass bad-assery (see what I did there), squat deeper.
Stop treating it like a back squat – Squat straight down. It is a different movement pattern to a back squat. Breaking at the hips and driving them back to begin a front squat will send the torso forward, and the bar crashing down. Squat straight down so your pelvis sits in between your legs.
Elbows up - Up, up, and up. Did I mention up? Lead with the elbows on the way up. Imagine there are chains attached to the end of your elbows. As you complete the squat the lifting gods are pulling you back up. If you are having difficulty with this contact Pursuit Physiotherapy - poor thoracic mobility, tight triceps or tight subscapularis are the usual culprits, come and get released as well as learning how to self-release and maintain.
Release your grip - If your mechanics are correct, you shouldn’t have to grip to hold onto the bar. In fact, you shouldn’t really need to have to hold on to the bar at all. I see so many people try to front squat while their knuckles are going white. This is vaguely acceptable if you have the flexibility to do so, but most people aren’t in this position (no pun intended).
Rack the bar closer - Yes, I know it’s uncomfortable and you feel like you are choking. Jam that bar in closer, even closer, okay, you can move it out a (tiny) bit. There you go. It sits right there, just behind the front delts.
Knees out - I’m aware of the debates circulating the Internet regarding knees out versus knees in versus knees up. I understand the implications of each of them, and believe they all have their place in terms of when and how to coach them. But for now, push your knees out, please….
Core strength- There are some who advocate that squats and deadlifts are all you need for core strength. I disagree. There comes a point where you need to increase your core strength, separately, to squat better and to get stronger. It’s a similar concept to playing sport to get fit, or getting fit to play sport. Activating your core is also one of the best ways to prevent lower back injury during compound lifts. (Contact Pursuit Physiotherapy today to find out a simple 5-minute core activation that we use before all deadlifts and squats)
Glute activation – Yes front squads are a quad dominant movement, but you still use that booty. Incorporate some basic glute activation movements before you squat. Then squat deep enough to make sure you use your glutes effectively.
Breathing – This is more important than you think. Personally, I can add up to 20kg to my front squat when I breathe appropriately compared to not paying attention to my breath at all. I really think all lifters should learn how to breathe correctly before they even add weight to the bar.
Readiness - Attempting to find optimum position once loaded is far less effective than setting it beforehand. You need to take that bar off the rack absolutely ready to squat. Jam yourself in between the bar and the floor.
Static holds – The body is sometimes shocked by the feeling of heavy weight on the bar, when you unrack, which can put you off before you even have your first attempt. Simply having a feel of the weight in the optimum starting position can help. Try 3 sets of 15-30seconds in the rack position with around 110% of your max. Put simply, this will get your body used to handing heavier weights. Plus, it is a great core workout.
1 1/4 reps – This is a squat variation with multiple benefits, including strength, timing, and stabilization. Squat to rock bottom, and then come back up to just above parallel. Return to the bottom of the squat and drive up to the top. Warning – these burn. Start with a low weight and build your way up!
Paused squats - Add a pause at the bottom of your squat to improve starting strength. Next time you’re pinned under a heavy clean, you’ll thank me.
Chest into the bar - Pre-empt the fact that you are going to lean forward when it gets heavy, and drive your chest up into the bar from the bottom before you start to lean forward. This will assist you in maintaining an upright torso and keep the work where it should be - through the legs and hips.
Shoes on - If you’ve never squatted in a pair of weightlifting shoes before, get yourself a pair. You will be able to front squat better. Don’t have a pair of shoes or cash for them? Try adding a plate under the back of your feet to provide some elevation.
Shoes off - If you’ve been squatting in weightlifting shoes for a long time, make sure you’re not reliant on them. What is your front squat like without them? Take your shoes off and you will quickly learn what is holding you back.
Tempo - Slow on the way down, fast on the way up. Master this. If your eccentric is faster than your concentric YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. You lose tension in the hamstrings which reduces the elastic potential of the lift = overall strength and power loss.
Drive up fast and hard - If you have something light on the bar, imagine that it’s heavy. If you have something heavy on the bar, imagine that it’s light. It doesn’t get simpler than that. Treat every lift the same, whether it is a warm up or 1rep max. Engrain that movement pattern and nail it every time.
