Front Squats made easier...

[b fold the truth]

I'd like to add front squats to my routine...but have a hard time keeping the bar on my shoulders/neck. I found this tonight..and loved the idea...

"If you still want to get the benefits of front squats, but haven't quite obtained the flexibility to hold the bar in your hands, try the vise grip handles. Just get two sets of Vise Gripping Pliers (The rounded pipe jaws work the best). Then just clamp them on the bar a little wider than shoulder width. To protect the knurling just place a small strip of cardboard between the vise grips' jaws and the bar.
Now, presto, you have two handles to hold onto. Using these will enable you to maintain the normal front squat position, but with less stress on the wrists and elbows."

 

[Deciever]

nice, i would always have to wear wrist wraps when doing front squats.. they're great though. Thats a great idea, go try it out and let us know how it goes.

 

[the People's Champ]

front squats rule. first exercise where I actually bottomed out in the power rack. I do the clean grip, works for me, no pain. maybe because I am so skinny, that I dont experience the pain.

 

[sorerotators]

Yeah that is a slick idea B.

 

[Skizac]

I have tried just about every method of front squatting, including the one pictured above, and have yet to find a confortable way to do it. I've tried it clean grip, BB grip, with different types of bars, with a StingRay front squat harness thingy, and they all suck. I just can't keep the bar from falling off of my shouders, and I lean over too far at the bottom. The best front squats I've done have been (embarasingly) on a smith machine.

 

[the People's Champ]

are you sticking your butt out when you go down? when your butt sticks way out, this counterbalances the weight up front. how do you put the bar on your shoulders?

 

[Skizac]

are you sticking your butt out when you go down? when your butt sticks way out, this counterbalances the weight up front. how do you put the bar on your shoulders?

I put it up as close as possible to my neck, like I'm going to choke myself. I think my problem is that I stick my butt out too far, which causes me to lean forward too far, which causes the bar to want to fall off of my shoulders.

 

[the People's Champ]

are you leaning too far forward when you descend? how is your stance?

 

[Robert Jan]

just what are those pros of front squatting againn?

 

[Needhelp]

I clean it up and front squat down, is that right? I definately feel it in my legs, so if not, that way works good too (at least for a beginner)