What is it about Front Squats vs. Back Squats...

[Jim Ouini]

Elbows point straight forward and are held high, bar rests in fingers (maybe not as securely as we wish it to). So do that and then find where your front delt tied into your clavicle (i.e. should point directly backward). This is the slot, you keep your elbows high and the bar sits between here and your throat pretty much. Depending on your body you might have to really work to keep your elbows up and maintain the rack.

Thanks for the great advice, as usual. Maybe my delts are too small to form a pocket

Anyway, yeah the elbows up is the hard part for me. I have this problem with push presses too.

 

[Madcow2]

Your elbows don't need to be high for push presses. Are we talking about the same thing here? The bottom of the upper arms should be parallel to the ground and elbows are pointed straight forward (roughly).

 

[Jim Ouini]

?? Sounds like you're saying for both FS and PP that upper arm should be parallel and elbows pointing forward...

I was reading PP form from Ripptoe's book and *I think* that's what he said too.

Maybe the confusion is that I consider elbows pointing forward 'high' lol

 

[Madcow2]

Are upper arms parallel to the floor and straight out in front?

To be honest, even in the jerk the rack is adjusted and elbows are a bit wider and down some (bar is still on clavicles though but you can get away with this standing up). Given that the push press is basically just assisted military with leg drive your elbows have to be pointed down to some degree and generally in the position from which you press.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Well for Front Squats yes, but I have problems holding this position for long. Elbow tend to want to drop.

For PP I tried the elbows forward but couldn't generate any force so I dropped 'em and just used whatever position to get the weight up (which was elbows down).

 

[Madcow2]

Ahh - I bet I know where elbows "forward" came from for the press. He means they point down but your upper back is concaved forward so your shoulders are forward so the bar path clears your head (i.e. this is how you don't bash in your chin in the jerk - which happens to everyone at least once and although funyy is just horrendous).

As far as the front squats - yeah they want to go down but you have to keep them up. Sometimes I think it can be harder maintaining the rack than squatting the weight. It's an uncomfortable movement but a productive one.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Ahh - I bet I know where elbows "forward" came from for the press. He means they point down but your upper back is concaved forward so your shoulders are forward so the bar path clears your head (i.e. this is how you don't bash in your chin in the jerk - which happens to everyone at least once and although funyy is just horrendous).

Oh so THAT's what he meant. To be honest I didn't read that section throughly, I just looked at the pics

As far as the front squats - yeah they want to go down but you have to keep them up. Sometimes I think it can be harder maintaining the rack than squatting the weight. It's an uncomfortable movement but a productive one.

I definitely lose the rack first. Something to work on for sure.

 

[super_rice]

I definitely lose the rack first. Something to work on for sure.

I as well. Sometimes I don't know if it is more impressive for olys to front squat 200kilos or to never have their rack positions give.

The bottom rack position is where the lifting shoes have helped me the most. I warmed up with some front squats on monday and I can finally sit in the catch position properly. It's a great feeling!

Madcow: If a trainee is experienced and comfortable with the front squat, for example it doesn't wind them to hold a 80-90% backsquat in the catch position or whichever method you'd like to use to judge this, can front squatting be used to replace back squatting as a way to scale back?

ie: instead of doing an 80% backsquat, do an 80% front squat if the volume/intensity needs a temporary adjustment, as the fs would most likely have a lower 1RM.

 

[Madcow2]

Yeah - the Wed light squat workout in the 5x5 is often replaced with heavy front squats instead.

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

hey madcow- question on front squats- what grip are you liking? I always go with a clean grip, but now im going heavier so maybe hands crossed in front over bar would work better???