Front Squat & Back Squat: Friends not Foes

We see lots of debate around the use of back squat and front squat in training programs, especially with young athletes. As with many aspects of resistance training, there probably isn’t a right or wrong answer, just a solution that appropriately fits a given situation.

So as we look at these two exercises, let’s start with an overview:

Friends not Foes

As you look at the chart above, it should become obvious these two lifts have a great deal in common. We are not here to super-analyze and crown a champion. Instead, we will try to detail how these two squat variations are actually best when put on the same team.

Where’s the Barbell?

The immediate determination between a front or back squat is the rack position of the load placed on the lifters upper body.

Simply, the front squat name says it all: the barbell, or other loading apparatus, is racked on the front deltoids with hands slightly outside the shoulders in a lose underhand “grip” using 2–3 fingers in the bar and elbows high enough to bring the upper arm parallel to the floor.

The back squat is just as easily identified. The barbell, or some adapted version of a barbell, is racked on the athlete’s shoulders at the base of the neck or an inch below the top of the shoulder with a rigid, strong overhand grip to keep the bar secure and in place.

The Load

Ever heard someone describe an athlete as able to “squat a house?” Which squat variation do you think they are referencing: front or back?

It’s the back squat, no doubt. Since the barbell and additional load on the bar is placed on the back, the stability of the upper back and shoulders takes the direct load. Mechanically, the body is more efficient at lifting heavy weights in this position because more torque is placed on the hips.

Front squat on the other hand, can really humble an athlete as the progressive overload mounts week after week of a training cycle. Since the spine is not directly loaded, more torque is found at the knee joint.

However, the difference between torque at the hip or the knee does not make one “quad dominant” and the other “hip dominant.” In general, this is where most people start taking sides and putting front squat and back squat at odds. There is really no need for that. A visit to Squat University, can provide even more details on this topic.

Muscle groups are doing there job no matter where the bar is placed. With either lift, the glutes and vastus quadricep muscles allow the athlete to apply force in the ground. At the same time, the hamstrings and rectus femoris distribute torque and power between the knee and hip.

When to use front squat

Let’s start with comparing training percentages. If a front squat training max is not specifically chosen as a test in your program, but front squat is selected as an exercise during the cycle, you can use the following as a starting point for knowing how much weight to load for a given 1RM percentage:

Back Squat 1RM x 0.8 = Front Squat 1RM

Then, you can calculate your weight for given training day. For example, a 6x3 (set x rep) at 78% can be found: (Front Squat 1RM) x .78 = ?

Selecting front squat as a primary emphasis, lower-body lift for a training cycle is great! We tend to use it as such with middle school age and high school age male and female populations who may still be developing L-spine stability, T-spine mobility, or have minimal weight room experience, etc.

Front squat as a secondary emphasis lift or an auxiliary exercise offers a ton of variations which are practical. It also keeps training varied and fun! For example, utilizing a goblet hold with a dumbbell or kettlebell keeps the load in front, limiting some of the common technical errors with squatting.

Back Squat

Since the barbell (or some version of) is placed on the back, the variations for back squat are more limited. Further, as more apparati are implemented for back squat, the difficulty and intensity rises greatly. Bands, chains, or even the addition of a box for box squats requires substantial weight room experience, well-established relative strength, and hopefully an experienced coach.

That being said, traditional back squat has long been a meat-and-potatoes exercise for all types of strength training programs. The reasons are many and good. It is a great choice for a primary lower body lift for just about any muscle adaptation: power, strength, hypertrophy, etc.

Back squat is a great choice for developing power at the hip which nearly every athlete can benefit from. For instance, an athlete who desires to jump higher should seriously consider adding squats as a pillar of their routine.

Overall strength can be developed with squatting as well. Especially a correct, deep squat where the quads descend to parallel to the ground or lower.

Want to gain lean muscle mass? Squatting should be a part of your answer! Since hypertrophy adaptations require a higher rep scheme, athletes and the coaches designing a program need to keep proper technique at the forefront of their minds when using the squat.

Both front and back squat are great exercises to select for any sports performance training program. Front squat tends to be adaptable to athletes who benefit from variations to the movement. Back squat variations tend to significantly increase the difficulty. There is no reason to fight over bar placement! Just get squattin’!