How to do a Front Squat with reduced mobility

What will this article offer you?

I'm certainly not going to say that the Front Squat is' superior 'to the Back Squat (I wouldn't dare, and by the way, the exercise selection is a list of superior/inferior exercises, the order of which depends on context).

What I'm going to tell you are reasons why a Front Squat can add value to your arsenal of exercises. In addition, I will explain what kind of variations we can use for this. In short, we're going to walk through all the grip variations together. Hopefully, towards the end, it will be clearer which variation of the Front Squat could be ideal for your situation.

Oh, and I'll definitely come back to the title too, why the Front Squat doesn't have to cause pain in your wrists. So, to stop keeping you in suspense..

What is a Front Squat?

The Front Squat is characterized by the fact that the external load is placed on the front of the body.

No sh-t, Sherlock.

What does that mean exactly? We hold, or place, the external load on the front of our body while we perform the Squat. We can use a lot of variations of external load for this: kettlebells, dumbbells, (specialty) barbells, you name it!

So why should you do a Front Squat instead of a Back Squat?

There are many reasons why you should choose a Front Squat in your training program.

Let's go through a few reasons

So although there are countless options for loading a Front Squat, I'll only discuss the barbell in this text to save you unnecessary text.

The location of the barbell on the body (the front) is the main difference between the Front and Back Squat and their subcategories. During the Back Squat, the barbell is placed in the region of the upper trapezius. When the weight is placed just 'behind' the anterior deltoid, such as the Front Squat (front of the body), this offers the lifter a counterweight. In most cases, this ensures a better positioned Squat.

In this “front rack” position (I'll refer to that from now on), behind the anterior deltoid, the arms will have to be raised to support the weight (flexed humeri). Raising the arms will put the latissimus dorsi in an 'extended' position. Relieving the tension from the latissimus dorsi, such as in the Front Squat, reduces pressure for lifters with a 'lordotic' stature and often improves Squat (depth).

However, lifting the arms works in two ways. The latissimus dorsi, which are now 'extended', can no longer help stabilize your torso. As a result, you miss a lot of stability as a lifter, which largely explains why there is such a difference between the weights that someone can lift with a Front Squat versus a Back Squat.

Injury susceptibility

The Back Squat requires a lot of external rotation and abduction of the shoulder joint. Simply because the Front Squat does not require these movements equally, the Front Squat is seen as less prone to injury to the shoulders (if no injuries are present). The Front Squat also reduces spinal shearing forces, as the position in the Front Squat must be almost upright to successfully complete the lift.

In the Back Squat, lifters often lose the correct position (due to a restriction in technique or movement restrictions) and will lean forward during the movement. This 'forward lean' removes the external load from the axis of rotation. This increases gliding force, while also increasing the risk of excessive flexion of the lumbar spine!

Most of the Front Squat contraindications will be similar to the Back Squat contraindications. However, a 'kyphotic posture' (think Quasimodo!) makes it extremely difficult for a lifter to position his/her elbows in the correct position to perform a Front Squat efficiently and safely!

Elbow and wrist injuries can definitely be a limiting factor during the Front Squat. But, fortunately, there are several options for performing the Front Squat (with a barbell) and working around injuries. I will elaborate on this later.

Conclusion Front Squat vs. Back Squat

In many situations, the Front Squat will be seen as the safe (er) exercise. Why? The Front Squat has a fairly similar training effect to the Back Squat, but with less external load (read back about torso stiffness and the forced “upright posture” in the Front Squat to learn why).

Personally, I regularly implement the Front Squat with my athletes for the reasons mentioned above. And I like to use a lot of variation in implementations/loads here.

We've now covered some of the reasons why and when you might choose (or not choose) the Front Squat in certain situations. Now let's discuss the different ways you can use the Front Squat and adapt it to the situation.

But where do we place the barbell?

It is extremely important that the barbell is placed behind the anterior deltoids. A common problem is that the lifter places the barbell too far in front of the deltoid, which creates a “weak bookshelf” to put the weight on.

The barbell so far in front of the body makes the control of the bar unstable and the elbows are more likely to fall in (internal rotation of the shoulder followed by flexion of the thoracic spine, or Quasimodo or Boze-Kat Syndrome).

To counter this, the lifter places the barbell behind the anterior deltoid. The elbows are not only raised, but also actively pushed out. If possible, keep a full grip on the bar.

Yes, I do know that many people have an 'open' or 'fingertip grip'. Although there is nothing wrong with that, you are giving up stability and control over the barbell.

Grip Variations

Olympic (Clean) Grip: if possible, this grip gives the lifter the best position. The Clean Grip has the most transfer value to other lifts, such as Jerk variations, Military Presses, Push Presses, to name just a few.

The downside? The Clean Grip requires a lot of elbow flexion/wrist extension/shoulder flexion and external rotation and thoracic extension.

For many, addressing mobility issues in the lats and triceps (long head) will have the biggest effect on achieving the Clean Grip. In an ideal situation, the lifter therefore holds the barbell with a 'full grip' and elbows up and actively outwards.

This' spread 'of the shoulders creates a stable platform for the barbell to rest on. If this is not possible, due to mobility restrictions, the Front Squat can still be performed solidly with a fingertip grip (or 1-4 finger hold).

Cross-Faced Grip/Zombie Grip: the Cross-Faced Grip and Zombie Grip do not require elbow flexion/wrist extension, like the Clean Grip does. For this reason, these variations are fantastic for injured lifters and for lifters with reduced mobility (in the regions we've just discussed, among others).

On the other hand, when using the Cross-Faced and Zombie Grips, you do give up stability and control over the barbell (to a certain extent). This can be particularly challenging, especially for beginning lifters. But on the other hand, the lifter is much more limited in their compensation patterns that they can show, so it's a great way to refine squat technique (through the upright position).

‍Strap Grip: Using straps to assist the “front rack” position allows the lifter to perform the Front Squat with more control over the barbell. But less upper body mobility is required than with the Clean Grip.

When difficult to carry out? If you don't have straps!

Reverse Safety Squat Bar Grip: I have to say this is one of my favorite ways to use the Safety Bar. Often, as a trainer, you will hear that lifters complain about the “uncomfortable” feeling of the Front Squat (where the barbell makes contact with the upper body). Using the Safety Bar (on the Anterior Shoulder) gives the lifter a cushion that will almost completely remove the uncomfortable feeling.

Conclusion

There are simply no “one size fits all” methods or exercises. When faced with a dilemma as a trainer or lifter, it is important that you have an enormous database of exercises ready to make the right choice in the right situation.

So are Front Squats the reason for your wrist problems? No (at least, in most cases, no). It is most likely a mobility restriction that prevents the elbows from being placed in the correct position.

Remember; lowering the elbows puts an enormous amount of extension pressure on the wrist (and thus, discomfort and complaint patterns). The Cross-Faced, Zombie, Strap, and Reverse SSB Grips all require far less upper body mobility than the Clean Grip.

There are many variations that you or your customers can use to include Front Squats in your programs. Be open-minded and willing to experiment with variations in different situations. Hopefully, you now have a basic list that you can get started with.

Good luck!