My Quads are weak!

[Tom Cashmore]

Hi Coach; Monday did my regular squat wkout with bench and pulls Squat is going up. I am 53 and doing the intermediate master programming Sully recommends on pg 228/229 in barbell prescription. Currently weigh in at 177-180 lbs @ 5"9 . My lifts last week were squat 145X5 Bench 140X5 X2
Pulls 100X5 (pulls and deads just starting to feel better...neck -trap issue from old busted neck injury)
My question.... quandary is this.. Gym buddy asked if I would like to do some front squats with him that day. I explained...I just finished lowbar back squats..but decided to hang out with him during his sets. I did two sets of just bar just to feel the difference...I was shocked at how weak my quadriceps muscles were in driving up just the bar! Should we ever (Starting Strength lifters..I consider myself part of this crew) do front squats to work quadriceps which are somewhat neglected in low bar squatting??? Or accessory leg extensions? Please advise....

TCM

[Mark Rippetoe]

How have you managed to positively identify the quads as the problem in this completely different and unfamiliar exercise performed at the end of a workout in which your quads already got trained?

[Will Morris]

How have you managed to positively identify the quads as the problem in this completely different and unfamiliar exercise performed at the end of a workout in which your quads already got trained?

I've done front squats exactly 2 times in the past three years. Both times, I was able to fairly easily knock out 315 for a couple sets of 5......both times after I trained, and simply done only to show the Olympic bros that I was stronger in the FS by being stronger in the LBBS.

[Adam Franklin]

Should we ever (Starting Strength lifters..I consider myself part of this crew) do front squats to work quadriceps which are somewhat neglected in low bar squatting???

The knees extend in the low bar squat. There is only one group of knee extensors in the body; the quads. Therefore, your quads are being trained, along with just about every other muscle group, in the (low bar) squat.

[Tom Cashmore]

Yep I understand....Just re-reading SS on pg 17.. I am not strong by any means...working at it of course. ...was just wondering why Fr Squat was so drastically weaker than my reg LB Squat. Still wondering... Should the front squat be in relative strength to ones Low Bar SQ ? Does it matter at all for us who follow the SS template?

Thank you
TCM

[Mark Rippetoe]

Your quads are obviously not the only piece of the front squat kinetic chain.

[XTanuki]

Sounds like this was your first time doing front squats -- think there may have been some inefficiencies due to form?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Surely not! Must be weak quads.

[quikky]

Are you sure your glutes are firing when you're squatting?