Your experiences on Front Squat vs Light Back Squat???

[denbrkln]

I heard you can do either, but what are the benefits of either? Anyone do both? Which one worked better?

[skipbeat]

I'm not at this level of programming yet, so take this with a grain of salt:

Light back squats should help you recover better for your heavy back squats, because you use the exact same muscles in the exact same way, facilitating all around recover.

Front squats use less weight, and shift the weight much more to your quads and upper back. It's kind of how the press and bench alternate on SS, you use less poundage on one lift and that facilitates the recovery.

That said, if you're not interested in oly lifting or learning a new lift, you should just back squat. If you want to do something different and help your oly lifts, try front squat. Personally I'm going to try the front squat just for variety.

[ZKP]

Den

After putting off front squats for years, about two months ago I but the bullet and started really working on my wrist flexibility. The angles on the front squat, along with the relatively lighter weight is easier on my knees and back than normal squats and have been a great addition. I can front squat once my squat 5RM and will hit a 405 front squat sooner than later. IMO let light days happen on their own and push the front squats between back squat sessions. Developing your wrist flexibility for the clean grip is a bitch at first but it's well worth it. Good luck!

[melody]

I have done front squats/press on Wednesdays the last two weeks and my bench presses on friday have been not good. Could be coincidence, next week I'm going to do light squats instead and see what happens.

[denbrkln]

I'm not at this level of programming yet, so take this with a grain of salt:

Light back squats should help you recover better for your heavy back squats, because you use the exact same muscles in the exact same way, facilitating all around recover.

Front squats use less weight, and shift the weight much more to your quads and upper back. It's kind of how the press and bench alternate on SS, you use less poundage on one lift and that facilitates the recovery.

That said, if you're not interested in oly lifting or learning a new lift, you should just back squat. If you want to do something different and help your oly lifts, try front squat. Personally I'm going to try the front squat just for variety.

Yeah I think I'll do front sqts.

[Shion]

No reason to FS unless you're going to oly lift. It'll just take away from your ability to recover if you do still plan to BS heavy. I'd just alternate between heavy and light BSing, just so long as you squat every time you're in the gym.

[Tiburon]

I've tried both in the Texas Method, and prefer doing a light back squat on the "light" day

[Tamara Reynolds]

If you are low bar squatting, I honestly don't see the benefit to a day of front squats unless it is for Olympic lifting. In my experience, there is very little carryover.

[simonsky]

front squat in the same stance as your back squat. it can be used to a similar effect as a safety squat bar where it helps against leaning too much forward in the back squat

[MikeC1]

Why not just high bar squat.