The squat: one of the most basic exercises in strength training, also called “the king of the lifts”. Definitely the one that’s the most impressive display of raw power and dominance over your own body and mind. Putting a heavy barbell on your back, squatting all the way down and coming back up on your own is a true sign of strength, both physical and psychological. Squats go way beyond that though; Squats are a MOVEMENT PATTERN. We learn to squat before learning to walk, and unfortunately due to lifestyle changes and due to not utilising our full mobility capacity throughout our lives, most people lost that ability nowadays (squatting deep, I mean).
Amongst many variations of squats, the 2 most common are definitely the Front Squat and the Back Squat, being the Front Squat a little less used (unfortunately) in gyms around the world. I say “unfortunately” because of all the benefits a well-done Front Squat will bring into anyone’s lives. Besides having the same principle (grabbing a bar and squatting up and down), there are some mechanical differences between them that we will approach in this article.
Front Squats x Back Squats:
Although both squats effectively work the lower back, hip, and leg muscles, there are slight variations in technique and muscular involvement. In addition, the maximum amount of weight an individual can lift varies between the two techniques, with increased capacity possible for the back squat. The back squat involves positioning the barbell across the shoulders on the trapezius, slightly above the posterior aspect of the deltoids, and allowing the hips and knees to slowly flex until reaching your mobility limit. The individual then extends the hips and knees until reaching the beginning (starting) position, with emphasis on keeping the back flat, the heels on the floor, and the knees aligned over the feet. The front squat involves the lifter positioning the barbell across the anterior deltoids and clavicles and fully flexing the elbows to position the upper arms parallel to the floor. The descending and ascending motions are much the same as in the back squat.
Because of the bar positioning difference, we have the first mechanical characteristic that applies to them: the Front Squat allows a more upright torso position, while the Back Squat demands a little extra lean forward (none are good or bad, just different). The Back Squat demands “higher average maximum compressive forces on the knee (11.0 ± 2.3 N·kg−1) than the front squat” 1*. There are statistically significant differences in muscular activation of biceps femoris (BF), rectus femoris (RF), semitendinosus (ST), vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and erector spinae (ES), with a tendency to a higher activation of Erector Spinae during Front Squats, and Vastus Lateralis, Semitendinosus, and Rectus Femoris during Back Squats. Biceps Femoris and Vastus Medialis remained similar during both.
In another research, “results showed that the electromyographic activity of vastus medialis was found to be greater in the front squat compared to the back squat during the ascending phase” 2*.
The great Charles Poliquin always mentioned that Front Squats are the exercise that translates best into sports performance, and I absolutely agree with him, given the fact that you have to have much more overall strength (upper body included) in order to perform a good Front Squat. According to his strength standards, a person/athlete needs to be able to perform a Front Squat with 87% of the load of the 1 Rep Max Back Squat, meaning: if you Back Squat 100kg for 1 repetition, you have to be able to Front Squat 87kg for 1 repetition, otherwise that means that your quadriceps are too weak compared to your posterior chain.
“Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, Beardsley C, Cronin J. A Comparison of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyography Amplitude in the Parallel, Full, and Front Squat Variations in Resistance-Trained Females. J Appl Biomech. 2016 Feb;32(1):16-22. doi: 10.1123/jab.2015-0113. Epub 2015 Aug 6. PMID: 26252837.” Found that “There were no statistical (P ≤ .05) differences between full, front, and parallel squats in any of the tested muscles. Given these findings, it can be concluded that the front, full, or parallel squat can be performed for similar EMG amplitudes. However, given the results of previous research, it is recommended that individuals use a full range of motion when squatting, assuming full range can be safely achieved, to promote more favorable training adaptations.”3*
Front Squats x Back Squats: Despite their kinetic differences, both variations are extremely useful for training both high-level athletes and regular gym-goers. Squats are a matter of functionality first, and only then, strength, power, body composition, or any other objective one might have. Think about how many times in your life you sit down on chairs, benches, beds, etc, and how many times you stand up from them on a daily basis. Now answer me honestly: would you like to get t your 70’s not being able to stand up from the toilet without help? Yeah, me neither, and well-performed squats can take care of that, making sure you will be FUNCTIONAL and STRONG throughout your whole life. Make sure you talk to a qualified professional who will assess you and make sure you are doing the exercises that best apply to your needs.
Sources:
1* Gullett JC, Tillman MD, Gutierrez GM, Chow JW. A biomechanical comparison of back and front squats in healthy trained individuals. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Jan;23(1):284-92. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31818546bb. PMID: 19002072.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19002072/
2* Yavuz HU, Erdağ D, Amca AM, Aritan S. Kinematic and EMG activities during front and back squat variations in maximum loads. J Sports Sci. 2015;33(10):1058-66. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2014.984240. Epub 2015 Jan 29. PMID: 25630691.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25630691/
3* Contreras B, Vigotsky AD, Schoenfeld BJ, Beardsley C, Cronin J. A Comparison of Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, and Vastus Lateralis Electromyography Amplitude in the Parallel, Full, and Front Squat Variations in Resistance-Trained Females. J Appl Biomech. 2016 Feb;32(1):16-22. doi: 10.1123/jab.2015-0113. Epub 2015 Aug 6. PMID: 26252837.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26252837/
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