Squat 101 | Part 1 – Front vs Back Squat

by admin | May 30, 2022 | Workouts

Squat 101 | Part 1 – Front vs Back Squat

Legs are a neglected muscle group by many for one reason – it requires a bigger effort to train them. However, legs form one half of our body and it is really important to train them for two reasons:

Aesthetic physique isn’t possible without training legs
It is good for our general health

The squat is undoubtedly one of the best compound movements to build strength in our legs and make them grow. It is part of the big 3, along with the bench press and the deadlift. Furthermore, it is used by novices, intermediaries, and advanced lifters to reach their goals. Yet, there are a couple of different variations of the traditional squat, and today we are delving deeper into them.

What Is The Difference Between Front and Back Squat?

As we mentioned above, squats require a lot of effort and concentration. Whether you are doing a front or back squat you have to be prepared physically and mentally to get under the bar. The main differences between the two are in the position of the bar and the primary muscles targeted. By changing the position of the bar our torso also changes positions when performing each one of the squats.

The Front Squat targets the quadriceps, the adductors, the glutes, the core, and also the upper back (upper trapezius) of the trainee, however, your hamstrings are NOT significantly contributing to the movement. The exercises can be used as a primary leg movement OR it can be used as an assisting exercise.

The Back Squat on the other side puts our torso in a more horizontally position and allows a bigger range of motion. The Back Squat is splitted into High Bar and Low Bar Squat, which are analyzed in detail here. (insert link for the article) In general, the Back Squat targets the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the glutes, the lower back, the upper back.

In other words, the whole body is engaged when performing a back squat. Another thing to keep in mind is that the front squat puts less pressure on your lower back. The reason for this is because when performing a front squat we are leaning forward less, compared to the back squat. Now, that doesn’t mean the back squat is more dangerous for your lumbar spine. When executed perfectly, the back squat can only strengthen your lower back and it is the same for the front squat.

But you probably wonder…

Which One Is Better For Growing Your Legs?

There is no better exercise than others. In general, if you are looking for optimal strength and hypertrophy in your legs you should go with the back squat. The reasons for that are stated below:

The Back Squat has a bigger range of motion, which means that there are more muscles activated
You can progress on a weekly basis and get to more kgs on the bar, compared to the front squat
When squatting heavy our core is activated more, which is a general benefit

However, that doesn’t mean you should totally exclude front squats from your training routine. Nevertheless, doing both will bring you nothing but welfare. You can implement some heavy back squats (intensity) and some light front squats (volume) for the best results. Your legs will grow IF you are eating optimally and are progressively overloading the weight on either exercise.

Final Words

Front and Back squats are both awesome exercises to put some muscle mass in our legs. The one isn’t necessarily better than the other and they both should be included in our training for the biggest impact. Share this article with a friend, who might need to read it! The correct term is “split” – Това е и глаголът “разделям” и прилагателното “разделен” (I.e the avocado was split in half)

Squat 101 | Part 2 – High Bar vs Low Bar

by admin | May 30, 2022 | Workouts

Squat 101 | Part 2 – High Bar vs Low Bar

The Back Squat is a fundamental movement for building strength in our legs. It is one of the most difficult exercises out there because it requires physical and mental effort to get under the bar. The form of the Back Squat is hard to master and this is probably the reason why we see so many scared trainees that think squatting is bad for their backs.

Remember that ugly form is what is bad for your back. Performing a perfect deep squat to the ground with your core tight can only benefit your posture and make you stronger. Today, we are investigating further into everything you should know about the two variations of the Back Squat.

What is the difference between High and Low Bar Squat?

While the two types of squat may look almost identical to a novice, there is a big difference between them.

The primary one is in the position of the torso. While doing the High Bar Squat, the bar is placed on our upper trapezius and the torso is more vertical to the ground. With the Low Bar Squat the bar is placed around our back shoulders (deltoids) and the torso is more horizontal to the ground.

This means two things when we perform a High Bar Squat:

There is less work for our erectors (lower back muscles)
There is more work for the opposite of the erectors – our abdominal muscles

On top of that, while doing High Bar Squat, the angle in the knees is smaller, compared to the Low Bar Squat. (if we squat deep) For this reason, the knees go forward and the pressure in the lower back is decreased. With that being said, High Bar Squat uses more of our quadriceps, core, and upper back, while the Low Bar Squat puts more pressure on our erectors and hamstrings.

Which one is more efficient?

Efficient is a subjective term. You can build muscle mass in your body with either variation. As you have learned from the previous paragraph, the difference is in the main muscles involved. If your primary goal is to build strength and add as many kilos to the bar as possible, then the Low Bar Squat is the way to go.

The High Bar Squat has a bigger range of motion and puts less pressure on your erectors. If your goal is general hypertrophy and strength, or you are training the Olympic movements, then the High Bar Squat might be the best option for you. One of the “cons” of the High Bar Squat is that you squat less, compared to the Low Bar Squat.

To make it easier for you:

Low Bar – Strength (1) and Hypertrophy (2)
High Bar – Hypertrophy (1) and Strength (2)

With “1” being the primary target and “2” being the secondary target without excluding the first. You may already have learned this but let’s explain…

Which One Is Safer?

At the beginning of this article, we mentioned that a perfectly performed squat can only benefit you. In general, the Low Bar Squat puts more pressure on our lower back and this may be a reason someone can mark it as “unsafe”. The High Bar Squat is our go-to variation if you want to progress significantly fast and put less stress on your erectors.

Take-Home Message

Both High Bar and Low Bar Squat can be implemented in your training program. They can both be used as primary leg movements and also as assisting ones. Use them wisely, according to your goals. Thank you for reading this article and now, get under the bar!