HOW DO FRONT SQUATS

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 7/24/2008 1:07am

Not to derail, but the last time I tried to do front squats, they wound up becoming Zerchers. How do you guys avoid strangling yourselves with the barbell?

**Teh El Macho** · Posted On: 7/26/2008 10:03am

Pulled from My 8 Week Fight Prep - No BS Martial Arts

I thought the topic is good enough to be in its own thread. The tip is to keep the bar in the cravice of your shoulders; I have some pictures explaining how to place the bar in place, but I gotta run for now. I'll be back later.

**DannyMac** · Posted On: 7/26/2008 11:03am

I found the same problem when I tried to do them the "easy" way by crossing my arms over the bar. Once I forced myself to get enough wrist flexibility to squat with a legal olympic hold, I found it to be easier to keep the bar in the groove.

For example:

**theotherserge** · Posted On: 7/26/2008 12:55pm

hands crossed high on your chest -fingers over your clavicles-like you're going to be buried at sea. Once you get your body positioning/balance/leg-drive et al, then you can add on hand grips

**Happy Panda** · Posted On: 7/26/2008 5:01pm

Just do it like the Oly lifters do. If you feel like your wrists are going to break, you probably don't have your elbows high enough.

**partyboy** · Posted On: 7/26/2008 5:52pm

I cross my arms, with my elbows up. Like this chick:

it gives me just enough space to breathe and I don't have to worry about limp-wrist strength when I'm doing 225+

**bitparity** · Posted On: 7/27/2008 5:24pm

On a related note, I'm completely unable to achieve a proper power clean grip for either cleans or front squats. I've tried tricep/wrist stretching but I wonder if having shorter meatier arms makes it more difficult.

Also, I know the bar is supposed to rest on my shoulders, but inevitably it feels like it's going to crack my clavicle. What am I doing wrong here?

**Happy Panda** · Posted On: 7/27/2008 5:48pm

Originally Posted by bitparity

Also, I know the bar is supposed to rest on my shoulders, but inevitably it feels like it's going to crack my clavicle. What am I doing wrong here?

I don't know since I can't see you, but I'm willing to bet you just need to get your elbows higher. Seriously, that fixes a lot of the problems that people have with it.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 7/27/2008 5:59pm

I got some pictures of my current front squat form.

Notes:
-the lawn wasn't flat left-to-right
-I don't actually use that barbell for anything
-stop looking at my butt and/or junk

-I can't get my elbows up any further without jamming the bar into my throat
-When I squat, my torso tilts forward and, as a consequence, so do my arms
-The contact between calf and hamstring is a hard limit on how far my knee can flex without hyperextending (see this)

**Happy Panda** · Posted On: 7/27/2008 6:28pm

Your problem is the way that you're descending. You're leaning forward like a normal parallel squat, and that's not gonna work with front squats. You want to keep your back as upright as possible and squat straight down rather than sitting back. Angling your feet out slightly will help as well.

Try squatting all the way down (without the bar) like a Hindu squat, but with your heels planted. If you can do that comfortably, you should be able to do front squats fine.