Back Squats vs Front Squats
Is one better than the other? No!
Athlete’s should be performing both movements at different stages of their programs.
While they are both similar movements there are a few key differences between Back and Front Squats:
Muscular recruitment:
Back - Posterior chain muscles (glutes, hamstrings) as the movement has more torso lean and hip hinge.
Front - Anterior chain muscles (quads, abdominals) as the movement has an upright torso.
Programming:
Back - Any desired rep range, we use these mainly during the first few blocks of the off-season when the volume/reps are higher.
Front - We tend to not exceed 8 reps with front squats. Athlete’s upper backs fatigue before their legs do, their technique will drop off if we push the reps too high. We use these more so in the later stages of the off-season as the reps drop.
Loading Parameters:
An athlete should be able to front squat ~85% of their back squat. This a good general rule of thumb assuming the athlete is without mobility restrictions or injury.
Let us know which squat you like to do better, and why!
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