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The Secret to Super Strong Legs |
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Written by Superhuman
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Friday, 18 January 2008 |
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Front squats build the quads like no other exercise,
according to strength coaches Mike Waller and Rob Townsend. They’re easier on the spine than back squats because they place the spine in a more upright position and don’t flex the trunk as much. In fact, you’ll drop the weight to the floor if you hunch over or drop your elbows. Also, front squats serve as a gateway to fun lifts such as cleans, snatches and overhead squats. The technique sounds easy: grasp the bar toward the end of the fingers using a clean grip (bar at shoulder level with palms out) and rest it on your upper chest and front deltoids. Keep your chest out, elbows up and shoulder blades slightly together. Take a comfortable shoulder-width stance with your feet pointed out no more than 30 degrees. Descend by sticking your butt back and keeping your spine neutral and chest out. Try to squat “between your legs” and “spread the floor” with your feet. The movement should hinge at your hips rather than your back. Your goal is to break parallel. The initial depth of your front squat is determined by your ability to maintain proper spine and hip positions. Hinge at the hips during the “up” phase of the lift, while maintaining a neutral spine with chest out and shoulder blades drawn together and head neutral. Push through the middle of your feet and don’t rock forward on your toes. Learn this exercise with a broomstick or dowel using high-rep sets before progressing to an Olympic bar and plates. This lift takes time to learn, but it’s worth the effort. (Journal Strength Conditioning, 29: 14–19, 2007)
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