What is the Difference between Front Squats and Back squats?
This is a common question we get as Physical Therapists, especially within our crossfit population. It is a good question and in this blog, we look to compare and contrast the difference between the front squat and a back squat.
** image from google images
Front Squat:
The front squat gets its name from the barbell being on the front of the deltoids (shoulder muscles) in the “front rack” position.
Both squats target similar muscle groups but the front squat will increased demand on the core, upper back muscles and quadriceps muscles. This may limit the overall amount of weight someone can lift if they do not have adequate upper body strength.
The front squat is going to require more mobility in the lats, thoracic spine and ankles to maintain proper form, which is why many people choose not to do front squats.
Back Squat:
With a back squat, the bar is generally placed on the upper traps and will increase demand on hamstrings and glutes more than a front squat.
The back squat is a staple of almost any gym program because it tends to be slightly less technical and less demanding on the upper body musculature.
It is easier to load heavier weights onto the bar because the upper body doesn’t have to work as hard to stabilize the weight.
Do we need to program both?
There can be a benefit to working in both variations of squat and one is not necessarily more superior than the other. However, if you are a crossfit athlete, you may want to prioritize front squats as it will carryover into your ability to perform heavier cleans and overhead positioning.
If you are someone who is new that is getting into the gym, we would recommend the back squat, or even squatting to a box in a back squat position before transitioning/adding front squats into your program.
If you are a high school athlete considering playing in college, it may be wise to work both squat variations as both forms as widely used in college sports.
Overall, it is good to mix in both variations of squats, but at the end of the day, if you have some sort of squat in your resistance training program, you are going to see results in muscle development and improvements in overall function!
Sources:
Bautista, David et al. “A Comparison of Muscle Activation Among the Front Squat, Overhead Squat, Back Extension and Plank.” International journal of exercise science vol. 13,1 714-722. 1 May. 2020, doi:10.70252/BTUH3630
Enes, Alysson et al. “The effects of squat variations on strength and quadriceps hypertrophy adaptations in recreationally trained females.” European Journal of Sport Science vol. 24,1 6–15. 30 Jan. 2024, doi:10.1002/ejsc.12042