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WeirdAl
12-19-2002, 12:09 PM
Anyone care to give me some pointers on doing front squats? The weight I can do on them is fairly limited by how awkward it is to have the bar across my shoulders. I'm doing them with my hands crossed in front of me to create a ledge for the bar.

goldenear
12-19-2002, 01:01 PM
Here's a little trick that I use. Instead of just grabbing the bar with all four fingers on top and thumb underneath, I hook each pinky under the bar (just like the thumb position). This really helps lock the bar tight to your neck.

I've rep'd 365 doing this. Would like to start rep'ing 405 this next year, lol.

kydquick43
12-19-2002, 01:25 PM
Try them on the Smith Machine. Should help out with the awkwardness and your form should be better till you get the hang of it then try free weights

WeirdAl
12-19-2002, 01:48 PM
My form is ok, and I really like the feel in my legs - good concentration on the quads, and I can go really deep... I just couldn't get myself to do 225 lbs because of my shoulders - ended up finishing at 185lbs.

WeirdAl
12-19-2002, 01:49 PM
How should my arms be? Elbows straight out in front of me, or at my sides?

deltachistud
12-19-2002, 02:58 PM
if you always feel like your going to fall forward, then put two 5 pound weights on the ground and keep your heels on them, it will help you stay stable well doing them, before i started doing that, i couldn't heavy b/c i thought i was going to fall. just a little trick

goldenear
12-19-2002, 05:54 PM
Originally posted by WeirdAl
How should my arms be? Elbows straight out in front of me, or at my sides?

They have to be out in front...that's what keeps the bar from rolling down your arms. And I wouldn't elevate my heels while doing fronts because fronts by their very nature place a lot of stress on the medialis area (knee). Anything additional and you're asking for trouble in the long run.

WeirdAl
12-20-2002, 11:43 AM
Ok, I'm doing them with my elbows in front of me... Basically the bar is killing my delts. I did them wednesday, and still have big (sore) knots from them. And it sucks to be limited to about what I can military press (about body weight) for reps.

Any tricks to prevent the pain?

intense
12-20-2002, 12:19 PM
wrap a beach towel between the bar and delts. Hold it like your about to clean the barbell overhead and do them that way.

goldenear
12-20-2002, 01:36 PM
Originally posted by WeirdAl
Any tricks to prevent the pain?

Build bigger delts, lol. Or, as soon as you get a 60" chest, you could simply rest the bar on your pecs! You do get used to the exercise and it won't bother you after a while.

midwtchamp
12-20-2002, 03:39 PM
Front squats are good bro...I would just do hack squats works the same thing except for the shoulders and stuff.....

WeirdAl
12-20-2002, 05:30 PM
we have one hack squat machine (hammer strength), but I just feel like I'm getting a better workout on front squats for some reason. I'd really like to do them - just started doing them instead of the hack squats.