Like earlier posters said, it does depend on what you’re looking for, but for most people, overhead squats are next to worthless for strength development, You just can’t load it. But there is another contender for the number one lower body training … Coming off my second shoulder surgery, I am sensitive to this issue. Overhead squat (with wooden dowel) Goblet Squat ; These are the exact exercises I get my athletes to go through to assess whether they’re ready for front squatting. The overhead squat (OHS) is similar to the front squat in that it's the position assumed when an Olympic lifter recovers from the snatch. Yet, the recent resurgence of Olympic Weightlfting has given the front squat […] Generally speaking the first 12 months my athletes do only Overhead Squats and Front Squats and then I start to introduce the Back Squat. Improving Your Overhead Squat Or Front Squat. It's important, though, that you start with basic positioning. The problem with the Overhead Squat, however, is that the lower body is much stronger than the upper body and you won’t be able to set a stimulus to develop strength and / or power, or gain muscle mass. Most people struggle with at least one of these mobility and stability issues: 1. Well said. A rigid thoracic spine that can't extend. (2009), which concluded that the more upright position … This may mean using dumbbells instead of a barbell when benching or front squatting instead of overhead squatting. 2. The exception to this rule would be some Chinese Olympic Weightlifters who are so efficient at the Overhead Squat that they can use more weight than they can on the front squat. An overlooked component here is shoulder health. The back squats vs front squats showdown has not disappointed! Oh, and 15 is a lot of reps in my opinion! This was shown in a study by Gullett et al. A key difference however is the stress upon the knees. June 25, 2018; ... Front Squat vs Back Squat – Both are great movements. Squats vs Lunges: What Exercises are Better and Effective. Front vs Back Squats. The fact that you will probably front squat less than you back squat should leave you with enough energy to get in some sets of overheads. There are three common squat variations – the back squat, front squat and overhead squat – all of which have their individual uses and benefits. To be clear, back squats still has it's advantages over front squats, and Let's take a look at how front squats stack up against back squats, and which variation of the exercise is better suited for your goals. ... and it actually reproduces injury mechanisms at the shoulder and elbow in overhead athletes. What sport are you trying to improve? Like I suggested earlier, Zercher squats are great for those avoiding injuries, who want to try a different squat variant, and if you are looking to build up your front squat. Another squat variation you can use to shake up your leg workouts is box squats. A front squat is supported across the front of your shoulders and chest with your hands holding the bar palms facing up and your elbows forward. The pros and cons of using the Back Squat vs Front Squat ratio. I advocate them only because it’s how I personally train and therefore it’s all I really know. Most coaches will cover the differences and think about the commonalities of back and front squatting with the overhead squat. In terms of variations, there are numerous ways to load up a typical squat including a barbell on the back, in front, or overhead. In the process, an athlete is given a counterbalance to allow for a better posterior weight shift, which improves squat depth. Equally, there are many ways to perform the overhead squat: Dumbbell overhead squat . The argument I used above for the Front Squat vs Back Squat, can also be used as an argument for the Back Squat. The Front Squat, however, including the Handsfree Front Squat allows you to lift fairly heavy loads once you get over the initial discomfort and get used to the exercise. Overload the lower body and train a strong hip extension, chose the Back Squat, Overload the anterior chain chose the Front Squat, Work on squatting form and train the lower body chose the Handsfree Front Squat, Learn, acquire and consolidate squatting form, chose the Overhead Squat. One one leg day have the back squat be your demon. The squat comes with a slew of variations and techniques that cater to all athletes from the Powerlifting, Weightlifting and CrossFit community. At the moment the video was taken, his 1RM Back Squat of 220 kg, which equates to 72,7% of his 1RM Back Back. In my opinion, a better way to it is to determine what we want to achieve and then select the appropriate exercise. Instead, they ask “which is better, front squats or back squats? The front squat and especially the back squat are much more lenient and you can get away with less than perfect form. A key component of keeping that bar above the midfoot during any squat. Many athletes, especially overhead athletes such as baseball, lacrosse and volleyball players, deal with cranky shoulders that can get irritated by Back Squats. Quadriceps. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly turned … What sport are you trying to improve? 3. As has been said by most others in the thread, each man should pick his poison ultimately considering his end goal. Have you heard that Front Squats are better and you have asked yourself, Why Front Squats are better? If you are interested in targeting the posterior side as well, the Back Squat is a great exercise to do that. Why Front Squats are better than Overhead Squats – Front Squats vs Overhead Squats. But you should use other types of Squatting more. If an athlete has a poor upper back posture—read, kyphotic spine—it’s going to be really tough to for them to squat heavy in an overhead position. by Steve Theunissen December 11, 2020. written by Steve Theunissen December 11, 2020. All squat variations require a bit … In all squats, ankle mobility and calf flexibility can be an issue. Front Squat Variations Elevated heels front squat. When you get stronger, you will get to a point, where your lower body is able to squat more than your upper body can possibly carry. It is true, that the Overhead Squat trains the movement pattern of the squatting technique better than any other strength exercise. Be warned I participate in both powerlifting and Olympic lifting comps so my advice is probably best taken in with that in mind. Overhead Squats limit the load that you can use so much that you can’t really build strength effectively using overhead squats. The front squat can strengthen the abs, whereas an overhead squat targets the core. Overhead Squats are good for improving your snatch and improving “core strength.”. But I have also mentioned before that the limiting factor in the Overhead Squat is the upper body and more specifically the strength of the upper body. Traditionally, the back squat has reigned supreme. Back squats engage your hamstrings and glutes more, while front squats are best to target your quads. However, the authors of the study were quick to note that the differences were a small, albeit significant, 2%-7% difference. This is also the reason why we use the Handsfree Front Squat vs the Back Squat with our young athletes that start engaging in strength training because it teaches them to learn and acquire the right squat technique. No-arms Front Squat (arms extended in front of body, not holding bar) 5. In reality I think your best bet is to perform both front squats and back squats at different times in your long-term training program. In fact, athletes from every sport and discipline use some version of this exercise to tone their legs and abs, strengthen … OVERALL STRENGTH & HIP EXTENSION. Number one, back squats build a tremendous amount of strength in the muscles that extend … The balance that you will begin to get from doing overheads is second to none and yes eventually you can go a bit heavy on them too. Not too bad I would say, he would not be able to hold that weight over his head and squat. That is, why we use the Front Squat, especially the Handsfree Front Squat to teach proper squatting form under heavy loaded conditions (I will explain that further down in the Front Squat vs Overhead Squat discussion), have a look at the following example how we use the Handsfree Front Squat to improve squatting mechanics. The Front Squat offers more benefits if you want to target the anterior chain and for learning and acquiring proper squatting technique and squatting mechanics. 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