When it comes to strength training, no exercise rules dominant over all other exercises like the squat does. All your power and explosiveness as an athlete comes from the power you can produce with your leg musculature, and having a big strong squat proves to be one of the best sport-specific tools you can have.
But when talking about squats, a debate comes up as to whether a front-loaded squat or a back-loaded squat is best. To start, let's differentiate the two variations from each
other real quick.
What's the Difference Between the Two Variations?
While both the front squat and back squat have a similar movement pattern, and also recruit all the same muscles in some fashion, the way the barbell is loaded on the body very much affects which muscles are emphasized more than the others.
In a back squat, the stimulus is going to be placed heavily on the hips and glutes, while in a front squat, that stimulus is shifted more to the quads, upper back, and core musculature.
Which Variation Translates Best for Athletes?
Athletes are not bodybuilders, so they shouldn't train like one. This means that movements in a strength & conditioning program should be hand-picked based on what translates to on-field performance.
This being said, the needs of an athlete's movements in-game need to be analyzed to pick out the best variation.
Are we working with an overhead athlete like a baseball player who's prone to shoulder pain? Then there's a good chance that shoulder pain will show itself in the back squat due to the hand positioning. In this instance, a front squat may be the better option.
Are we working with a lineman who's primary focus is to be as strong as humanly possible against the opponent standing across from them? Well then back squats will be the answer for this particular athlete, because one will always be able to back squat more than they can front squat.
So, lifting more load = more force being generated = more absolute strength gains.
Transfer to Olympic Lifts
If you're a power athlete, you should be training some variation of Olympic-style lifting in your program. Olympic lifts tremendously improve rate of force development, coordination, balance and many other sport-specific attributes.
It may not surprise you that out of the two variations, front squats are going to translate best to improvements in the Olympic lifts.
So if you're working to build explosive power through Olympic lifts such as the power clean, front squats are going to make a great partner to those movements.
Conclusion
As I stated above, both the back-loaded and front-loaded variations of the squat will work the same muscles. Attributes such as jump power and sprint speed, which are both prominent in most sports, can be improved with both variations.
Either can also be programmed based on an athlete's current block of training. If we're working through a max strength block trying to lift as much weight as possible, then back squats will work great.
If we're working through a power phase where we're looking to improve our positions in the Olympic lifts, then adding in front squats will work well for that phase of training.
Picking which variation works for you and your sport will depend on your goals and movement patterns of your sport. At the end of the day, the main movements that are being performed on the field, court, mat etc. are the main focus for improvement above all else.
Want more info? Check out our full video on this subject
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