Squatting is a movement that most people perform on a daily basis and is also an effective leg exercise. There are numerous forms of exercise squats, but barbell back squats and barbell front squats are among the most common. Both of these exercises can help develop leg strength, power and size. For safety, it is best to perform squats using a squat rack. This minimizes your risk of injury while you work out with heavy weights or when training to near muscular failure.
Bar Placement
As the name of each squatting variant implies, back squats involve placing the bar across your upper back, while front squats involve holding the bar across the front of your shoulders. Some exercisers prefer the back squat because the bar rests on a large muscle called the trapezius, which provides a convenient and comfortable pad. Back squats do not require a high degree of upper body flexibility. In contrast, exercisers often find front squats very challenging as the bar position requires a high degree of wrist and shoulder flexibility.
Torso Angle
Front squats use a very upright torso angle. This helps reduce the amount of stress on the erector spinae, or lower back muscles. This upright torso position also means that there is less rounding of the spine which is another common cause of injury when squatting. Back squats generally involve a greater degree of forward torso lean. This means that the hamstrings and gluteal muscles are better able to generate force, but this also increases spinal stress and injury potential.
Foot Placement
Front squats use a hip to shoulder-width stance. This relatively narrow foot placement means that the quadriceps and gluteals must generate the majority of the force in this exercise. Back squats use a wider-than shoulder-width stance. This spreads the load between the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals and adductor muscles. The wider stance allows for greater muscle recruitment, which results in greater loads being lifted. The wide stance back squat is the preferred stance of most powerlifters who strive to squat very heavy weights.
Sporting Carryover
While back squats allow for the greatest amount of weight to be lifted, front squats have the greatest carry over to sporting activities such as vertical jumping. This is because the torso position in the front squat is more natural. If you want to develop pure brute strength, back squats are probably your best choice, but if improved sports performance is your goal, front squats provide a greater degree of functional carryover.
References
- "Anatomy of Exercise: A Trainer's Inside Guide to Your Workout"; Pat Manocchia; 2009
- "Powerlifting"; Barney R. Groves; 2000
- "Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches"; Greg Everett; 2009
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