RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: Front Squat

What happens when someone has excessive forward lean while performing a back squat? They place a whole lot of torque on their lower back and will probably be crawling around on their hands and knees the next day. What happens when someone performs a front squat with excessive forward lean? They dump the bar on the floor. They may feel a little embarrassed, but they've saved their lower backs. It's hard to front squat poorly. That's one reason to include this exercise in your lower body training regimen. Another reason is that it there is no spinal loading. Now, there are those out there who are only worried about moving as much as weight as possible. So, they will dismiss the front squat because they are not moving as much weight as the back squat. But when you are decreasing the load on your spine and improving your back position with front squats, you may want to think again.