The battle of the squats, it is almost like the battle of the sexes, but cooler. On one hand, one of these squats one can do more weight, the other is harder to do. So which one is better? The front squat or the back squat? If you read the other "vs" article you would know what I am about to tell you, it all depends on what your goals are. In that case, let's dive into what a front squat does vs a back squat.
The front squat is arguably the harder of the two because one cannot do as much weight as the back squat, but in reality the front squat is easier to perform because of the natural movement of a body weight squat. The muscles activated in the front squat are the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, and the core. The front squat has less moving parts than a back squat, there is less hip hinge and the arms do not have to be positioned behind the body. The front squat is easier to learn and is arguably safer for those who have shoulder/elbow restrictions. The bar must be positioned in line with the mid-foot (further explanation on this here:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTr3L_vLal0&t=151s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTr3L_vLal0&t=151s</a>. Front squatting also engages the quadriceps more than the back squat does. If one wants a squat variation that is more quad focused, then the front squat is the one for them.
The back squat is the more popular variation of the two. When someone tells their friends that they have squats on a particular training day that person more times than not will imagine the person doing back squats. The muscles activated in the back squat are the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals, and core. In the front squat the quads are the focus, while in the back squat the hamstrings/gluteals are activated more. The back squat there are more moving parts in it than the front squat. After unracking the bar one has to set their feet and then perform a hip hinge before starting their decent. Without the hip hinge proper depth of the squat will not be reached or injury may occur. The lumbar spine will also be under more pressure in a back squat than a front squat. With that being said one should take more time perfecting their back squat before any heavy weight is performed.
There are both pros and cons to each type of squat. The front squat is easier to master, but less weight can be lifted. The back squat is harder to master, but more weight can be done. The core is activated on both lifts so stabilization in the core is very important before moving any heavy weight. Whatever squat variation one choses one thing can be assured, and that is the person is not skipping leg day!
