[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJVh_1Z-OLQ[/youtube]
The squats remain the top exercise to do for increasing strength, size and power of your legs and lower body. But in order to fully provide training and further increase resistance, there is the front barbell squats. These exercises also target your quads, as well as your glutes and hamstrings but in a more highly intense technique.
Many people are more comfortable with doing back squats primarily since the barbell rests on the back shoulder muscles, providing better support and strength unlike the front barbell squats where the barbells are balanced in front of the shoulders. Yet this difference is actually what makes this exercise beneficial to some extent.
First, this position demands more flexibility from your arms, wrist and shoulders therefore providing better training. Second, back squats tend to cause your torso to lean forward because of the weight at the back unlike front squats where your upper body remains flat thereby reducing spinal injury.
Front barbell squats may be challenging to do but if you include this as part of your six pack abs exercises, you will truly understand why when there is pain, there is gain.
See the instructional video on front barbell squats first to have a better idea on how they should be done.
Instructions
Preparation
- Set up a barbell with your desired weight and rest it carefully on top of your shoulders and under your chin.
- Cross your arms in front of you to secure the bar in place.
Execution
- Squat down as you would when you’re about to sit on a chair.
- Stop as soon as your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure that as you look down, your knees don’t bend over the tip of your toes. Also, keep your back and shoulders straight as possible.
Return
Carefully go back to your original position.
Repeat
No longer new to this exercise? Share us how you do it by adding your comments below.