11-02-20 11:37 AM - Post#904205    

Just watched this video recently put out from Dan and I wanted to expand on it a bit here.

Over the last year the majority of my barbell squatting has been front squats which was a big change for me. I just started up a 531 cycle to go through the winter and chose back squats as it's been a while... over a year I think.

After watching Dan's video I started wondering why did I pick back squats again? Thinking about swapping out the BS for front squats next month and continuing on from there. I do love front squats and prefer them myself; they're actually more comfortable for me from a mobility and technique standpoint.

Has anyone used 531 with front squats? Would the progression still work? I have found front squats don't typically respond to the same protocols as back squats so I'd like some thoughts on progressing them. It would be a good swap to make if I can get the progression right. The last two weeks of hockey have reminded me how good back squats are at frying the legs; front squats have never had that same fatigue effect that makes my legs stop working in sports.

Also, Dan made a comment about back squatting giving distended belly. Never heard of that before. Can anyone comment on that?



Edited by Jordan Derksen on 11-02-20 11:38 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

"Are Front Squats Enough" Video
11-02-20 11:49 AM - Post#904206    

As long as I keep the reps under six, I’d rather do front squats almost universally.

And, this is when generally the crowd begins to gather stones, I’d also prefer snatch grip Romanian deadlifts over pulling from the floor.

Finally, and this is when people aims at me with the gathered stones, I’d rather do inclines presses instead flat bench or standing presses.

• Quoting:

Not Dan, but I think I know where he’s coming from.

At the bottom position of a back squat (specially if it’s a low bar), I find myself with a very protuberant belly due both to the Valsalva maneouver and the incline spine.

Doing extremely vertical high bar squats the belly effect seems to amielorate to some degree (see what I did here?.).

Front squatting almost make that dissapear.

"I think we often spend too much time focusing on max fitness and not nearly enough on maintaining our minimums. It seems we need to think sustainable rather than obtainable. Meaning whatever we do today, we can do it again tomorrow. Never taking so much from ourselves that we can't." Dan Martin

Edited by iPood on 11-02-20 11:57 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.

11-02-20 12:16 PM - Post#904208    

That's the big thing for me with how to progress front squats. I know front squats don't do well with high reps; but my whole training 'life' so to speak I've done back squats and they seem to do well for me in the 3-10 range. 531 in reality actually becomes 10-7-5 with the AMRAP sets. But that just won't work for front squats. I found an older thread on the forum with some ideas: just do 531 sets without the + final set and add some FSL triples or joker sets for heavy singles.

I would actually agree with all of that iPood except that I would prefer overhead press to incline; but I do really enjoy incline.

If all you did was front squats and snatch grip dl's that would be a recipe for a massive upper back.

11-02-20 12:36 PM - Post#904210    

I’m starting 5/3/1 and just finished rereading the original book. Wendell mentions that both front squats and trap bar deadlifts are acceptable. He doesn’t elaborate on any more details.

Distended belly? When I picture powerlifters . .

11-02-20 01:36 PM - Post#904213    

• Jordan Derksen Said:

How about doing 5/3/1 5’s Pro (you do sets of five, irrespective the percentage and use a 80%-85%Training Max) + 5x5 FSL?

"I think we often spend too much time focusing on max fitness and not nearly enough on maintaining our minimums. It seems we need to think sustainable rather than obtainable. Meaning whatever we do today, we can do it again tomorrow. Never taking so much from ourselves that we can't." Dan Martin

11-02-20 01:39 PM - Post#904214    

• iPood Said:

Ya I was thinking something along those lines. I'm currently doing 5's PRO anyway as a way to ease back into things. Nothing like the soreness from jumping back into barbell training after a long layoff and doing an AMRAP set when you are not prepared for it haha.

11-02-20 04:32 PM - Post#904221    

Did 5/3/1 with back squats. Never even thought about it. If I do front squats, I prefer heavy double kettlebells.

01-18-21 07:57 AM - Post#906880    

Front squats are good, since if you can front squat it, you can back squat it, the reverse is not true. Front squats are part of my novice progression - for healthy people under 50. And of course if you can clean it then you can have a full workout with just a barbell, no rack or bench.

Past 50yo, it's asking a bit much of the person's knees and shoulders in many cases.

Powerlifters do not have large bellies from back squatting, they have large bellies from being 300lbs. Superheavyweight weightlifters are the same. You will find the middle and lightweight lifters do not have large bellies unless they're complete newbies.

Athletic Club East Strength in numbers

01-18-21 06:59 PM - Post#906924    

I did FS with 5/3/1. It worked really well.

Thanks for discussing this. I enjoy this kind of information.

Daniel John Just handing down what I was handed down... Make a Difference. Live. Love. Laugh. Balance work, rest, play and pray (enjoy beauty and solitude) Sleep soundly. Drink Water. Eat veggies and protein. Walk. Wear your seat belt. Don’t smoke. Floss your teeth. Put weights overhead. Pick weights off the floor. Carry weights. Reread great books. Say thank you