I can almost guarantee you're not front squatting enough or any. For some reason, you don't see many gym goers (especially bodybuilders) using this time-tested exercise.



Crossfit has gone miles and miles towards bringing it back, but if you're not doing crossfit - it's most likely not even on your radar.

This is a shame because if you want to get full body strength build awesome quads sculpt rock-hard abs and save your "tweaked" lower back then you're going to enjoy the front squat.

Here's a couple of reasons why you have to squat for a lean, hard, athletic physique:

1. Get Better Quads - The front squat is an EXCELLENT movement to get bigger, stronger quads-probably the best exercise there is. Because you're position is more upright, it emphasizes the quads more.

2. Get Stronger, More Cut Abs (Core) - Because you're holding the weight in front of your body, and you must remain upright your entire core gets a great workout trying to stabilize the weight and keep you upright. If you find you're leaning forward a lot when you back squat, you'll quickly get stronger and fix this problem if you switch to front squats for a while.

Front squats aren't just good for building a better looking body either! They're also really good at just making you more fit and keeping you more healthy. What good is looking strong if you have to sacrifice your health in the process?

Here's the five other reasons why you should Front Squat for better health:

1. Makes Your Other Lifts Better - Because the bar is placed before you, on your shoulders, the front squat is very much like other exercises and strengthens the "base" of those lifts/presses. Power Cleans, Overhead Presses, Overhead Squats, and the like all share the same "starting" position as the front squat. Getting stronger and more comfortable with Front Squats will help you in those exercises also.

2. Bad Form Gets Self-Corrected - If you're back squatting with bad form you can finish the exercise at the price of causing damage to yourself. The benefit about front squats is the form is self correcting: If you're not straight enough you'll drop the bar if you're not holding the bar correctly you'll drop it if you don't keep your elbows up you'll drop it. It's a physical activity that pretty much forces your form to be great.

3. Less Weight - All in all, if you can challenge your body with less weight (because you're doing a harder exercise) then it is safer. Because the Front Squat is harder than Back Squats you won't be able to lift as much weight. Which means less spinal compression.

4. More Natural Spine Position - You're more upright with the front squat your spine is in a more nonaligned "straight" position. This combined with the fact you're lifting a reduced amount of weight is better for your spine at the end of the day.

5. Lower Back Approved - Most people have lower back problems and back squats exacerbate these conditions. But because your upper body is usually vertical (instead of leaning forward like in a back squat) there's a lesser amount of force on your lower back. I started front squatting after I hurt my lower back.