Front Squatting: Mobility

By STEVE KPA

Did you know?

One way to develop front rack flexibility is to practice it; have a friend help drive your elbows up for assistance.

You know how to perform a front squat. You knowwhy you should be doing it regularly. Now we have to deal with the pains associated with the front squat that may prevent us from doing then well (or at all). A widespread fault among the fit is the thin patience and scarce vigilance to perform self-maintenance on joints and muscles. Admit it: we are all guilty of this crime. However, just as the front squat should be a regular component of your program, so too should mobility work. Without stretching and myofascial release, you will not go far with the front squat –or with building strength in general.

“I’m not flexible enough to front squat…”

As previously stated, the front squat should be performed with the clean grip front rack position as opposed to the crossed-arm front rack position. Aside from the stability issue, the crossed-arm position also changes the dynamic of the front squat. As stated by Bill Starr of Ironman Magazine:

Your shoulders must be flexible enough to rack the bar across your front deltoids so that your triceps are parallel to the floor. The form often shown of a bodybuilder crossing his arms to hold a bar while he does front squats is not acceptable. Since you can’t lock the bar in place, you can’t use much weight. Thus it becomes an auxiliary exercise rather than a primary one.

Whether or not you possess this flexibility largely affects the entire front squat movement from improper thoracic rounding to hyper protruding knees. If you find yourself lacking the flexibility to perform a proper front squat, here are a few sources to begin developing the mobility to do so:

Fixing the front rack position

• Straight from MobilityWOD, Kelly Starrett puts forth a comprehensive guide to improving positioning in order to reduce pain so that the front squat can be optimized. As a coach or an athlete, keep it simple and address the specific pain or problem area accordingly. In this case, consider whether it is a question of one of the following:
  • thoracic extension
  • shoulder position
  • wrist flexibiliy

• Developing wrist flexibility

  • Nicole DeHart of Crossfit Invictus provides supplementary exercises to strengthen and mobilize the wrists.
  1. Wrist rotations
  2. Planche push-up position
  3. Front squat rack position (see above)
  4. Static holds
  5. Wrist walks (this may become your new favorite warm-up drill)
  6. Check your keyboard…
  • T-Nation shares an alternative method  that allows for the front squat to be performed optimally without the clean grip and calls for the use of wrist straps.
  
  • Watch this helpful video from T-Nation explaining the advantage of using a wrist strap for the front squat if you are less flexible. The coach also demonstrates the cross-arm grip (and why it is less than ideal) as well as a standard clean grip for the front squat.
  Overall, determine what muscles are tight and holding you back. Wrists (forearm flexors) and lats are often cited as the problem areas. On your own, you can mobilize these areas easily and use the sources above as a starting point. Standard stretches and self-myofascial release with a foam roller are often all that are needed.

  As for your shoulders…

  Goblet squats are a great front squat alternative while you are building up flexibility as well as a warm-up movement for your hips.
  Shoulder tightness/inflexibility can be a more complex issue. Often times the problem lies in the external rotators of the humerus. As Charles Poliquin states, “If you cannot keep the elbows up and in, the external rotators of humerus are too tight.” Having a soft tissue professional may be in line. Methods such as ART (Active Release Technique) can be very effective in increasing the elasticity in the shoulder girdle.
  Remember not to force the front squat into your programming if you lack the flexibility to execute it properly. Rather, try substituting with other variations such as the goblet squat in conjunction with mobility work.

  “Should I use wrist wraps?”

  Wrist wraps are an aid that support the wrist while alleviating the pain that could be brought on by the front rack position, pressing, and overhead squats/snatches. Should they be used for front squats? Many opponents of using wrist wraps for front squats assert that they limit range of motion in the wrist, thus diminishing the conditioning of flexibility required to obtain proper form. Further, as aids, wrist wraps may become a crutch for many and the dependency may inhibit the strength/stability development of the wrist.
  Proceed with caution: Wrist wraps can assist you but should not become a crutch.
  However, wraps do have their place in the front rack position. They are great in providing support for a dynamic exercise such as the clean and jerk. Receiving heavy weight in the front rack position and then transferring it overhead is a highly stressful process for the wrists. So, in high volume, high intensity training situations, wrist wraps can play a very useful role in preventing serious tendon and/or ligament injuries.
  As far as front squats go, if you plan on using wrist wraps just be vigilant of how tightly they are applied. Of course, this is subjective to individual levels of flexibility. Tight to the point that the wrap is essentially acting as a cast is a bad thing as it can disrupt proper mechanics. Progressively loosening them as training sessions increase is a good technique to develop wrist mobility in combination with the stretches previously cited. The goal is to mitigate the need for any wrist aids as strength develops. Used in this manner, wrist wraps can definitely be a helpful tool.

  Mobilizing is a MUST

  Flexibility is a primary element of strength.
  Remember, bad mobility reinforces inefficient mechanics; inefficient mechanics hinder strength development. This principle goes beyond the front squat. If you put as much effort into keeping those muscles loose and those joints mobile, you will experience strength gains. Although strength often overshadows flexibility, in reality flexibility is a primary element of strength. So if you want to reap the benefits of the front squat (i.e., a stronger clean, a stronger thruster, a more stable midline), then mobilize regularly and enjoy the rewards.