Does It Make a Difference If You Front Squat vs. Back Squat

When dealing with low back pain it’s important to be smart in how your progress back to barbell training. Today’s post is a clip from our Series PT2GYM with Suarez Sports and Orthopedic Physical Therapy.

In it CDSF coaches Mike Sirani and Dan Jones show you the implications loading a bar on your back vs front has on your spine and core position; and how that can impact how you squat, and where stress is placed during the exercise.

Key Takeaways:

With back squatting upper back and shoulder mobility restrictions as well as poor anterior core control can potentially lead to compensation during the squat, causing you to place extra stress on your spine.

Front loading can actually help facilitate core engagement, therefore allowing you to use the load to your advantage to stay in an optimal position during the squat.