Front Squat vs Back Squat – Which Should You Choose?

Squats are a great exercise for anybody wanting to improve their lower body strength as they enable you to improve the amount of force you can produce through training – which may help athletes to accelerate quicker or jump higher.

The selection of which squat pattern for training remains a common question among athletes and coaches. This is a guide to both front and back squats and which may be the best for your training goal.

Front squat vs back squat

The main difference between a front squat and a back squat is the way the bar is supported by the athlete. The front squat requires the bar to be supported in front of the body, whereas in the back squat, the weight is supported behind the body. Such a subtle difference creates a big variation in how each exercise is coached, how you move under the load and which muscles are recruited.

We’ll break that down in more detail below:

How to perform a front squat:

For a front squat, the athlete can support the bar in the front rack position. This position involves having your shoulders in 90 degrees flexion (arms straight out in front of you), flexing the elbows to position the wrists just above and wider than the shoulder, and extending the wrists so that the bar rests comfortably on the top of the shoulders. The bar need only be supported with 2 or 3 fingers.

If this position is a struggle then the arms crossed position can be used, where the shoulders are flexed at 90 degrees but the bar is supported by each hand by placing them on the opposite shoulder.

The aim is to bend at the knees and hips to lower the body and weight towards the ground to a minimum depth of having the thigh parallel to the floor. The elbows must stay straight in front of you to prevent the bar (and yourself) falling forward. It is important to keep the torso as upright as possible to protect the lumbar spine. The knees should remain over the toe and not cave inwards as this helps to protect your knee ligaments.

How to perform a back squat:

The set up for a back squat involves resting the bar just above the trapezius muscle. This position is then supported with 2 hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

Similar to the front squat, the aim is to bend at the knees and hips to lower the body and weight towards the ground until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. It is important to keep the torso as upright as possible to protect the lumbar spine. The knees should not collapse inwards as this helps to protect your knee ligaments.

Differences in front squat and back squat movement pattern

The front squat and back squat movements are both squatting movements however there is a subtle difference created by the different position of the bar. The back squat typically involves greater forward lean of the trunk because the bar is positioned behind the body’s centre of mass. 

In comparison, the front squat which places the body in a more upright position because of the front rack bar position in front of the body’s centre of mass. 

Differences in front squat and back squat loading demands

The front squat requires the athlete to hold the bar in a front rack position whereas in the back squat, the bar can either be placed in the high bar position (above the trapezius) or in the low bar position (at the bottom of the shoulder). 

The back squat position forces the trunk into a greater forward lean. This means that the hamstrings and muscles of the posterior chain are recruited to a greater degree than in the front squat. Forward lean also increases compressive forces upon the athlete’s vertebrae (the bones are placed under more stress which may not be desirable for athletes in sports where the lower back is already stressed through training). 

Joints worked and ranges of motion

To understand the difference, firstly we must understand what joints and muscles are being used.

Joint	Front Squat ROM	Back Squat ROM
Hips (flexion-extension)	Moderate-High	High
Knees (flexion-extension)	High	High-Moderate
Ankles (flexion-extension)	Moderate	Moderate

Muscles worked during a front squat

• Upper back and core: In the front rack position, the upper back must work to prevent the weight falling forward, whilst the core works to prevent arching of the lower back.
• Quads: They produce extension of the knee, these are the prime movers (main muscles working) during the front squat. 
• Glutes: They produce extension of the hip. The lower the squat, the greater the activation of the glute muscles.
• Adductors: They provide stability around the hips, especially during the bottom position of the squat.
• Lower back: This works to maintain an upright back position.
• Calf: This muscle produces extension at the ankle.

Muscles worked during a back squat

• Lower back and core: They work to hold an upright back position to prevent arching of the lower back.
• Quads: They produce extension of the knee, these are the prime movers (main muscles working) during the back squat.
• Glutes: They produce extension of the hip. The lower the squat, the greater the activation of the glute muscles.
• Hamstrings: These are recruited more during the back squat to help produce greater hip extension movement, because of the greater forward lean.
• Adductors: They provide stability around the hips, especially during the bottom position of the squat.
• Calfs: This muscle produces extension at the ankle.

Considerations when choosing between a front squat & back squat

Mobility

To effectively complete a front squat, it requires good shoulder mobility to hold the front rack position, with heavy loads the arms crossed position can be uncomfortable – back squats may therefore be easier for those with limited training history

Spinal loading

The back squat pattern enables greater loads to be lifted at the cost of greater forward lean increases stress on the lumbar spine. The extra load lifted in the back squat may account for increased compressive forces on the knee, however if trained correctly, the tolerance of these structures to the compressive load can be increased.

Considerations for strength

Both exercises can be weighted heavily to provide a stimulus for strength. To build strength in these movements loads of around 80-85% of 1 repetition maximum may be best suited for prescribing to athletes. Prescription of 1-6 reps at or above this intensity for 1-5 sets is most suitable for developing strength.  This should be varied and progressed with time to maximise long term gains in strength.

Depending on the phase of training an athlete is in may depend on which exercise is best – during periods where athletes in football for example are running more, choosing a front squat may be more suitable to optimise stress on the lower back. However during pre-season it may be more desirable to increase stress on the lower back to improve tolerance to loading for the season ahead.

Considerations for power

The bar position during the back squat provides greater stability, which makes the back squat more suitable for training speed-strength by using variations such as the squat jump using loads of around 30-40% 1RM.

The instability of the front squat bar position affords a little less flexibility in exercise selection however strength-speed may still be trained with loads of 60-80% 1RM.

If velocity-based training is your thing, this corresponds to average bar speeds of around 0.75-0.5 m/s. Around 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps is considered most effective for power development.

Safety

In both squat variations, good form is paramount!

Frequently asked questions on front squats vs back squats

Are front squats better than back squats?

This ultimately depends on what your goal is and what stimulus is required to achieve that goal effectively. Front squats are great for training stabilisation of the core and trunk alongside the lower limb, which transfers well to athletic movements such as sprinting. Stabilisation of the core is an important preventative mechanism for ACL injuries which are common in football for example.

The ability of the athlete in the gym is an important consideration however, as a back squat may be an easier position to achieve. A back squat can be loaded heavier than a front squat, so if developing maximal strength is your intended outcome and the athlete is a competent lifter, then the back squat may be more optimal.

Are front squats worth doing?

Absolutely! Just because not as much load can be lifted when compared to the back squat, there are still many benefits to front squats. Athletes with knee joint injuries can benefit from less compressive forces on their knee but similar quadricep muscle activation. The stabilisation of the trunk also transfers to sporting performance. And if you’re looking to start Olympic lifting, the front rack position transfers well to the catch position in the clean.

What are front squats better for?

Front squats are better for activating the upper back and core. Because less load is lifted, there is less compressive force and therefore the knee joint is less likely to be compromised. Less forward lean in the front squat also means that the lower back is placed under less stress which may be desirable when prescribing squats for bowlers in cricket for example where there are high levels of lower back stress.

Why are front squats so hard?

The front rack position during the front squat can be quite difficult to achieve for beginners because of the mobility needed. Front squats may also feel much harder than back squats because there is greater upper and lower back activation. This is because the front rack position is more unstable and forces you to hold a more upright position so that the bar does not fall forward.

Summary

The front squat and the back squat are both great exercises for developing lower limb strength and power but the subtle difference in bar position changes the outcome and therefore the adaptation. Ultimately, which exercise you use is partly influenced by your technical ability and comfort but it is mainly influenced by what you want to achieve through the exercise and transfer to your sport. 

Related Articles

• What muscles do front squats work?
• Trap bar deadlift vs squat – a scientific guide
• Goblet squat vs back squat – your questions answered

Further Reading

• Coratella et al. (2021) – The activation of gluteal, thigh, and lower back muscles in different squat variations performed by competitive bodybuilders: implications for resistance training
• Gullett et al. (2009) – A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals.
• Yavuz et al. (2015) – Kinematic and EMG activities during front and back squat variations in maximum loads.

Written by Ollie Robinson, BSc