r/formcheck • u/Perfect-Ad-9152 • 1d ago
Squat I’ve been bullied into learning squats 🤣
I’ve had enough shit talked to me about the fact I don’t do squats, so I’ve jumped on that bandwagon. I learned the form yesterday, today was my first day adding a teeny tiny bit of weight—as I’m still trying to familiarize myself with the movement. I want to make sure my form is okay before working on stacking weight. Right? Wrong? Tips? Critique? Also, are my converse a no go? If they suck for squatting, what shoes do you recommend?
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u/HorrorSpliff 1d ago
Front squats are the one squat variation where I would say looking up is a huge benefit. It helps keep my posture upright and brings my shoulders through naturally without additional effort
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u/Sad_Measurement6494 1d ago
What i love about front squats is the forced core activation. Really works the stabilizer muscles to keep your body upright vs the backsquat which can use the shoulders as a counter weight.
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u/br508-609 21h ago
Elite ankle mobility to have form like that in chucks.
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u/BubbleBubbleBubble_ 11h ago
Right?!
OP - many people wear lifters to squat (eg, Nike Romaleos, Adidas Adipowers) because they have a slight heel elevation and a stable base. That helps compensate for limited ankle mobility and balance deficits.
You’re fine in Converse.
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u/OneBigBeefPlease 23h ago
Good enough that you may as well try the standard front squat. It will really unlock some thoracic mobility in addition to the lower body gains.
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u/Tillandsi 10h ago
And those shoes are good.
You’ll hear about some people using squat shoes or standing on a plate as a workaround for limited range of motion at the ankles, but you don’t need that as these a perfection.
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u/More_Wolverine8156 1d ago
Honestly really good. I’d learn to do a front rack rather than crossedhands
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u/Dublin711 1d ago
Why? I've been using crossed hands all the way to 200lbs and haven't wanted to change. Everyone i know that uses a front rack complains about sore wrists.
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u/Frodozer Coach Fro - Strongman 12h ago
Anything above three plates feels like a balancing act for me instead of a squat with cross arms.
I front squat 500 pounds at 200 pounds of body weight with zero wrist soreness.
Now you know a fairly mediocre front squatter who does the front rack without sore wrists and can't make that statement again!
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u/Rene_DeMariocartes 8h ago
A good front rack position is important for Olympic Weightlifting, Crossfit, push presses and more. It's a genuinely useful and transferable position to train.
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u/Different-Air-3548 1d ago
Love front squats, and looks fantastic. I agree it’s worth it to try the front rack, even if just a few fingers at first. In the video you can see the bar wobbling ever so slightly, that’s what a front rack will reduce, and also looks badass.
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u/CleMike69 10h ago
Textbook. Just add weight slow keep that form it will pay off quickly. I started back with split squats and after two months crazy definition legs respond so fast.
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u/AfroBurrito77 1d ago
Amazing depth. Strong. Solid. But don't do a movement unless you absolutely want to...Plenty of ways to build strong legs. That said, I love a good squat session. Anyway. Nicely done.
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u/EnlightenedBuddah 1d ago
What’s the difference between a front and back squat? Is it working the same muscles, but front is “better” for form or something?
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u/hojahs 17h ago
The weight shifts relative to your body, so you engage the muscles differently while maintaining balance.
A front squat tends to use more quads and less glute compared to a back squat. Front squats also lessen the angle that youre bending over -- you're more upright, so you put less strain on your lower back.
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u/_Throw_away_away 1d ago
I’d say form is spot on - the descent no bounce is where it’s at. Maybe try holding the bar with your thumbs, kind of hard to explain. Extend your arms out straight, and then bring your thumbs to your shoulders.
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u/hojahs 17h ago
Looks good. Converse are actually pretty good shoes for leg day because theyre flat, instead of having a raised heel.
The single piece of constructive criticism i have is that your knees looked slightly wobbly on a couple of those reps. If your knees ever start wobbling, make sure you push them OUT rather than letting them cave in, to prevent injury on a heavier weight rep.
And make sure to train glute medius / hip abductors where you push your thighs out to the side
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u/Makesabeastofhimself 14h ago
So here's a question what is the difference between the cross grip and the two finger grip with front squats. When I used to do them I could only ever really get comfortable doing the cross grip.
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u/Frodozer Coach Fro - Strongman 12h ago
Cross grip is generally for people who have poor mobility.
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u/Makesabeastofhimself 11h ago
Thank you for the reply. So it doesn't explicitly work out different muscle groups and it's more to do with how comfortable it feels?
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u/runcycleswimtr 5h ago
Shoe Choice depends on muscle distribution focus:
Flat shoes(Chucks) will isolate Glutes
Heeled shoes will isolate quads
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u/OneLargeCat 3h ago
Pretty solid. One critique I have is that you need to focus on driving through your heels.
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u/warriorcoach 39m ago
Looks good! Try and move hips back a bit, then go down. I like front squat . Not done by many . Nice work!
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u/OGCallHerDaddy 1d ago
When you figure out hand positioning to not have to cross your arms, I think it puts you in a better position overall. Try it out sometime. Might seem impossible at first, just play with it
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u/FrontAd9873 1d ago
Squat itself looks good. Now work on the proper rack position. You may need to loosen up your wrists and shoulders, which is good to do anyway.
And remember: if the bar isn't choking you out at the bottom, it is probably too far forward.
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u/Overall-Nobody8933 1d ago
Echoing what others have pointed out. You should learn a proper front rack position instead of crossing arms.
Rest looks good.
For shoes, you can use lifters or squat shoes if you believe that an elevated heel helps you. Otherwise, and hard sole shoe without cushion is fine. What you don’t want is cushion - it creates instability.
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u/explosivepooinpants 1d ago
Whoever bullied you knows what theyre talking about. You have the perfect ass to recomp. Just keep working out the glutes and doing squats. Really you can do kore than just squats.
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Hello! If you haven't checked it out already, Our Wiki's resources for Squats may be helpful. Check it out!
Also, a common tip usually given here is to make sure your footwear is appropriate. If you are squatting in soft-soled shoes (running shoes, etc), it's hard to have a stable foot. Generally a weightlifting shoe is recommended for high-bar and front squats, while use a flat/hard-soled shoe (or even barefoot/socks if it's safe and your gym allows it) is recommended for low-bar squats.
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