Back Squat vs. Front Squat: What’s the Difference?

While people love to debate about whether the back squat or front squat is “better,” I think there’s a far more important question to ask…

Namely, what are the DIFFERENCES between front and back squatting?

In this short video I break it down for you. Enjoy!

Now that you’ve watched the video, a few quick notes:

  • Sitting DOWN vs. BACK. In a front squat, it’s easier to get the pelvis underneath you, which allows you to sit down. In contrast, when back squatting the weight shifts you forward to some degree, which then forces you to sit back to help counterbalance effectively.
  • Upright vs. Angled torso. With the barbell in front of your body (and at risk of falling off your shoulders!), a front squat keeps you more upright. On the flip side when you’re back squatting, the weight pushes you forward and naturally angles your torso forward a bit more.
  • Anterior vs. Posterior Chain. In a front squat, the combination of sitting down and keeping the torso more upright is going to put more stress on the anterior chain – the abs and quads. In a back squat, where the torso is more angled and you have to sit back further, there’s more stress applied to the posterior chain – namely the spinal erectors, glutes and hamstrings.

As always, I hope you enjoyed the video and learned a thing or two along the way!

All the best,
MR

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