But, What Does It All Mean?

I’ll be the first to tell you that this is just fitness and, on one hand, none of it all matters. In that way, there will always be things that come up in our broad spectrum of exercises that don’t fire you up. Whether it’s lack of skill, strength, flexibility, or previous injury, you’ll come across movements that don’t jive with your body.

“UGH! I hate front squats… Based on my goals, I could get everything I want out of fitness without ever doing this stupid movement.”

You’re right. And, to be honest, I don’t care if you never do a front squat (that you don’t want to do as long as you live), but before we move on and never look back, I think there’s more to be gained from this frustration by asking, “Why?”

When you dig in to why the front squat gives you pain or is markedly less strong than, say, your back squat or whatever else leads to your dissatisfaction with it, you’ll find valuable information. Furthermore, this information will be valuable whether or not you do another front squat.

If the front squat gives you pain because you can’t rack the barbell properly, you’ve got key information about a limiting factor in your flexibility. If you’ve got a monster back squat, but a must less impressive front squat it could mean you’ve got tight hip flexors that cause forward inclination or you’ve got generally weak abs or a disproportionally weak upper back. This knowledge is power because it’s not exclusive to the front squat.

Even if you threw out the movement you hate the most, but took the reasons why it gives you trouble seriously, you’d be a much greater force to reckon with. Substitute “front squat” for whatever movement you’d rather ban off the face of the Earth and dig into why you’re allergic to it. You might just be on the fast track to gains in other areas!

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach