How much should I be able to Front Squat
Have you started Front Squatting yet? Very often athletes who start adding the Front Squat to their strength training programs start asking the question ‘How much should I be able to Front Squat?’
Very often they know how much they can Back Squat ad want to know how much they should be able to Front Squat.
By the end of this video and article you will know
- how much should you be able to From Squat
- what are considerations to determine how much you should be able to Front Squat
- how much should I be able to From Squat a question of benchmarking
This article discusses
First things first, if you want to know how much you should be able to Front Squat or answer the question what is a good Front Squat weight, you need to star dominating the technique.
How much should I be able to Front Squat? Start with proper technical execution
If you have read any of my articles before, that the first stage In my training is optimizing and perfecting technical execution.
I have outlined that athletes can increase their strength levels simply by optimizing their technique in the articles
Without a proper technical execution, you will get to the limit of what you are capable of Front Squatting quite quickly. And that is not based on strength, but much rather on the inability to apply the strength effectively and efficiently.
Without a proper technical execution, you will get to the limit of what you are capable of Front Squatting quite quickly.
Consequently, before worrying about how much you can Front Squat, get the technique sorted. Get the technique right, and the weight will follow.
How much should I be able to Front Squat? A question of benchmarking
I believe benchmarking is a good thing and gives athletes guidance on what they should strive to progress towards.
Benchmarking, in my opinion, is not necessarily about chasing numbers, it’s a structured approach to getting from point A to B and then from point B to C and so on.
Benchmarking is not about chasing numbers, it’s a structured approach to getting from point A to B and then from point B to C.
We use benchmarking all the time, with our younger athletes who just start out engaging in strength training, we benchmark the Front Squat technique and evaluate the key points of the technical execution.
Once all boxes are checked on the Front Squat technique we add extra weight, that can start with an unloaded bar and progress to extra resistance, which is most of the times as little as 40% of their body weight.
After the athletes have successfully mastered
- squatting their bodyweight
- Front Squatting with an unloaded bar
- Front Squatting 40% of their body weight
The athletes are working towards the benchmarks I have outlined in the article What Do Front Squats Develop and Why You Need To Do Them
Have a look at the table below
Front Squat strength standards
Please note, that proper technical execution of the Front Squat technique remains of highest priority.
Check out this Front Squat of 2-time World Champion in the Track Cycling Team Sprint Roy van den Berg, which demonstrates good technical execution and a more than 2-times body weight Front Squat.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BorjvbxiF7h/
If you want to determine your 1RM Front Squat, you can obviously do a 1RM test, however, if you aren’t familiar with 1RM testing, you can use different alternatives to determine your 1RM, as I have outlined in the article 4 Methods to Calculate your Front Squat max.
How much should I be able to Front Squat for my sport?
The numbers I have outlined above are general guidelines, some athletes might be able to do more, some athletes might be able to do less.
The demands of your sport dictate how much you should be able to Front Squat.
If you engage in a sport that is strength and power determined, you need to have high strength levels in order to be competitive.
I have outlined the approach and case studies, that I am using with my BMX riders and Track Cyclist, which are very strength and power determined sports in the article
I am using a different approach with my Mountain bike athlete and tennis players since the demands of their sport are different.
How much should I be able to Front Squat compared to my Back Squat?
This is also a very common question, where athletes are looking at the ratio between Front Squats and Back Squats.
I have outlined in the article Back Squat vs Front Squat ratio: What percentage of your Back Squat should you Front Squat? how you can actually use your 1RM Back Squat to calculate your 1 RM Front Squat, of course, this can only serve as a guideline, but it’s better than nothing and is very helpful for practitioners.
This Front Squat to Back Squat ratio is highly individual and I can’t give you a number, but I can give you a range.
The Front Squat to Back Squat ratio is highly individual.
For most athletes, the Front Squat 1 RM is around 80 – 90% of the Back Squat 1RM, which means if you are able to Back Squat 150 kg, your Front Squat 1 RM is most likely around 120 kg (80% of 150 kg) and 135 (90% of 150 kg). However, the article mentioned discusses this topic and important considerations in further detail.
I further recommend this article What is an RM Back Squat? for a better understanding on 1 RM testing, multiple RM testing and ways to evaluate strength levels.
Concluding How much should I be able to Front Squat
Benchmarking the Front Squat and the weight you are able to Front Squat is an important process in your training, it will give you a guideline where you are and where you need to go.
However, there are a few factors that influence how much you should be able to Front Squat.
You need to have and be able to demonstrate proper Front Squat technique and continuously work on consolidating proper Front Squat technique and you need to look at the demands of your sport, not all sports are created equal, some require more strength levels than others.
