How To Front Squat Heavier

Are you currently Front Squatting and know the feeling of being under the bar and the bar just pushes you into the ground and you feel like you can do anything against it?

You ask yourself how to Front Squat heavier or simply how to lift more load in the Front Squat?

The video and article show you

– immediate fixes

– some quick fixes

– and some fixes for that take a little bit longer to Front Squat heavier

Immediate Fixes How To Front Squat Heavier

This is what we are all looking for, we snap with the finger and we are able to Front Squat heavier.

One aspect I have seen over the years, that athletes do not always apply themselves fully to a lift. They are chatting with their training partner until the moment they rack the bar and have it on the front of their shoulder (in the specific case of a Front Squat).

Looking at this scenario, it becomes evident, that this might not be the best preparation for the upcoming set.

If we take a look outside the gym and look at different sports, we can see, that a mental preparation is part of every training or competition. It requires a simple shift in mindset, which actually starts immediately after the completion of the previous set.

An outline of such a routine could look like this:

Start to breathe deeply, diaphragmatic breathing is associated with recovery processes
Confirmation, remind yourself what went well and what needs attention for the next set
Relax for the recommended time interval you have between your sets
Visualize what you want to do in the next set, focus on your goal, this can include technical aspects, lifting as fast as possible or simply ‘surviving under the bar’ if you are doing max attempts or multiple repetitions working with RM loads
Psych yourself up
Front Squat

Quick Fixes How To Front Squat Heavier

A quick fix can help with a technical flaw or issue during the Front Squat, that can be addressed and adjusted quickly (within a few sessions).

Typical technical flaws can be (but not limited to)

Elbow positions, the elbows drop, and the bar rolls forward on the shoulders resulting in not being able to complete the prescribed repetitions
Holding the bar with your hands rather than supporting the bar on the Front of your shoulders
Squatting too far forward and not being able to achieve full depth. Usually, very knee dominant squatters have difficulties to really ‘sit behind the bar’
Lower back is rounding in the bottom position (also referred to as butt-wink)
Weight distribution on the foot in the bottom position, the weight shifts towards the balls of the foot
Improper breathing mechanics or breathing pattern during the Front Squat

All these technical flaws can be corrected fairly quick depending on the right coaching and coaching cues, as well as the athlete’s willingness to improve and change.

Let me explain, getting the athlete to buy in, isn’t always easy and is highly dependent on the individual.

Possible factors that make the buy in more difficult

the athlete is convinced it’s not going to work out and is internally refusing to believe change is possible
in order to change the athlete would have to reduce the training weight for a few sessions. The idea is taking one step back in order to make two or three steps forward

Long-term Fixes How To Front Squat Heavier

Long-term fixes to Front Squatting heavier are either persistent technical flaws or in most cases just a question of really getting stronger.

In order to get stronger in the Front Squat, you need to

prioritize the Front Squat in your training
have a long-term strength training plan (a minimum of 6 weeks, better 8 – 12 weeks) with structured loading and unloading periods. Within this structured strength training plan, you need to have dedicated training periods focused on hypertrophy and building strength

Concluding on How To Front Squat Heavier

Depending on your weakest link, you can Front Squat heavier within a session, if you develop and apply a structured mental preparation prior to your Front Squat sets.

If you have technical flaws that need to be cleaned up, you can Front Squat heavier within a few sessions.

And if you are lacking strength you need to be prepared to put time and effort into Front Squat heavier.