Hi,


Just wondering which is better in the long run? Don't have a squat rack in my gym so I'm doing a front squat with barbell clean. Sometimes if the smith machine is free I do rear squats instead and I can add more poundage (front squats not so much).

Did some research said front squats might hurt the hamstrings as it put them in a contracted state, wondering is this true cuz I just recovered from a hamstring injury and I don't wanna go and bust it again.

same situation with my gym. no squat rack. i wanted to use the smith machine, but they put a bench press seat under it. I dont think Im allowed to move the bench press seat in the gym. to make things worse, according to the sticky, there is no exercise which can replace squat which is one of the fundamental elements in bodybuilding. where do you train bro?

This post has been edited by Mihawk7: Dec 14 2011, 01:11 PM

front squat are more emphasize to quads
back squat are more to hip and posterior muscles ....

So I have to do both front and rear squats then eh?

you can do both but not on the same day. if your gym doesn't allow you to do backsquat, then just go do front squat lo. highly recommended for athletics. are you an athletic?

p.s. i squat 2 plates, but front squat only 160lbs :I so yeah, not being able to lift what you are suppose to could be quite a blow.

p.p.s poor form/stretching/warmups = injury. go figure why you get hamstring injury.

Just move the bench aside, do your stuff. When done, put it back. What's the big deal?

gee, that thought never crosses my mind

Lol before my gym had a squat rack , I used the incline bench press as a squat rack . Another time was when i place two of the "weight hangers" (where u hang weights on it) and made them into a squat rack.

I have read somewhere before that Front Squat carries over to your Back Squat lifts, of course I do not have any citation but if you lurk more around the Internet you will bump into it. When you are talking about Back Squat, do you mean low bar or high bar? Low bar Squat tend to have higher weight while Higher Bar tends to feel more natural and i feel less stress on my back compared to low bar. If too much machine in your gym without ample support of free weight training area try look for other gyms in your area, personally im not a big fan for gym filled with machines. I feel like machines are more suitable for rehab center

1) Front Squat does have a a carry over to back squats, but quite negligible. It is somewhat similar to a high bar squat but in terms of overall carry over, don't expect too much. It is however, one heck of a quad buster.

2) Low Bar Squats vs High Bar Squats. I'd prefer to let the video do the explanation.

In terms on how each feels, it really depends on how you're built, different limb lengths, leverages etc.

3) I agree.

It's not a good gym if it doesn't even have a squat rack, sad to say. It irritates me every time I visit a gym (some with good reputation here in Penang) and it doesn't even have a squat rack. I don't think it's ever replaceable with the smith machine, it just doesn't feel the same.
Anyways I'm moving to Sg Long/Cheras soon, does anyone have any good gym to recommend me? I don't care about the machines and cardio equipments just make sure the squat rack's available! Thanks in advance!

Final Gym in Mahkota Cheras and Average Joe Gym in Sg Long. Both have squat racks, though Final Gym has more weights and much heavier dumbbells. I've been abroad since last September, but I'd wager the gyms haven't changed that much.

Cheras perdana has two gyms that are very well equipped. It's among the shops next to Carrefour.