My Front Squat Harness Project

[sthompson@getstrength.com]

Front Squat Harness World Records

After having a bit of fun setting these targets I have put together a 12 week Training Program purely based upon increasing my 1RM in the Front Squat with the Harness. Please note: a Full conditioning/foundation base has been put in prior starting this cycle.

A basic westernized Strength Cycle would look like this:

4 weeks of 8 reps
4 weeks of 5
4 weeks of 3
Record Attempt

What I have tried to do is mix a basic westernized Strength Cycle with Eastern methods (Louie Simmons)

After setting a 1RM in the Front Squat with a Harness the program template would like this:

Week 1 Monday – Squat Option Max Effort 5 Reps
Week 2 Monday – GM Option Max Effort 5 Reps
Week 3 Monday – Deadlift Option Max Effort 5 Reps
Week 4 Monday – Squat Option Max Effort 3 Reps
Week 5 Monday – GM Option Max Effort 3 Reps
Week 6 Monday – Deadlift Option Max Effort 3 Reps
Week 7 Monday – Squat Option Max Effort 5 Reps
Week 8 Monday – GM Option Max Effort 5 Reps
Week 9 Monday – Deadlift Option Max Effort 5 Reps
Week 10 Monday – Straight into Front Squat re: below
Week 11 Monday – Straight into Front Squat re: below
Week 12 Monday – Straight into Front Squat re: below

Squat Options Straight Weight/ Bands / Chains/ Weight Releasers

Squat
Box Squat
Belt Squat
Safety Squat Bar
Cambered Bar
Suspend Chains Squat
Cambered Safety Squat Bar
Front Squat no Harness

Goodmorning Options Straight Weight/ Bands / Chains/

Goodmoring BB
Safety Squat Bar
Cambered Bar
Suspend Chains Goodmorning
Cambered Safety Squat Bar
Seated Goodmoring
Round back goodmorning

Deadlift Options Straight Weight/ Bands / Chains/

Power Cleans
Snatch Pulls
Sumo Deadlifts
Standard Deadlifts
Low Pulley Deadlifts
Trap Bar Deadlifts
Rack Deadlifts
Block Deadlifts
Band Platform Deadlifts

Max 3 option followed by

Week 1 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 55% x 8 sets x 2 top sets
Week 2 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 60% x 8 sets x 2 top sets
Week 3 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 65% x 8 sets x 2 top sets
Week 4 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 70% x 8 sets x 2 top sets
Week 5 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 75% x 5 sets x 2 top sets
Week 6 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 80% x 5 sets x 2 top sets
Week 7 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 85% x 5 sets x 2 top sets
Week 8 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 90% x 5 sets x 2 top sets
Week 9 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 95% x 3 sets x 2 top sets
Week 10 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 100% x 3 sets x 2 top sets
Week 11 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 105% x 2-3 sets x 1 top sets
Week 12 Monday – Front Squat with Harness 80% x 5 sets x 1 top sets

Complete Workout with following

2 x Posterior Chain Movements
1 x Reverse Hyper
2 x Abs Movements

Day 2 Friday Box Squat with FS Harness (Speed Day off a parallel or below box)

Week 1 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 50% 10 x 2 Straight Weight
Week 2 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 55% 8 x 2 Straight Weight
Week 3 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 60% 6 x 2 Straight Weight

Week 4 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 50% 10 x 2 #2 Bands
Week 5 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 55% 8 x 2 #3 Bands
Week 6 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 60% 6 x 2 #4 Bands

Week 7 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 50% 10 x 2 Chains
Week 8 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 55% 8 x 2 Chains
Week 9 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 60% 6 x 2 Chains

Week 10 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 50% 10 x 2 Chains #2 Bands
Week 11 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 55% 8 x 2 Chains #3 Bands
Week 12 Friday – Box Squat with FS Harness 60% 6 x 2 Chains #4 Bands

Complete Workout with following
1 x Olympic Movement
2 x Posterior Chain Movements
1 x Reverse Hyper
2 x Abs Movements

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I will keep every body posted on my process, i am currently at week 4 when i posted this.
All has been going well and i have getting all my numbers each weeks to date.

Steve

[prop]

Hi, whats a good number front squat? 2xbw? also any details on what the top rugby players do? I think my core is holding me back in these, the other week i did them with a bodybuilder mate of mine and we used a belt and i could get another 20kg, I started doing bb side bends (upto 65 3×12) and straight leg situps (12.5 behind head 3×12) Is this a good idea,
Cheers and good luck with your project

[ashley]

Very tough on rugby players to front squat with various injuries that is why the front squat harness is fantastic for them also the safety bar which has a similar feel with out the issues of lack of flexibility, I have had some players go to 140kg on the front squat harness, we use it to teach catch position for cleans and also to build confidence in that whatever you can clean you can stand up with if you are front squatting 20% more at least, so having a strength differential is important between the 2 movements, cheers,ash

[prop]

I play prop, hence the name, and i was wondering which would benefit me more at this time, concentrating on my front squat (160×2) or my deadlift (210×1) or trying to improve both, cheers

[ashley]

Both are solid lifts, increasing strength is not your problem from the
look of those numbers, maybe how rapidly you can produce force could be
a key for you to consider, ash

[prop]

Ok, how would I go about that?

[ashley]

Power Training/Rate of Force Development training/Contrast Training

Use of plyometric or unloaded weight training exercises after performing
a very heavy compound movement, for example doing a back or front squat
with a load equal to 90% of your max effort and do 2/3 reps with this
load and then doing a set of repeat long jumps or depth jumps or a
ballistic jump squat at 10 – 20 % of the max squat load (5 – 10 reps,
minimise the ground contact time and be very reactive off of the ground
within about 3 – 4minutes post the heavy set or immediately after the
heavy set as I find more practical in a training sense from what the
researchers say, ash

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