In my last article “Are there any disadvantages to the Front Squat Harness All Sport (compact), other than not being able to do Zercher Squats” I touched on how to use the new Getstrength Front Squat Harness All-Sport. In this article, I would like to go into more detail on technique with the Harness.
Now the new FSH All-Sport is not to be confused with the existing They both are used to improve the Front Squat technique but they are very different in how they feel and how they are to be used.
The Front Squat Set-Up
As you can see in the above picture, the Bar needs to be kept as close as possible to the athlete’s throat, this will help to keep the elbows up throughout the front squat. By having the bar sitting lower (away from the throat) the elbows will be allowed to drop, and in return, you will more than likely have a rounding of the upper back when driving up from the bottom of the front squat.
These steps are so important with new Front Squat Harness All-Sport. Like I have said before, “You just can’t cheat with the new Front Squat Harness All-Sport. Correct technique is paramount!”
You have to maintain these points throughout the front Squat
- Keep the Bar as close as possible to your throat.
- Hold the pins and have your elbows as high as possible.
- Engage your lower back and abdominals by tightening this area and taking a big deep breath.
- Work on keeping your back flat and driving with your legs- keeping your knees out. The last thing you want is your knees to start coming in while you are driving up.
- Using the correct footwear can also make a big difference with stability in the front squat.
What happens if I get in trouble in the Front Squat?
You should dump the bar during the Front Squat if you get into trouble, you should not try and hold the weight if you feel your are going to fail, as this will load the shoulders and cause injury. The Harness and Bar should be dumped at the same time. We will be demonstrating this in a future video.
- Push the harness and bar away from you (you will not damage the Harness).
- The lifter should then fall backwards, away from the Harness and Bar. Please note falling backwards would only be required if the lifter was not using a cage with safety rails, instead of using a rack on an Olympic lifting platform with room around the lifter to fall backwards. Please check your area before front squatting, it should be completely clear of gym equipment and accessories as well as other people..
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