At Boundless Women’s Gym, weight loss is the number 1 goal for most of my clients. My clients are super busy and short on time. They need a program that gets results. When it comes to weight loss, front squats are always on the menu . Why do I include the front squat in their program? It’s one of the best total body exercises ever. The front squat hits more than just your legs & butt. It gives my clients the biggest bang for their time and effort. Now, if you want to lose weight, here are 7 reasons why you need this exercise.
1.) It burns a ton of calories.
Squats inherently burn a lot of calories due to the fact that the larger muscles of your body are doing the major lifting. The front squat is unique in that the bar is loaded in front of your body challenging your core muscles to keep you upright and balanced (and that’s a lot of work).
2.) Less Back Compression.
Speaking about your spine, since the bar is front loaded, the front squat puts less pressure on your lower back thus less spinal compression. In addition, because you’re squatting with the weight in front of you, it reduces your hip movement and makes the exercise more challenging. As a result you can’t front squat as heavy as you back squat. Again less compression on your lower back.
3.) It’s A Corrective Exercise.
The front squat is self correcting. You can’t do the Front Squat with bad form. As you perform the squat, with the bar loaded in front of your body, you can’t lean to far forward. If you do, you’ll lose your balance and drop the bar. So by holding the bar in front of your body you’re less likely to excessively lean forward, reducing the chances of you hurting your back or neck. This makes the front squat a safer exercise for your lower back and cervical spine.
4.) No Chance Of Twisting.
No lower back twisting. Due to the fact you have to stay upright, for all the reasons I mentioned above, there is less torsional (twisting) force on your lower back. Again, front squats are safe for your lower back.
5.) It’s A Major Core Strength Exercise.
Front Squats work your core. The basic facts, this exercise forces you to tap into your posture muscles. In order to have good posture, you have to work your core. In order to have good balance you need a strong core. If you have a weak core do front squats. Want to improve your balance, do the front squat
6.) You Can’t Flare Your Ribs.
Front Squats re-enforces proper rib placement. The front squat is one of the best corrective exercises on the planet (in my humble opinion). Rib placement is important because it dictates what happens to your neck. shoulders and lower back. If you walk around with “a flaring rib cage” more than likely you tend to experience back, neck and chronic shoulder tension. If so, you need front squats in your life.
7.) Have Your Workout’s Gone Stale?
Front Squats help you breaks through weight loss plateaus. Adding the front squat will provide your muscles with enough of a challenge to force your body to make favorable changes to your legs, hips, abs and torso.
Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of the front squat. I really think that you should give it a try. If you do, leave a comment below. What do you like most about the front squat?