Front squats vs back squats: Which one builds more muscle?

Front squats vs back squats: here’s what you need to know for building muscle. Squats are one of the most well-known exercises in the fitness industry and one of the easiest to perform.

Front and back squats are the two most popular versions of this foundational exercise, but work major muscle groups in different ways and each has its pros and cons. While the movement pattern may be similar, back squats, compared to front squats, have their own sets of benefits – they’re both exceptional exercises.

But before we delve into the benefits of back vs front squats, you should probably include both in your training, as they can add great value to your routine.

Here, we’ll lay out the differences between the two squats and the advantages and disadvantages of each, so you can decide which type is best for you.

Differences between a front and a back squat

Front squatting recruits the chain of your body’s anterior muscles more heavily, thus engaging the quads and core to a greater degree. Back squatting, on the other hand, emphasises the posterior chain which is the large muscle groups of the back, glutes, and hamstrings.

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The differences between the front and back squat are just a matter of degrees. Both of these versions work your entire body. Even though the back and front squats are important during your workout as they emphasis different muscles, the front squat does offer a number of benefits which could make it your preferred squat variation.

1. Less spinal compression

There is much less pressure on the spine during a front squat with most of the weight being loaded onto muscles at the front of the body. If you do have a weakness in your back muscles, front squats could be more suitable.

2. Improvement to core strength

As front squatting will engage a significant amount of stabilisation muscles, this will inevitably improve core strength and posture over time.

3. Improvement to knee stability

This will be as a direct result of having stronger and better-developed quads. Good knee stability is important for daily activities and helps to prevent knee injuries.

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4. Improvement to overall athletic performance

A general improvement to quad strength can be carried over to other forms of training such as sprinting and plyometrics.

5. Increase in hip mobility

As the range of motion with front squatting is better, and allows for deep set squats, this helps to improve hip mobility, thanks to working the hip flexors.

Poor hip flexion can be caused by something as simple as sitting for long periods. Good hip mobility is vital to help keep backaches and pains away and to keep overall mobility in tip-top form. When it comes to doing the front squat and back squat, we believe it is important to incorporate both into your strength training.

Even though the back squat is commonly hyped as the best way of squatting, neither should be crowned as the better version. The different benefits offered by each of the movements makes them both worthwhile.

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