Front Squat Muscles Worked: 5 Key Benefits

Lifters often experience an uncomfortable “sticking” around the knees when performing a squat due to poor hip flexibility that prevents their hip muscles from flexing as they descend into a squat position.

Researchers discovered that when lifters looked upward, their hip muscles did not need to flex as much – thus making their move into the squat position easier.

Conversely, when looking downwards they needed to contract more and thus more strain was placed upon their muscles – thus decreasing performance in this exercise.

Quadriceps

Squatting is one of the most widely practiced exercises for strengthening legs and glutes. Furthermore, this movement helps with balance, coordination, and hip stability.

Various squat variations are available, each offering its advantages and challenges; however, all variations target similar muscle groups; for instance, front squats and back squats target similar quadriceps (quads), gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles.

Squatting involves reaching as far down into the depths while keeping knees and core stable, without reaching rock bottom.

Lifters may aim for this depth depending on their flexibility and form; an ideal front squat should target an in-line butt-to-heels position.

This study compared muscle activation between front squat, overhead squat (OHS), and back extension exercises (BE).

Seven recreationally trained men performed three sets of each variation at 65%, 80%, and 95% of their 3-RM.

They also randomly completed Biering-Sorenson back extension and front plank isometric exercises to compare trunk muscle groups.

EMG data were recorded from each participant during each exercise using EMG equipment from quadriceps femoris muscles, with results showing that CSA values of both vastii muscles (VM and VL) were positively associated with parallel but not deep squatting, suggesting greater contributions by vastii to manifesting strength during parallel squats than deep.

Glute

The front squat targets the gluteal muscles differently from its counterpart: the back squat.

A front squat requires you to lower yourself into a rock-bottom position, then drive upward through your heels while keeping your knees and core stable; this movement can be intense and will challenge strength, particularly if using heavier weights or performing multiple reps of this exercise.

Studies have demonstrated that the squat can be performed in numerous ways depending on barbell position, depth, and foot stance.

Variations include full back squat (BS), parallel or “half” back squat, back squat on unstable surfaces, and various widths for front squat (FS).

Each can be used to focus on particular muscle groups for hypertrophy or emphasize eccentric movement components.

One study found that FS exercises produced greater activity and thigh muscularity than BS workouts due to increased work needed during the eccentric phase of movement.

Another found that wide stance FS increased activation of rectus femoris and adductor longus due to more pressure being put on the tibialis anterior from a wider stance compared with narrow stance exercises; furthermore, the squat also stimulated hip external rotator serratus anterior activity.

Hips

The front squat requires hip flexor muscles to engage and resist the torsional load of a barbell, helping keep the spine tall and ensuring safe and effective squatting.

Furthermore, this exercise may help improve hip mobility – essential for good posture and movement patterns.

Hip flexor muscles play an integral part in the knee flexion phase of a front squat as the lifter transitions out of their bottom squat position and back to standing position, assisted by external rotators of hip and quadriceps muscles.

There may be significant variations among different execution styles of the squat (stance width, bar placement, and degree of knee and hip flexion), yet all involve the synergistic action of multiple muscle groups with antagonist functions (i.e. knee extension and lumbar spinal region flexion). As a result, sticking points often arise in the research literature.

Walsh et al. conducted a study that demonstrated how increasing loads in half squat led to greater spinal extension, leading to more L4/L5 intervertebral disc loading.

Furthermore, they noted a correlation between lower thigh angles at the sticking point and greater trunk and femur angle changes.

Hamstrings

As you exit a squat, your legs become targeted by the hamstrings as they lengthen and straighten as you come back out.

Compared to back squats, front squats have been shown to induce greater recruitment of hamstrings [45].

Studies have consistently demonstrated that, regardless of execution style (full, half, or pistol squat) and load intensity, deep and parallel squats both induce greater lower-body muscular adaptations, such as increased dynamic maximal strength, squat jump capacity, and countermovement jump height than quarter squats or variations such as quarter hack machine, wall squats or restricted back squats with vertical boards restricting anterior knee displacement.

One study that employed an exoskeleton device to assist participant weight during full-body squat, found that deep and half squats using this exoskeleton device resulted in greater muscle fiber area change scores for quadriceps (Q), adductors (ADD), and hamstrings (HAM), as compared with no device conditions – bar graphs depicted change scores are depicted on them.

No matter your training goal – glutes, max squat, or overall leg strength development – the front squat can be an excellent exercise to add to your training regime.

When executed with proper technique under the guidance of an instructor and training to fail each set (or at least until form breaks down) this exercise can produce significant long-term improvements in quads, hips, and hamstrings.