Front Squat Hack: How to Modify Front Squat

The benefits of the front squat are many: improved mobility, improved core strength, less torque on the back than back squats, and improved quad muscle mass to, name a few. For many, however, this lift has one major drawback - it requires lots of mobility (ankles, hips, thoracic spine, shoulders, and especially in the wrists).

Last summer, I sprained my wrist playing church softball (go hard or go home). This left me with both pain and decreased mobility for a while causing me to have to modify some of my lifts. Though my wrist has healed, one of these modifications has stuck with me and I use it often because it allows me to load the front squat with better technique.

The secret: paracord

The traditional clean grip used to hold the bar in a front squat can be limited by wrist and shoulder mobility. If you can't get into a good position with the traditional clean grip and are not a fan of the crossed grip (I am not) try out this simple modification can help keep you under the bar with good hip and thoracic spine position. I've included a video below with the set up. (excuse the messy garage and dog)