Do front squats cause you to feel pain in your wrists, or lead your back to round, or maybe they just generally feel uncomfortable? 🤔
Well, you don’t have to do a traditional barbell front squat as your wrists suffer through each rep. Master Mike and Coach @yogi.ish can help you protect your wrists and achieve the same strength benefits in three different variations. 💯
Option 1: Keep the barbell in the front rack position on your shoulders and up against your neck, but take your hands off the barbell. Instead, cross your arms, keep your elbows up as high as you can, and place your hands on top of the barbell to secure it in place as you squat.
Option 2: A double kettlebell front squat, where the kettlebells rest on the back of your shoulders (aka deltoids), is another great option to protect your wrists, and makes it easier to keep your torso nice and upright and your spine neutral throughout the lift.
Option 3: A third option is to grab a dumbbell and place it horizontally on your front rack position, crossing your arms in front of you similar to how you did in Option 1. Focus on keeping your elbows up the whole time here.
All three options help strengthen your hamstrings, quads, and glutes without straining your wrists. Let us know in the comments which option you like best