Front Squats For A Strong Core

The core muscles are those that wrap around the spine front to back.

That means that the core is composed of NOT just the superficial and deep abdominal muscles, but also the spinal erectors in the lower back.

Since core strength can aid your strength on most exercises, you want to be sure to hit this group of back muscles.

While most trainers would recommend a core-strengthening exercise known as the Superman to hit the spinal erectors, another option appears to be the front squat.

That's right the front squat, an exercise that I love to do to focus on the quads, may also be a way to train both your quads and your spinal erectors, according to researchers in the UK.

That's my kind of multitasking! The UK researchers compared the muscle activity of the spinal erectors when strength-trained men performed the Superman exercise on an exercise ball and the front squat using an empty bar.

They reported in a 2011 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that the front squat increased muscle activity of the spinal erectors by 5% more than the Superman exercise.

Despite the fact that the front squat was done with an empty bar, the muscle activity of the spinal erectors was greater than the Superman exercise. As you add weight to the bar, the muscle activity of the spinal erectors will be increased even further.

Jim's take-home point:

Due to the fact that the bar is placed on the front of the shoulders during the front squat and that the torso must remain further upright during the front squat than the traditional back squat, the front squat is a less known exercise for strengthening the spinal erectors.

While adding front squats to your leg workouts is a great way to focus more on the quads, it also is a great way to simultaneously strengthen the spinal erectors of the lower back.

Since it's tough to train all your major body parts, let alone find the time for specialized core training, I recommend using the front squat frequently to not only build bigger quads, but also a stronger core, which will help to further increase your strength on exercises like front squats!

Reference:

Comfort, P., et al. An electromyographical comparison of trunk muscle activity during isometric trunk and dynamic strengthening exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25(1): 149-154, 2011.

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