Front squat vs back squat: which should you do

In a back squat the bar sits across your upper back, either high on the traps or a little lower on the rear delts. Because the weight is behind you, you can lean your torso forward to keep the bar over your mid foot, and that forward lean lets your hips and back share more of the work. It is why people can back squat more than they front squat.

In a front squat the bar rests on the front of your shoulders, held by your fingertips or crossed arms. Now the weight is in front of you, so you have to stay much more upright or the bar rolls off. That upright posture shifts the emphasis onto your quads and forces your upper back to work hard just to stop you folding forward.

The upright torso of the front squat means your knees travel further forward, which lengthens the demand on the quadriceps. It also turns your upper back into a serious stabiliser, because it has to resist the bar constantly trying to pull you forward. Many people feel front squats far more in the quads and upper back the next day.

The back squat's forward lean brings the hips, glutes, and lower back more into the movement to help extend the hips out of the bottom. It is a more whole body strength lift, which along with the mechanics is why the numbers tend to be higher.

A frequently cited 2009 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research by Gullett and colleagues compared the two lifts using motion capture and force analysis in trained lifters. It found the back squat produced greater compressive force on the knee than the front squat, while both produced similar muscle activity overall. The authors suggested the front squat may be a useful option for people with knee concerns such as a previous meniscus problem, and for long term joint health.

The more upright front squat also tends to place the spine in a more vertical, evenly loaded position. That does not make the back squat dangerous. The back squat is one of the most productive strength lifts there is. It simply means that if your knees are cranky under a back squat, the front squat is a reasonable, evidence backed alternative rather than just giving up on squatting.

There is a practical reason many people default to the back squat: the front squat is harder to even set up. Holding the bar on your shoulders in the standard clean grip needs enough wrist and shoulder mobility to keep your elbows high, and enough upper back control to stop the bar rolling down. If those elbows drop, the bar dumps forward and the lift falls apart.

None of this is a reason to avoid the front squat, but it is a reason to be patient with it. A cross arm grip or lifting straps can bridge the gap while you build wrist and shoulder mobility. The back squat, by comparison, is usually quicker to get comfortable under the bar, which is part of why beginners often start there.

For most people the answer is not either or. Both belong in a well built program over time. But if you are choosing a main squat right now, here is the honest steer.

1. Want maximum strength and load? Back squat. The forward lean and whole body involvement let you move the most weight, which makes it the standard for building overall lower body strength.
2. Want quad focus and a tall posture? Front squat. The upright position hammers the quads and upper back and is a favourite of people chasing leg development and those in weightlifting.
3. Have knees that complain under a back squat? Try the front squat. The research and many lifters' experience suggest the more even knee loading can be friendlier. Test it with light, pain free reps.
4. New to squatting? The back squat is often easier to learn. It has fewer mobility demands just to hold the bar. The goblet squat is an even gentler on ramp to either barbell lift.
5. Not sure? Run both. Many good programs use the back squat as the main strength lift and the front squat as a quad focused second squat. You do not have to marry one.