Thank you to everyone who showed up for the Front Squat Workshop at Norman Strength and Conditioning last weekend! It was great working with you all. I hope you all learned some things that you will be able to plug into your fitness routine right away!
Below are the exercises that we practiced during the workshop with my recommended dosage:
Quad Rolling
Frequency: on leg days as part of the warm up. If you have pain in the front of your knee, do this 1-2x/day.
This will help loosen and down-regulate any sensitive areas. Think about making a “full scan” of the entire quad, and also do some cross-fiber movement by rolling the quad side to side.
Hip Internal Rotation Stretch
Frequency: 1x/day
This exercise is great to keep the hips mobile for all exercises and daily activities. Keep the hips mobile and it will take stress away from the low back and knees as well.
Full Squat Stretch
No video needed here! Sink down into a full squat, keeping the foot in full contact with the ground the entire time.
Dosage: accumulate 2 minutes per day. Bump this up to 5 minutes once you start getting more comfortable with it. You can split this up into multiple sets or sessions throughout the day if needed.
Frequency: Daily
This is one of the best ways to improve the deep squat. We are working on end-range knee flexion, ankle mobility, and squat mechanics. Some things to work on while down there: Keeping the spine straight, sinking the hips down to the heels, and driving the knees over the toes.
Thoracic Rolling
Frequency: As part of the warm up for any workout involving overhead lifting or front rack. If you are stiff or have pain between the shoulder blades, perform this 2x/day.
You can roll up and down, rock side to side, sink the hips down while keeping the core tight, and extend arms overhead. Try any combination of those and work all the way up and down the mid spine.
Kneeling Thoracic/Lat Stretch
Frequency: As part of the warm up for any workout involving overhead lifting or front rack. If you are stiff or have pain between the shoulder blades, or if you have limited overhead range of motion, perform this 2x/day.
Banded Front Rack Stretch
Frequency: Include as part of the warmup for workouts involving front rack. If your front rack positioning is a struggle, or you feel tight, do this once per day to improve mobility.
Focus on keeping the shoulder in a bit of external rotation. If you choose the overhead variation, keep the elbow in instead of letting it flare out. Feel the stretch in the triceps and lats.
Zercher Squats
Frequency: 1x/week. If scapula control and posture is an issue, consider bumping this to 2x/week.
Load the bar up for this exercise. The number-1 focus here is to keep the shoulder blades pinched down and back throughout the entire movement. The heavy load training in this position will translate very well to the front rack and overall spine stability during your other lifts. Keep the feet firmly planted, core braced tight, and shoulder blades pinched down and back throughout the movement.
Front Rack Lunge
Frequency: 2x/week if you are hip-dominant in the squat or if you have trouble coming up from the deep squat.
Focus on great front rack positioning, keeping your arms/triceps horizontal with the ground. Also keep your torso as vertical as possible while sinking the hips straight down. This will help strengthen the quads allowing you to keep the same torso angle when coming up from the deep squat.
Full Squat Med Ball Extensions
Frequency: 2x per week if you are working on thoracic/front rack stability and strength.
This should be performed in the bottom of a full squat, but in the video I showed the regression of sitting on a bench if needed. Make sure to lock in the lower back as straight as possible, and use the mid/upper back to move through the motion. Use the cue “point the elbows to the sky” to get the most out of this exercise.
If you have any follow up questions about the workshop, please reach out and ask! Also if you have any aches and pains or limitations that are interfering with your fitness, I would be happy to help you get back to 100%!
Email: Tim.Brown@AscendPerformanceTherapy.com
Phone: 417-569-5086
Ascend Performance Therapy 