help with the Front Squat

[Flattop]

Loving the IsoChain. I originally bought it to cross train with other things I was doing. I love the workouts so much and have been getting such good results, it is my only workout now. I train 3 days a week, 3 sets of 6 second holds, 4 exercises total. Each workout is finished by an isometric hold hanging from a pullup bar. Alt days either a hanging L or a hanging frog kick.

I do have a question. When I used to hit the gym all the time, I would pile on the plates in the power rack, and do heavy squats with the barbell seated behind my head. I never really learned to do a front squat. This position is awkward for me. If I bring my elbows to much to the front as on page 140 of the Isometrics Manual, I can't get the bar near my chest. I really just can't get the hand and arm position correct for this one.

There is the Zercher Squat and the Straddle Lift, both of which I can do no problem, and are excellent lifts for leg training. I get the feeling I am not alone. There are a lot of people who always did squats with the bar resting on the traps behind your head. Any advice from the experts here would be greatly appreciated. An article about proper hand and arm positioning for the front squat and common mistakes people make would be even better.

 

[GeoffreyLevens]

1) Can wrap wrist straps around the bar and use them as handles, mostly taking wrist and shoulder mobility out of the equation
2) Hold bar as you would for front squat, elbows forward, just w/ bar at whatever level is comfortable. Then apply steady gentle pressure (using your legs since you don't have conventional, 45 lb bar to use), driving the bar GENTLY towards proper rack position across front delts. Breathe, relax, etc. When it gets too uncomfortable, back off, rest, and repeat. I got from nowhere near useful front rack to a pretty good front rack in a couple weeks doing this every day. YMMV

 

[Flattop]

Geoffrey, thanks so much for the advice, I really appreciate it. I always felt like a klutz on this lift. For my main leg exercise, I have been doing the straddle lift, and have been getting excellent results. That is a lift the old timers used to use a lot, but for some reason fell out of favor in more recent times. That is our loss because it is a phenomenal lift. I will be taking a week break from training for the holidays, and when I resume training after the break, I will put your advice to good use. Thanks again.