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Get a Better Front Squat Instantly With This Strategic PNF Stretch

1,363 views · Published 28 February 2018 · 3:24 · Indexed 27 October 2026

Channel: Nick Nilsson - the Mad Scientist of Muscle · 2018 · Sports

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Front Squats are one of the BEST exercises you can do that many people hate to do...and so they don't do it. And they're really missing out.

One of the reasons for this is the grip...it can be tough to get a comfortable grip on the bar that keeps your body in good position.

There are two main grips...the cross-arm grip and the clean grip. I'll be honest...I used to use the cross-arm grip all the time because I didn't have the flexibility or mobility to do the clean grip effectively.

The cross-arm grip is not wrong...and some people definitely have to use it based on their anatomy and mobility. Using it is better than not doing Front Squats at all.

The downside of using the cross-arm grip is that it has a tendency to relax some of the muscles in the upper back that actually work to keep the elbows up during the exercise. Just the position of the arms in the cross-arm grip makes the shoulders push forward, which puts those upper back muscles in a more relaxed position.

This can lead to a tendency to tip forward and put substantial pressure on the anterior (frontal) core, which limits the amount of weight you can use.

So I decided to try and make an effort to improve my mobility so that I could actually use the clean grip.

And the single best way I've found to do it this...perform a simple PNF stretch for the hands and forearms immediately before each set of Front Squats.

I've found when doing this, I can immediately get more fingers on the bar much more comfortably and maintain the position during the exercise. 

Repeat this procedure before every set of Front Squats that you do. It'll help immediately during the workout you're doing right now and gradually help improve your hand and forearm flexibility and mobility over time so that positioning gets easier and easier.

I can't say that you'll actually look forward to Front Squats, but you might not dread them as much...and maybe you'll actually do them more often!

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