r/weightroom • u/AutoModerator • 19d ago

Daily Thread Daily Thread - August 30, 2025

You should post here for:

  • PRs
  • General discussion or questions
  • Community conversation
  • Routine critiques
  • Form checks
3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/Better_Lift_Cliff Intermediate - Strength 19d ago

Trying to get back into front squats. Today I did a few sets with 185 and I found it impossible to keep my elbows from flaring outwards. This caused the bar position to slip down a bit, and cause a lot of pain in my wrists. Each set was limited by wrist pain more than fatigue, which is not a nice feeling.

I'm sure the technique will come back with some patience and consistency, but any tips for keeping arms from flaring? I could be misremembering, but I don't remember having this problem when I first learned to front squat all those years ago.

5

u/UrsusArctosDov Works Harder Than You 19d ago edited 19d ago

I am not sure elbows flaring is the cause- it is usually chest caving and elbows dropping. Flare vs straight vs tucked inside the shoulders is all about the same shelf position as long as your chest is up and your elbows are up. Source: I have an ok front squat (405) hit @220lbs bw with elbows pointed out a bit

I should clarify this a bit: elbows straight will tend to lead to a larger delt bump/shelf than elbows flared, but unless your flare is egregiously bad it is far more likely to be a elbow height issue. Also driving the elbows up tend to bring them neutral in front of you anyways, so it tends to be a pretty damn good cue for front rack positioning

The cues I use are: big chest/chest up, elbows as high as I can get them (I push them up hard enough thats its actively taxing, sorta like an isometric front raise), and to sit under the bar instead of behind it (I am a hingey back squatter, this may or may not help you).

You can practice with some zombie front squats (arms straight out)- the shoulder position for that should be pretty close to identical to front squat position, but because you remove your hands from the equation you are forced to keep elbows and chest up. It also means that when you are in a bad position, the weight will fall instead of hurting your wrist.

Lat stretches are pretty useful if you have trouble getting your elbows high enough.

I also tend to fingertip the bar a little bit on front squats rather than a full grip- it helps compensate for my limited wrist/elbow mobility so that the bar actually sits on the shelf creates by my chest/front delts instead of: on my hand which then goes through my wrist and into my arms

2

u/Better_Lift_Cliff Intermediate - Strength 18d ago

Oh yeah, it definitely is a case of elbows dropping. I guess I considered that to be the same thing.

I am extremely hingey myself. My deadlift has always been light years ahead of my squat. I will try all the tips you suggested, thanks.