Freakin’ Awesome Exercise of the Day: Double-Rack Kettlebell Front Squat
I’m not good at squats. Let’s just clear the air with that first. It’s not that horrendous, as I can get a 2 on the Functional Movement Screen, but take that board out from under me and it’s like when Nick told the world at the Men Tell All he made love with Andy on the Bachelorette. I don’t know how to react.*
Whatever makes me a decent deadlifter, makes me a poor squatter (i.e. redonkulously stiff ankles and low back). Being 6-4 probably doesn’t help either.
That being said, I don’t like having weak links. I mean, c’mon, I’m a personal trainer who helps people improve their squat every day, I should be able to do it better than any of them.
Recently, I underwent a “squat-only” training program where I just hammered my squat technique. It got better, but admittedly, I got bored and went back to deadlifting. This is a perfect example of something I truly believe in;
Everyone should have a coach! Even if you are a trainer. Actually, especially if you are a trainer!
Clearly, if left to my own devices, I go back to what I am good at, as would most people.
I was actually discussing this with a good friend of mine and I told her that my low-back actually spasmed after about 4 weeks away from deadlifting. Turns out my back hurts from NOT deadlifting!! It was like it was saying,
“Kasey, why have we not been put in a heavy hinge pattern lately??” Rebellion!!!!!
Front squats have always worked out better for me than back squats. It’s tough to cheat on a front squat. If you do, the bar is pretty much going to fall off of you and make loud noises, disturbing those putting in work on the ellipticals. DO NOT DISTURB THEM!!! They will run to management and complain of your barbarian ways.
Anyway, with back squats, you can sort of compensate through it and not know any different.
For my clients, I will typically teach front squats before considering putting a bar on their back, just so they understand what a true squat pattern feels like (sitting straight down between the legs). I also use it to reinforce attaining a proper belly breath and maintaining a “ribs-down” position to avoid excessive lumbar extension on the drive back up.
Now, as I talked about in a recent blog series, anterior pelvic tilt is a pretty common posture. When a clean-grip (index and middle finger of both hands wrapped under the bar) is assumed with the barbell front squat, maintaining that ribs-down position becomes a gigantic challenge. As an anterior tilter myself, I realized this was also happening to me. I could not for the life of me keep my core locked down and as a result, I ended up using my lumbar spine WAY too much.
A clean-grip is troublesome for us anterior tilters because it pulls on the lats, which are a powerful driver of lumbar extension when stretched. Now, you could go all bodybuilder-grip with the front squat, but I’m not a big fan of that if you have any semblance of wrist flexibility. You might as well learn the clean grip and do it right, as it also supports the development of proper technique with the Olympic clean.
Enter the Double-Rack Kettlebell Front Squat
This squat variation takes the lats out of the equation and makes it far easier to attain, and keep, a proper core position. It’s fast-becoming my favorite squat for those in an extended posture before progressing to the barbell.
Here is a video of me explaining this more in-depth and repping a few out (I apologize for my self-shooting skills…I will get better);
Why it is Freakin’ Awesome:
Besides getting people out of extension, it has the potential to provide a pretty significant load. Kettlebells are often passed over for the bar because of their limited loading options, but I challenge anyone to hit a set of 10 double 24-kg front squats. They are hard as balls!!
Plus, they are fantastic for pumping up the biceps, as you have to obviously hold those suckers the entire time. If fat-loss is your goal, the metabolic hit you get from these will leave you burning calories for many moons.
Did I mention they improve posture? The amount of work your upper back has to do to keep you from falling over will make standing tall without 2 big kettlebells in your face seem like a breeze. Good posture is associated with increased confidence, which has been shown to be crucial in landing jobs and spouses.
So not only does this exercise train your entire body, build muscle and strength, and burn fat, but it could also help you land your dream job and attract an amazing significant other!
That’s pretty legit.
A few quick notes;
#1: After you get the bells to your shoulders (clean them if you have experience, otherwise just deadlift them to hip height and pop them up) and set your feet, sharply exhale. Then, take a big inhale through your nose, filling your belly with air. This will set your core and help with maintaining good form.
#2: Keep the wrists straight. It will be easy to let them slip back as you fatigue.
Alright, go try it out in your next workout and let me know what you think!
Dominate All Life,
Kasey, CSCS
*Yep…that’s right…I watch the Bachelorette…with my wife
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