Episode 25: Megan Bryanton- Front Squat Vs Back Squat

Myoprat

Megan grew up physically active, playing on numerous sports teams, particularly soccer and rugby throughout high school and university. During her undergraduate studies, health and fitness developed into a much more integral part of Megan’s lifestyle, becoming involved in Powerlifting. Since 2007, she has gone on to win multiple National titles in the Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU), and has competed at the International level. From there, her love of strength and conditioning has influenced Megan’s career path into academics, where she received her Masters of Science in Physical Education and Recreation from the University of Alberta, specializing in squat biomechanics. Megan is currently continuing her studies as a Doctoral candidate in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, and works with the Bruyere Research Institute at the Elisabeth Bruyere Hospital. Her current research thesis is now directed towards geriatric rehabilitation for maintaining functional independence and fall prevention in older adults through improved muscle function. Always finding new ways to challenge herself both physically and mentally, Megan has also most recently has stepped into the competitive figure stream. Megan has been a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S.) since 2011, having previously worked with varsity level athletes. She applies both her powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting techniques into developing training programs for improved strength, explosiveness for sport performance. Megan also focuses on proper execution of movement techniques, addressing neuromusculoskeletal issues that may cause pain or discomfort during exercise. In this podcast, Megan and I discussed Front squats vs Back squats Some of the topics we discuss are: 1.Based on your structure, is there anything that may decide if you are better built to front squat compared to back squat? 2.If you are a powerlifter, can strength in the front squat convert to strength in the back squats and vice versa? 3. Is there a difference in muscle activation between the two lifts? 4.For someone who has hypertrophy goals for the quads, would front squats be a better exercise to select? 5.What are typical mistakes that people do in the front squats and what are things one should focus on? Low wrist mobility is often a complain that many people have for example. 6. When it comes to squat depth, you often hear people not using a full range of motion and don’t go to parallel because it keeps the “tension” on the muscle. What does the research show when it comes to using a full range of motion to maximize hypertrophy and strength?