What Works the Abs More: Back Squats or Front Squats?

When you think of training your abs, your mind may automatically be drawn toward sit-ups and crunches, but these are far from the best exercises for working the ab muscles that make up your core. Free-weight moves that work multiple muscle groups and place more stress on your body as a whole are much better for hitting your abs, with back squats and front squats being two of the best ab exercises.

  1. Function of the Abs

    • The major role of the rectus abdominis, your main ab muscle, is to control flexion of your spine. Every time you move your pelvis, your abs are working to initiate that movement. Therefore, your abs are critical in helping you maintain good spinal posture. When you squat, you're inclined to either over-extend your lower back or let it round so your ab muscles have to kick in to keep these movements from happening. Your rectus abdominis and internal obliques are critical when it comes to stabilizing your trunk and torso, and you can't front or back squat properly without a stable torso.

    Back Squats

    • When back squatting, the barbell sits behind your neck across the ridge on your shoulder blades. To maintain core stability, you must keep your chest up and head looking forward as well as maintain a slight arch in your lower back. Your abs are most active in the bottom position of a squat at the start of the upward phase. Keep them tight to stop your butt from tucking under and your lower back from curving out.

    Front Squats

    • In front squats, you hold the bar across the front of your shoulders. In this position, it's crucial that you keep an upright posture, as leaning forward will cause you to drop the bar. Keeping this posture places a huge demand on your abs. When back squatting, you can pull your lats tight to increase core stability, but this isn't the case in front squats. This lack of lat involvement means your abs are working overtime to keep your mid-section and torso stable.

    Conclusion

    • Due to the more upright posture you must adopt and maintain when front squatting, your abs get a better workout with front squats than they do with back squats. Curt Lamb, head strength and conditioning coach at Limestone College, South Carolina, agrees -- if your abs aren't working hard, you won't be able to front squat properly. Whatever squat variation you choose, keep your abs tight throughout the entire exercise and add extra stabilization moves to your ab routine -- such as planks, side planks and rollouts -- to fully work your core.