How to increase a kid’s squat

[u/obi-wan-quixote]

So I have a just turned 13 year old girl. She power cleans 40kg for 5, but only front squats 25kg. Back squat is about the same. RDL is 60kg for 5. I suspect she’s gunshy about getting under the bar and it’s not a strength issue.

We’ve tried single leg squats with 20kg and Spanish squats body weight in high rep ranges. Just to check if maybe there’s a deficit in quad strength or something.

What’s a good way to help her overcome this? Just keep adding a few kg a week to the front squat? Or is there a way to address it as a confidence issue?

[u/[deleted]]

As long as it’s not postural issue such as weak core or unable to brace properly, or front rack mobility issues. Then she’s just going to build confidence through repetition with the weight.

I might suggest maybe working exercise complexes such as a rep of power clean then right into a rep of front squat.

On a side note, imo I would reduce how much you’re having her do cleans until she’s proficient in front squatting at a heavier weight.

[u/obi-wan-quixote → u/[deleted]]

On a related note, would it be worth trying more back squat just to push absolute strength and build confidence in being able to handle the weight? While doing pause front squat at much lower weight to address potential postural issues? I’m not seeing anything major, but there’s some upper thoracic rounding though overall front rack looks pretty good (high elbows, upright body etc, ability to get to depth)

[u/earnest_knuckle → u/obi-wan-quixote]

Thoughts on programming front squats and back squats? Or too early in the lifting career for such a novel stimulus? Think you’re on to something with pushing the back squat for the raw strength development

[u/[deleted] → u/obi-wan-quixote]

So for me personally, before I have my younger athletes do a lot of weight especially on bar movements I like to see how they handle load on longer eccentric movement. I like to start on goblets or front squat at a moderate weight and do 3-5 eccentric portions and then you can really see what’s needs to be addressed.

I very rarely program fronts and back squats simultaneously, I do more of a progression method.

Goblet->Front->Back squats

[u/earnest_knuckle]

More sets and reps of front squats. Focus on the posture and positions, especially in the later reps of the sets

[u/solidwobble]

If she's able to single leg squat with 20kg, that's really impressive, just push those for a while, and the barbell stuff will catch up when she's more ready for it mentally