Do Front Squats Increase The Risk Of Achilles Tendon Injury?

Squats.

We love them as much as we hate them. 

Nonetheless, none of us dare to question their effectiveness for building lower body strength, power and improving performance in almost all sports.

The back squat, where the barbell is placed on the upper back, is the most common form of strength training squat exercise, but some also opt for the ‘front squat’, where the barbell is placed in front of you whilst squatting (using a variety of grip techniques).

Little is known about the front squat, and on the surface it can be easy to assume it’s simple just another position of a barbell squat, but the mechanics are in fact entirely different. As a result of this, the outcomes of the front squat are in fact different to a back squat. 

The biomechanical differences between front and back squat

To the human eye, if quickly glancing at the different types of squats, they look very similar. A barbell is placed at approximately shoulder level, horizontally, the feet placement are slightly less than shoulder width with a slight outward flare.

The difference in the biomechanics of each squat does not actually appear until the squat motion begins.

When you have a barbell on your back, and you squat down, you have the ability to lean (slightly) forward without losing balance, because the weight behind you will keep the equilibrium. 

This is not the case with the barbell in front. Leaning forward in this instance will be further aggravated by the weight of the barbell, and there is higher chance of losing balance.

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Kulraj Singh

Physiotherapist BSc MCSP HPC
Founder and Principal Physiotherapist at Tavistock Clinic.
HCPC Registration Number PH97986
CSP Registration Number 089576

How to Use Ice Effectively for Muscle Injuries

We all have heard of it.

The use of ice or cold therapy for reducing symptoms of acute muscle injury has been used for generations, and there’s good evidence to suggest it works. But the question is, how to use ice effectively for maximum results.

The reason I’ve long been an advocate for using cold application to a muscle injury is partly due to the strong evidence but also due to the fact it’s a simple, easy accessible and most importantly, has no adverse side effects.

The important primary thing to know about ice therapy is that it’s not a method by which you can heal an injury but instead a very effective way to decrease inflammation for acute or new injuries.

We know scientifically it has two main ways in which is does this: by reducing swelling and by acting as a natural pain reliever.

It reduces swelling but causing blood vessels to constrict – known as vasoconstriction. This reduced the quantity of blood flow to an injured muscle, which will naturally be heightened after injury due to the natural inflammation/swelling process Also, due the ‘numbing effect’ of ice (where by the ice itself numbs the nerve ending once applied) it acts as a pain reliever.

This makes it an incredible alternative to over the counter anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications which are known to have adverse side effects.

That being said, there are effective ways to ice therapy and ineffective ways.

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Kulraj Singh

Physiotherapist BSc MCSP HPC
Founder and Principal Physiotherapist at Tavistock Clinic.
HCPC Registration Number PH97986
CSP Registration Number 089576