all posts post new thread

Barbell What muscles does the zercher squat work

GovernorSilver said:
Christian Thibaudeau's Zercher article touches on differences compared to front squat.

www.t-nation.com

The Zercher Squat Complete Guide

by Christian Thibaudeau The Zercher squat can pack muscle on quads and traps like nothing else. It'll also weed out the weaklings. Most people won't do them. Will you? The Squat You Never Do The Zercher squat can build quads better than the front squat. It can jack up your traps better than...
www.t-nation.com www.t-nation.com

Inability to bend the wrist backwards is a barrier for some people against the front squat. The arms crossed over chest version is also awkward.
Click to expand...

He seems to think the Zercher squat isn't quite as demanding of the upper back as front squats:

The Zercher position increases the involvement of the whole upper back musculature: the traps, rhomboids, and rear delts. So in that regard, the Zercher squat can help solidify the back during the front squat and deadlift.

If your weakness in the front squat is "losing" your upper back on the way up - your upper back rounds and the bar drops forward - then the Zercher squat will help you.
Click to expand...
 
watchnerd said:
He seems to think the Zercher squat isn't quite as demanding of the upper back as front squats:
Click to expand...
I had a different interpretation of what he said:
If your weakness in the front squat is "losing" your upper back on the way up - your upper back rounds and the bar drops forward - then the Zercher squat will help you
Click to expand...
My interpretation of this statement is the Zercher squat can be used as a corrective/assistance for somebody's front squat, if that person is struggling with this specific issue.
 
Last edited:
Antti said:
Is the pain really that bad? I have previously wondered why it's so uncomfortable for some and not so for others.

It is not my place to decide for others how they feel it and what's too much, far from it. I'm just curious if there's something mechanical, something concrete one could work on, and so on.

It's just odd as I've never seen myself as a tough guy or with pain tolerance or such and I've done a zercher with 200kg, so go figure.
Click to expand...
The pain was bad enough for me.
I am not very big, my arms are quite thin.
I have tried hard enough - aleevest, towels, and so on. When I could do back or front squats - it was not worth it.
 
Hmmmm said:
I know it works your abs and quads. I dont know what other muscles it works. I had a problem with this since people said it works your back but wasnt sure if it worked the back all around like the deadlift and suitcase deadlift. Im scared of missing certain back muscles
Click to expand...
My barbell day right now is strictly zercher after 2 hand swings. Basically easy strength. One week 2 sets of five, the next a ladder of 4,3,2,1, maybe the next 3x3, the next 10 easy reps etc. maybe 5 sets of 2 and so on. If you get under a respectable amount of weight for you, you won’t be worried that some muscle group isn’t affected. It is a great whole body exercise. Today I did a 5,3,2 training after 50 two hand swings and it left me feeling great. I got all he exercise I needed in less than about 30 minutes. I would say more importantly that Zerchers really fire up your midsection which will make you stronger. Personally, I don’t have a problem with any pain for a heavy Zercher. I think any heavy work is u comfortable, so just get the set done with good technique and take a good five minute break before you do it again.
 
Last edited:
Pavel.Kosenkov said:
The pain was bad enough for me.
I am not very big, my arms are quite thin.
I have tried hard enough - aleevest, towels, and so on. When I could do back or front squats - it was not worth it.
Click to expand...

Back and front squats are plenty. No reason to do a specific exercise of it just doesn't suit you.

Speaking of sleeves, I tried them and I don't think they really made it more comfortable, if anything, the bar wasn't as stable and moved which was worse.

I think big forearms could be something that alleviates the pain. And really flexing the forearms the whole time so there's tense muscle where the bar rests on.
 
Hi,the one who started this thread here.
Underdeveloped hamstrings compared to your quads can result in injury according to a strength training book for football: the strongest shall survive by bill starr(olympic weightlifting person). I dont really compete in a sport and my hamstrings must get worked so does it even matter or not.

In beyond bodybuilding it lists a good exercise and bad exercise for each bodypart on page 82 and on hamstrings it says good mornings.

Do i even NEED a hamstring exercise or no because i dont really want to add one?
Is it the case that bill starr (olympic weightlifting person) was just incorrect due to him publishing the book a few decades ago.
 
Hmmmm said:
Hi,the one who started this thread here.
Underdeveloped hamstrings compared to your quads can result in injury according to a strength training book for football: the strongest shall survive by bill starr(olympic weightlifting person). I dont really compete in a sport and my hamstrings must get worked so does it even matter or not.

In beyond bodybuilding it lists a good exercise and bad exercise for each bodypart on page 82 and on hamstrings it says good mornings.

Do i even NEED a hamstring exercise or no because i dont really want to add one?
Is it the case that bill starr (olympic weightlifting person) was just incorrect due to him publishing the book a few decades ago.
Click to expand...
I would say any hinge movement ie swings, cleans, or any other that you do when you hike a kettlebell into the rack position works the hamstrings enough. Most people are probably quad dominant people which will change a little if you are doing these movements or Zercher or deadlifts. Unless you have specific directions from your coach I wouldn’t worry about laying down at a hamstring machine to get in hamstring work. These are whole body movements so they give you the best bang for your training time.
 
Coach Louie said:
I would say any hinge movement ie swings, cleans, or any other that you do when you hike a kettlebell into the rack position works the hamstrings enough.
Click to expand...
Im not planning on doing any hinge movements because the zercher squat will make my deadlift sky rocket according to power to the people professional
 
As
Weight said:
Im not planning on doing any hinge movements because the zercher squat will make my deadlift sky rocket according to power to the people professional
Click to expand...
It's from assistance exercises section. I believe it does not mean that zerchers alone make DL and regular squats skyrocket, but works as a specialized variety doing them in a program or block together with DL and regular squats.
 
An interesting thread, folks.

When I do Zerchers, I find any discomfort where I'm holding the bar is mitigated by just holding the bar tighter, IOW, if you're using the muscles where the bar is sitting, you'll spread the load out and it won't hurt as much.

I'm with @watchnerd when it comes to there being a pretty profound difference between a front squat and a Zercher as far as your upper back goes. The Zercher is a major core exercise but almost by definition you aren't extending your t-spine, so I think it's great for getting stronger, but if your goal is a front squat and/or Olympic lifting, I think you need to front squat, and I'm not sure that working on your Z is going to help your FSQ - if someone has found that, indeed, the Zercher is a good assistance for the FSQ, I'd love to hear about your experience.

JMO, YMMV.

-S-
 
Huyovas said:
As

It's from assistance exercises section. I believe it does not mean that zerchers alone make DL and regular squats skyrocket, but works as a specialized variety doing them in a program or block together with DL and regular squats.
Click to expand...
The best squat article by pavel says zerchers are the squat with the greatest carryover to the deadlift.
 
GovernorSilver said:
I had a different interpretation of what he said:

My interpretation of this statement is the Zercher squat can be used as a corrective/assistance for somebody's front squat, if that person is struggling with this specific issue.
Click to expand...

Doesn't that mean it's a regression / easier on the upper back?
 
watchnerd said:
But why Zercher instead of front squat?
Click to expand...
Because I can’t. (Yet)

Love me some Zercher Squats. Easily my favorite barbell exercise, and any discomfort from the bar in your elbows is vastly overstated. At least at the weights I am lifting.

As for the OP, I notice my upper back doing a lot of work with Zerchers and it is easier on my low back and ironically, elbows, than back squats
 
oukeith1 said:
Because I can’t. (Yet)

Love me some Zercher Squats. Easily my favorite barbell exercise, and any discomfort from the bar in your elbows is vastly overstated. At least at the weights I am lifting.

As for the OP, I notice my upper back doing a lot of work with Zerchers and it is easier on my low back and ironically, elbows, than back squats
Click to expand...

If one actually wants to front squat as a priority, it seems like time spent on the Zercher is time spent not spent working on the front squat.

And if mobility is an issue, there are regressions.

Front_Squat.jpg


www.t-nation.com

How to Front Squat With Straps

Front squatting with a clean grip takes a lot of flexibility and using a cross-grip is dangerous. Here's the solution.
www.t-nation.com www.t-nation.com
 
I'm not sure what it is exactly but zerchers are comparatively easier than front squats, the back squats the strongest.

Many, if not most, times I see the zercher squat it actually is a zercher good morning when I see a video on it. It's obviously the easier way to do it for most. I try to avoid it personally.

Back when I did my zerchers my core and quads were the first to give in. I think the abdominal strain I experienced can only be compared to, well, good mornings.

The form is very similar to front squats but there is a bigger moment arm between yourself and the barbell and leaning forward isn't an outright death sentence with the zercher.
 
watchnerd said:
He seems to think the Zercher squat isn't quite as demanding of the upper back as front squats:
Click to expand...
Today I missed my last set of front squats because my upper back collapsed and I dropped the bar onto the safeties. Very interesting experience, I did not see it coming.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom