A Breakdown Of Various Loading Positions (& Why You Might Choose Them)

This week I want to go over various loading positions.

What’s this actually mean? Well, it’s literally HOW you do or don’t hold load in any given exercise or situation.

So let’s first go over a few different examples of loading:

• Anterior (front - think goblet squats, front rack position, counterbalance, etc.)

• Posterior (back - think back squats or any typical barbell loading)

• Contralateral (opposite side - think single arm or leg movements)

• Ipsilateral (same side - think single arm or leg movements)

• Dual (load in each hand)

• Overhead (load is overhead - can be single arm or dual)

• Offset (load is different side to side or even different positions)

Depending on your goals, your body, or any injuries, you may need to utilize different loading patterns.

Let’s use squats to help demonstrate anterior (front) and posterior (back) loading patterns. In the next couple of newsletters, we will go over the remaining loading patterns.

If we have a squat that’s front-loaded (front squat, goblet squat, etc), we are shifting our center of gravity back and biasing our midline or abdominals. Not to mention, we typically are also biasing a lot of our upper back in these positions.

If we now take a squat that’s posteriorly loaded (back squat - high bar or low bar), we are shifting our center of gravity forward and biasing more of our erectors (the muscles that line and surround our spine).

So, what are times when you might need to specifically utilize these different variations?

• Front: increase midline strength, increase upper back strength, working to shift cog backwards (maybe poor spinal flexion screen, chronic tightness in calves possibly), variation, etc. - maybe you’re training for a sandbag event!

• Back: improve erector strength, generally move more load, working to shift cog forwards (maybe poor spinal extension screen, constant tightness in shins or quads possibly), variation, etc. - maybe you’re training for mountaineering!

This is a very simplified approach to loading, and might even seem obvious with these two examples. However, in the following newsletters you’ll hopefully get a better idea of how different loading patterns can really bias specific aspects of movement.

And, if it’s unclear, feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll do my best to continue explaining.

Below you’ll find some of my favorite examples of each of these loading patterns for you to try out on your own!

EXAMPLES:

FRONT LOADED

Goblet Squats / Lunges

Front Squats

Front Rack Kettlebell Carries / Squats / Lunges

Counterbalance Squats

Sandbag Carries / Squats

Squat Clean

BACK LOADED

Low Bar Back Squats

Rucking / Hiking with Pack

Yoke Carries

Barbell Step Ups or with a Pack

Barbell Reverse Lunges