Despite the best of efforts, your squats are not nearly as low as you’d like. And when they do get low enough, the result is a crippling pain. The culprit could be poor ankle mobility, a common problem that limits the range of motion for fitness novices and experienced athletes alike. If your ultimate goal is a parallel squat, you’ll have no hope of achieving it if your ankles lack sufficient strength and flexibility. There are a few ways for you to improve ankle mobility through strengthening and conditioning, though.
Many people shy away from front squats because they think it’s too difficult or simply too awkward. However, the placement of the bar in front of your body provides a number of benefits compared to regular squats, including reduced shearing and compressive forces on your vertebral discs, more emphasis on the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis heads of the quad, and improved core control and posture