For all the squatters in here...

[thewickedtruth]

How do you guys keep the bar from sliding down your back when you're in the hole with heavier weights? Should I bull my neck and have it rest BETWEEN the traps and my neck or keep it lower on the traps as suggested? I have a huge problem of having to hike the bar back up my back each rep and dont' want to end up not going heavier in fear of an injury. Ideas? Suggestions?  ???Thanks guys. 

[The Squadfather]

i always set the bar a little higher up on my traps at the begininng of the set because it always ends up rolling a little bit no matter who you are or what you do, what helps is gripping the bar a little narrower so you can control the bar more, a lot of guys grip the bar wide when they squat and i don't understand how you can control the bar like that.

[thewickedtruth]

i always set the bar a little higher up on my traps at the begininng of the set because it always ends up rolling a little bit no matter who you are or what you do, what helps is gripping the bar a little narrower so you can control the bar more, a lot of guys grip the bar wide when they squat and i don't understand how you can control the bar like that.

I'm one of those guys. It's easier to walk out and balance like that and I have a bad habit of not stretching my chest and shoulders out so getting my hands to come back that far and expand THAT close to my body is kinda difficult. I've been taking pilates to help with my flexibility issues and apparenlty I'm one big knot of tension. I was going to ask you this question in my training thread but forgot until just now.

[The Squadfather]

I'm one of those guys. It's easier to walk out and balance like that and I have a bad habit of not stretching my chest and shoulders out so getting my hands to come back that far and expand THAT close to my body is kinda difficult. I've been taking pilates to help with my flexibility issues and apparenlty I'm one big knot of tension. I was going to ask you this question in my training thread but forgot until just now.

yeah i know some old powerlfters from my old gym who can't get their hands back there anymore and had to use the Hatfield safety squat bar where you hold the weight up front and squat, probelm with a lot of big benchers is that the shoulders get tight but it shouldn't be a problem if you do some towel stretches consistently.

[thewickedtruth]

yeah i know some old powerlfters from my old gym who can't get their hands back there anymore and had to use the Hatfield safety squat bar where you hold the weight up front and squat, probelm with a lot of big benchers is that the shoulders get tight but it shouldn't be a problem if you do some towel stretches consistently.

Thanks man I'll start doing them daily. A trainer I'm friends with said that My chest is so over powering my shoulder girdle that it literally pulls it forward and said I should start stretching but wasn't specific and the stretches I do don't seem to be working beyond a bench warmup. I know what towel stretches are though! I'll get to doing those as well!

[The Squadfather]

Thanks man I'll start doing them daily. A trainer I'm friends with said that My chest is so over powering my shoulder girdle that it literally pulls it forward and said I should start stretching but wasn't specific and the stretches I do don't seem to be working beyond a bench warmup. I know what towel stretches are though! I'll get to doing those as well!

yeah once you get up to those big 4 plate benches that tightness in the shoulders builds up, you're rowing movements seem to be right up there with your bench though so shoulder imbalance problems shouldn't be an issue, those towel stretches are awesome, the thing is to gradually try to pull your hands in closer or increase the time that you hold the stretches, i gradually pull my hands in on sets of squats, when i first come in i do 135 with my hands out fairly wide and bring it in gradually on 225,315,405, etc. so when i get to my top set my hands are on the rings of the bar comfortably.

[thewickedtruth]

yeah once you get up to those big 4 plate benches that tightness in the shoulders builds up, you're rowing movements seem to be right up there with your bench though so shoulder imbalance problems shouldn't be an issue, those towel stretches are awesome, the thing is to gradually try to pull your hands in closer or increase the time that you hold the stretches, i gradually pull my hands in on sets of squats, when i first come in i do 135 with my hands out fairly wide and bring it in gradually on 225,315,405, etc. so when i get to my top set my hands are on the rings of the bar comfortably.

This week I'm going to try for 15 reps or more on the 405 to work on my stamina before attacking the heavier shit again. I'm doing everything I can to prep myself for my next 500lb including bar position, etc. I missed it once. I'll be damned if I'll miss it again. IF getting hands in closer will help some then I'll work on it that too to see how it feels.

[jpm101]

Don't know how much money they are but you could invest in a Manta Ray for back squats. The bar will go no where, but stay put throughout a set. If you have higher thick traps there may be a problem though. Also another device for front squat, made by the same company, is supposed to work well. Seen the Manta Ray but not the front squat version.

PL'ers really should not have to worry about shoulder tightness. Olympic lifters are some of the most flexable lifters around and they spend a lot of time  on warm-up stretches and other moves with a bar every workout. May want to do a search to check out they stretching moves.  Presses behind the neck seem to help some benches overcome this problem and also add to their lift. As do door jam stretchers (sideways and overhead). Even hanging from a chinning bar, from extra wide to a interlocking finger grip can help.

I find the thicker the upper back and the heavier the weight, the less worry about bar rolling downwards. But than again, everyone's built different. Good luck.

[AVBG]

Don't know how much money they are but you could invest in a Manta Ray for back squats. The bar will go no where, but stay put throughout a set. If you have higher thick traps there may be a problem though. Also another device for front squat, made by the same company, is supposed to work well. Seen the Manta Ray but not the front squat version.

PL'ers really should not have to worry about shoulder tightness. Olympic lifters are some of the most flexable lifters around and they spend a lot of time  on warm-up stretches and other moves with a bar every workout. May want to do a search to check out they stretching moves.  Presses behind the neck seem to help some benches overcome this problem and also add to their lift. As do door jam stretchers (sideways and overhead). Even hanging from a chinning bar, from extra wide to a interlocking finger grip can help.

I find the thicker the upper back and the heavier the weight, the less worry about bar rolling downwards. But than again, everyone's built different. Good luck.

From memory it's called the "stingray" (for front squats) I am trying to find a distributor locally (no luck to date)

[Princess L]

From memory it's called the "stingray" (for front squats) I am trying to find a distributor locally (no luck to date)

Power Systems and Perform Better both carry it.  You'd probably pay the same price locally anyway.  Both are good companies with prompt shipping.

[AVBG]

Power Systems and Perform Better both carry it.  You'd probably pay the same price locally anyway.  Both are good companies with prompt shipping.

Thanks Princess L.. I will look them up.

[pobrecito]

How the bar sits is really dependent upon your build.

The bar does not move a centimeter for me on back squats, but front squats are just hell for me. Anything over 225 and the bar tends to roll off my delts 

[wes]

Top of rear delts,elbows back and up a bit if possible........kind of forms a natural cradle for the bar....keep head up also and stay tight with back straight.

[chaos]

a lot of guys grip the bar wide when they squat and i don't understand how you can control the bar like that.

that's me Here's what I do a little different, when my arms ae out at the ends I turn my elbows up by rolling my hands forwards a little, this flexes the traps and helps me keep the bar from rolling. The other thing is on setup, I try to push the bend of the bar up so when I lift, it tends to roll less.

[The Squadfather]

that's me Here's what I do a little different, when my arms ae out at the ends I turn my elbows up by rolling my hands forwards a little, this flexes the traps and helps me keep the bar from rolling. The other thing is on setup, I try to push the bend of the bar up so when I lift, it tends to roll less.

yeah i like to grip it at the rings of the olympic bar which is fairly narrow but it never rolls like that for me.

[pobrecito]

I've tried putting my hands on the end of the bar ala Ronnie when I squat but it somehow messes up the mechanics of the squat for me. I tend to lean forward more if I do that. Ideal for me is to have my middle finger on the rings.