Safety Squat Bar Alternative

It s a very versatile implement that has carry over to many different training modalities including powerlifting strongman bodybuilding etc.

Safety squat bar alternative. Just touch the box. The safety squat bar is an amazing piece of equipment that produces massive benefits in terms of strength gains injury prevention and upper extremity preservation. But the bar is much more than shoulder relief it really turns squatting into a different movement. Safety squat bars are one the best alternatives for the traditional straight barbell.

Don t sit down on it fully like in a regular box squat. Use a regular bar if your shoulders are fine but if you have shoulder pain from squats or a lot of bench pressing the safety bar is your best choice. For this reason i many times will use a goblet squat to teach the squat pattern that should translate to a safety bar squat and the feeling of using the weight to counterbalance. You can use hatfield squats for both higher rep work and max effort low rep work.

If you want to continue with your regular squat form simply use the box as a measure of depth. However a belt squat machine is an expensive piece of equipment and not many gyms fork out the cash to pay for one. Safety squat bars are used in many powerlifting circles primarily because they don t require the same degree of upper body mobility. The belt squat is a squat accessory exercise that reduces the level of spinal loading and compression compared with a traditional barbell back squat.

As a result they tend to be much easier on the shoulders neck wrists and elbows. It s more of a luxury purchase for gyms rather than an all out necessity. Either way you will build confidence to load more weight and squat without the support of your hands on the bar. As such the safety bar squat more closely mimics the bar placement of a high bar squat but the horizontal pull and weight displacement of a goblet squat.

What most people first notice when using the cambered squat bar is how unstable the bar is. However by using wrists straps you can actually create your own makeshift safety squat bar that in many ways is superior to standard safety bars. Using a safety squat bar for this workout is a great alternative to both straight bars as well as dumbells. Here you re using your hands against the rack to maintain tension and position while pulling out of your sticking point.

Zerchers are another great squat variation for taking stress off the lower back. Straight barbells are great and have their place in every gym but the safety squat bar ssb offers an. The bar sits significantly lower on the body at the midsection not up high on the back which reduces the compressive forces on the spine considerably.