ways to prevent bar bruising

angelbarbz123
angelbarbz123 Posts: 23 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Idk if it's just me but whenever I'm doing squats on the Smith machine, I have like a little bruise on my lower neck kinda at the top of my spine from the machine. Is it because of the clothes I'm wearing like should I wear a jacket or something to cover it to not rub up against my skin, or what are ways to prevent this? Thank you! :)

Replies

  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    Get out of the smith machine and earn the callous.
  • Codthegreat
    Codthegreat Posts: 25 Member
    ^^
  • Rob_in_MI
    Rob_in_MI Posts: 393 Member
    I wrap a towel around the bar when going heavy. It definitely helps. Keep at them. Squats are king.
  • DawnEmbers
    DawnEmbers Posts: 2,451 Member
    Never noticed a bruise from squats, except when doing front squats where the bar rested on my arms. Don't use the smith machine either. Mostly, I get bruises from deadlifts. They happen and go away. Haven't noticed a difference based on clothes either though except I like to wear knee-hi socks so that helps a little with deadlifting.
  • Sutnak
    Sutnak Posts: 227 Member
    The bar is in the incorrect position. First, it's in a smith machine. Second, it sounds like it's too high on your neck. It should be resting on your traps.
  • mochapygmy
    mochapygmy Posts: 2,123 Member
    TheReloader wrote: »
    The bar is in the incorrect position. First, it's in a smith machine. Second, it sounds like it's too high on your neck. It should be resting on your traps.

    Yup. Are you pinching your shoulder blades together and resting the bar on the ridge made by your traps for high bar squats?
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,517 Member
    Looking beyond the issue of where on the neck/shoulders the bar is residing, the OP's question about bruising due to the bar is still relevant, since on heavy squat day I also get bruises across my shoulders for a day or two after, and I know I'm positioning the bar correctly.

    In my experience, wearing different clothes doesn't seem to make a difference, as I get the same bruising whether I wear a t-shirt or a tank-top. Wrapping a towel helps because the bar doesn't actually make contact with your body, but I feel a better mind-muscle connection when I feel the bar, maybe that's just me.

    The good news is the bruising is not a requirement, as I only get the bruising on my heaviest days anymore, but when I squat lighter I don't bruise. Used to, not anymore. The body gets used to the situation. Keep at it, yours will as well.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    TheReloader wrote: »
    The bar is in the incorrect position. First, it's in a smith machine. Second, it sounds like it's too high on your neck. It should be resting on your traps.

    This. The bar should be resting on your traps, a bit lower than where I'd guess you have it resting.

    I also agree with nossmf, as you get stronger and build more muscle mass, the bar will rest on that and not the bone.

    I always used a pad before I started doing CF. At that point I deloaded a bit and just used the bar and worked on positioning the bar correctly I now squat fairly heavy and don't have any bruising issues.

    Front squats and bruising....now we we're talking.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    TheReloader wrote: »
    The bar is in the incorrect position. First, it's in a smith machine. Second, it sounds like it's too high on your neck. It should be resting on your traps.
    Yes, this. throw your shoulders back and your traps should provide a nice little pad to rest the bar on, it shouldn't be touching your spine.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    The smith machine is a terrible place to squat. If you’ll look at the line, it isn’t vertical. Not to mention the lack of engagement in stabilizer muscles (but then you could put a slider over your chairs and toilet and not have to worry about stabilization in that functional range).

    Most gyms have pads you can use or you can use a towel. Also, experiment with placement of the bar. It sounds like you’re doing a high bar squat. You can shift the bar down, further back onto your delts and do a low bar squat that might be more comfortable.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Smith versus BB aside, either way over time you're going to develop some marks where the bar lies. I have a light callous where the bar lies but the good thing is that it's even easier for me to tell when the bar is in position. lol!

    I'm not sure why you would bruise, I'm guessing the bar is not in a good spot and that can be attributed to the Smith machine. The problem with the Smith machine in that regard is that the bar is fixed and you really can't properly adjust to your movement pattern. Try using a barbell for a while and practice your form, see if anything changes. You don't want a pad or anything on the bar because that can throw off the range of motion and form, so be careful with that. With practice and over time it will become natural and it won't hurt.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    Iron_Miss_Canada wrote: »
    Get out of the smith machine and earn the callous.

    This for sure, also, stop carrying the load on your neck, carry it where it belongs, on your traps.

    Rigger

  • angelbarbz123
    angelbarbz123 Posts: 23 Member
    I do squats without the machine but I sometimes do some squats on the machine but should I not? And what do y'all mean by callous?
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,517 Member
    A callous is a thickening of the skin, the body's reaction to protect your skin from repeated rubbing. Doesn't always have to be nasty, think of the fingertips of a guitar player.

    By squatting regularly, where the bar touches your shoulders it might move slightly during each rep, whether rolling up and down or twisting slightly. Usually not a large motion, but if done constantly on the same spot the body will still toughen up to protect itself. So if you have "earned a callous squatting" it means you've done enough squats, with the bar in the correct position every time, to force the body to develop a callous.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUNRPK2FBv8

    Smith machines do not go in an appropriate vertical movement. In this video, pay particular attention to when he has a PVC pipe beside the woman squatting and you can see a beautiful vertical movement pattern. This is what you want to do, and should do with a barbell.

  • angelbarbz123
    angelbarbz123 Posts: 23 Member
    AllanMisner wrote: »
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUNRPK2FBv8

    Smith machines do not go in an appropriate vertical movement. In this video, pay particular attention to when he has a PVC pipe beside the woman squatting and you can see a beautiful vertical movement pattern. This is what you want to do, and should do with a barbell.
    okay so just get off the Smith Machine, got it. Thank you!
    :)
  • maybebaby34
    maybebaby34 Posts: 234 Member
    nossmf wrote: »
    Looking beyond the issue of where on the neck/shoulders the bar is residing, the OP's question about bruising due to the bar is still relevant, since on heavy squat day I also get bruises across my shoulders for a day or two after, and I know I'm positioning the bar correctly.

    In my experience, wearing different clothes doesn't seem to make a difference, as I get the same bruising whether I wear a t-shirt or a tank-top. Wrapping a towel helps because the bar doesn't actually make contact with your body, but I feel a better mind-muscle connection when I feel the bar, maybe that's just me.

    The good news is the bruising is not a requirement, as I only get the bruising on my heaviest days anymore, but when I squat lighter I don't bruise. Used to, not anymore. The body gets used to the situation. Keep at it, yours will as well.


    Agree...what you need to do is bruise a few times and your body will get use to it until you increase to a even more extreme weight. I dont care how big of a badass you are you squat some weight you are gonna be sore. I just did 315 (bar in right place) and I can barely wear a bra. What will happen tho is you will learn to love that feeling and be proud of how it got there. Keep going angel and you are going to find bruises in place you have no clue how they got there. But you will wear them with pride because you busted your *kitten* to get them!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • angelbarbz123
    angelbarbz123 Posts: 23 Member
    maybebaby34 wrote: »
    nossmf wrote: »
    Looking beyond the issue of where on the neck/shoulders the bar is residing, the OP's question about bruising due to the bar is still relevant, since on heavy squat day I also get bruises across my shoulders for a day or two after, and I know I'm positioning the bar correctly.

    In my experience, wearing different clothes doesn't seem to make a difference, as I get the same bruising whether I wear a t-shirt or a tank-top. Wrapping a towel helps because the bar doesn't actually make contact with your body, but I feel a better mind-muscle connection when I feel the bar, maybe that's just me.

    The good news is the bruising is not a requirement, as I only get the bruising on my heaviest days anymore, but when I squat lighter I don't bruise. Used to, not anymore. The body gets used to the situation. Keep at it, yours will as well.


    Agree...what you need to do is bruise a few times and your body will get use to it until you increase to a even more extreme weight. I dont care how big of a badass you are you squat some weight you are gonna be sore. I just did 315 (bar in right place) and I can barely wear a bra. What will happen tho is you will learn to love that feeling and be proud of how it got there. Keep going angel and you are going to find bruises in place you have no clue how they got there. But you will wear them with pride because you busted your *kitten* to get them!
    Workin my way up to get there! And 315!? Dang maybe one day I'll be able to squat that heavy right now the highest I can squat is 120! You're the badass :smiley: ! Thanks for the info as well, will put to use! :smiley:
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    high-bar-vs-low-bar-1024x481.jpg


    If you absolutely must: you can use a bar pad, but once you move the bar to the right position i doubt it would be necessary.

    MA105_Ex_Squat02.png
  • angelbarbz123
    angelbarbz123 Posts: 23 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    high-bar-vs-low-bar-1024x481.jpg


    If you absolutely must: you can use a bar pad, but once you move the bar to the right position i doubt it would be necessary.

    MA105_Ex_Squat02.png

    Thanks so much, I'll look into it :smile:
  • musclegood_fatbad
    musclegood_fatbad Posts: 9,809 Member
    Like others have said, smith machine is not a great place for squats. Try bringing your hands in closer to your shoulders when squatting. This allows your to pinch you shoulder blades a bit more and create a nice platform to rest the bar on your traps.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,517 Member
    I've been squatting for a couple years now, and for some reason I thought the "low bar" position was even lower on the back, but that visual helped clarify things. Interesting...
  • vfit10
    vfit10 Posts: 228 Member
    Pads

Categories