stronglifts with specialty bars

curlsintherack
curlsintherack Posts: 465 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My wife has recently started lifting weights with me. we started her with stronglifts 5x5 but since I have a safety squat bar and a trap bar she is using those instead of a straight bar for squats and deadlifts.

She is never planning on competing so is there anything I'm overlooking by just using those instead of the conventional bar?

Replies

  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I've got one and using the SSB should make no difference doing squats, except making them "safer" for your back and more comfortable to do.

    However, using the raised handles on the trap bar (if they have them) will "cheat" the deadlift by limiting the range of motion by not requiring you drop your butt all the way down to fully engage your glutes/hams & quads.

    The solution to this is to flip the trap bar over and use the flat grips (if it has them) instead. If for some reason there are no flat grips, you can stand on barbell plates or a raised platform that you can easily build w/plywood and some 2x4 or 2x6" studs, equal in height to the raised handles.

  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    If she doesn't plan on competing, then doing direct or indirect variances of the big lifts won't effect her goal as much as somebody who need specificity in their training.

    For general strength fitness it will be fine.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    I agree about flipping the trap bar over for deadlifts. Also check from the side that her hands are centered mid-foot at the start & end of each rep, just like with regular DLs. Otherwise it's easy to turn them into a squatting movement. If she works out alone, she can video herself. :+1:
  • curlsintherack
    curlsintherack Posts: 465 Member
    thanks everyone thats what I figured.

    she is actually still using the trap bar with the handles up simply to gain height as the bar itself weighs 75 pounds and until she gets to 165 she would be pulling from a deficit because of plate diameter.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    curlsintherack wrote: »
    thanks everyone thats what I figured.

    she is actually still using the trap bar with the handles up simply to gain height as the bar itself weighs 75 pounds and until she gets to 165 she would be pulling from a deficit because of plate diameter.

    Good looking out on the cook out.

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