high bar vs. low bar squats
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Ohbutiloveicecream
Posts: 37 Member
Hey ladies,
This is new to me & wanted to share==>>There is a high bar position & a low bar position for back squats.
( I mistakenly did box squats (hips back) with a high bar on my back and for the first time in over a year of heavy lifting I've suffered squat-induced knee pain. Hoping this might help others avoid the same fate!)
With the bar higher up on the back: knees move forward & you're in a better position for a deeper squat.
With a low bar the hips sit back and knees don't need extend as far ahead if the toes. Of course differing body types will affect the range of movement for different people.
This video is pretty helpful:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=cRMiUtscrHw
In short: high bar=knees forward. Low bar=hips backward
This is new to me & wanted to share==>>There is a high bar position & a low bar position for back squats.
( I mistakenly did box squats (hips back) with a high bar on my back and for the first time in over a year of heavy lifting I've suffered squat-induced knee pain. Hoping this might help others avoid the same fate!)
With the bar higher up on the back: knees move forward & you're in a better position for a deeper squat.
With a low bar the hips sit back and knees don't need extend as far ahead if the toes. Of course differing body types will affect the range of movement for different people.
This video is pretty helpful:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=cRMiUtscrHw
In short: high bar=knees forward. Low bar=hips backward
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Replies
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Thanks for sharing! I have bulging discs and I re-aggravated it by getting a little exuberant the other day with the weight. Form is so important.0
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I can't get the link to work- it just takes me to YT mobile.
Sometimes I feel like a proper squat is like something you would need to travel to a unknown land for, then take a range rover to the middle of nowhere, then ride a donkey, then hike for five days whilst cutting down vines, ending up crawling bloody-fisted to the top of a craggy mountain. And there at the top will be some dude and he just says 'when the squat arrives- the wings of the dove shall flourish".0 -
I just searched high bar vs. low bar squatsin Youtube and some videos came up.0
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I can't get the link to work- it just takes me to YT mobile.
oops!
Here's the original YouTube video I was trying to post:
http://youtu.be/cRMiUtscrHw 0 -
Sometimes I feel like a proper squat is like something you would need to travel to a unknown land for, then take a range rover to the middle of nowhere, then ride a donkey, then hike for five days whilst cutting down vines, ending up crawling bloody-fisted to the top of a craggy mountain. And there at the top will be some dude and he just says 'when the squat arrives- the wings of the dove shall flourish".
haha!
I remember thinking this exactly! Okay, maybe not the exact same imagery, but close to it!
The only thing that has helped me to figure things out was doing lots of body weight squats in front of a mirror and then incorporating weights once I "got it".
I've heard taking video of yourself squatting is a really good way to correct form and reach the top of the craggy squat mountain. lol0 -
go to the stronglifts blog and read the "how to squat" post -- this program specifically calls for low bar squats. Stance is also a bit different in general, you should have your feet quite a bit wider, etc.
Read his post, its quite helpful. Shoulder tightness is a problem for lowbar too so there's another post on there that describes a stretch you can do for them.0 -
ugh! Squats! I apparently need more practice. I took a video of my form. I just cannot get past parallel without my heels coming up off the floor. Then to compensate for that, I lean forward. I just can't sit back that far down with my heels down. It's most discouraging.0
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ugh! Squats! I apparently need more practice. I took a video of my form. I just cannot get past parallel without my heels coming up off the floor. Then to compensate for that, I lean forward. I just can't sit back that far down with my heels down. It's most discouraging.
Stick your butt out farther, sit back more. Doing that really helped my partner.0 -
I REALLY donwanna switch to low bar. Can't make me.
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I tried the low bar today (the book Starting Strength has an awesome section dedicated to teaching form). I didn't even realize the way I was holding the bar with my hands wasn't really correct. Also, pushing my knees outward more has allowed me to keep my back straight and push through my heels. Although I'm finding that this also requires some hip flexibility. Hips stretches before I went right to squats were also really helpful.
ETA: Going barefoot also helped, as tameko so kindly told me to do for the second time already. 0 -
Wow, I've always seen ladies do squats with the knees forward and it always makes me cringe because I have knee problems. I was already doing the low bar squats I just thought I did squats in my own special way because of my limits LOL0
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Wow, I've always seen ladies do squats with the knees forward and it always makes me cringe because I have knee problems. I was already doing the low bar squats I just thought I did squats in my own special way because of my limits LOL
I actually think pushing the knees out more (right in line with the toes, or ever so slightly out over the toes), feels better on my knees since you're not using them as much. It puts the focus and strength on the glutes, hips, hamstrings, and quads. I have found that I also don't use my lower back to lift as much when I don't worry as much about my knees and hold the bar lower. It's an awkward position at first for sure, but I am thinking it's way more effective.0 -
Wow, I've always seen ladies do squats with the knees forward and it always makes me cringe because I have knee problems. I was already doing the low bar squats I just thought I did squats in my own special way because of my limits LOL
I actually think pushing the knees out more (right in line with the toes, or ever so slightly out over the toes), feels better on my knees since you're not using them as much. It puts the focus and strength on the glutes, hips, hamstrings, and quads. I have found that I also don't use my lower back to lift as much when I don't worry as much about my knees and hold the bar lower. It's an awkward position at first for sure, but I am thinking it's way more effective.
OUch! I have 3 torn ligaments in my knee, I've tried to do them with the knees slightly over the toe, it hurts
ETA: 2 surgeries, a patella graph... lol still need another surgery or a knee replacement. :sad:0 -
Wow, I've always seen ladies do squats with the knees forward and it always makes me cringe because I have knee problems. I was already doing the low bar squats I just thought I did squats in my own special way because of my limits LOL
I actually think pushing the knees out more (right in line with the toes, or ever so slightly out over the toes), feels better on my knees since you're not using them as much. It puts the focus and strength on the glutes, hips, hamstrings, and quads. I have found that I also don't use my lower back to lift as much when I don't worry as much about my knees and hold the bar lower. It's an awkward position at first for sure, but I am thinking it's way more effective.
OUch! I have 3 torn ligaments in my knee, I've tried to do them with the knees slightly over the toe, it hurts
ETA: 2 surgeries, a patella graph... lol still need another surgery or a knee replacement. :sad:
Ok ouch is right! I suppose if you've got knee problems like that, much better to do what feels better rather than trying to push it.0 -
I can't get the link to work- it just takes me to YT mobile.
Sometimes I feel like a proper squat is like something you would need to travel to a unknown land for, then take a range rover to the middle of nowhere, then ride a donkey, then hike for five days whilst cutting down vines, ending up crawling bloody-fisted to the top of a craggy mountain. And there at the top will be some dude and he just says 'when the squat arrives- the wings of the dove shall flourish".
took the words right out of my mouth! ....okay, so not really but that was a brilliant description!0 -
Sometimes I feel like a proper squat is like something you would need to travel to a unknown land for, then take a range rover to the middle of nowhere, then ride a donkey, then hike for five days whilst cutting down vines, ending up crawling bloody-fisted to the top of a craggy mountain. And there at the top will be some dude and he just says 'when the squat arrives- the wings of the dove shall flourish".
haha!
I remember thinking this exactly! Okay, maybe not the exact same imagery, but close to it!
The only thing that has helped me to figure things out was doing lots of body weight squats in front of a mirror and then incorporating weights once I "got it".
I've heard taking video of yourself squatting is a really good way to correct form and reach the top of the craggy squat mountain. lol
When watching others, the only way I can tell anything is from the side. This isn't possible with a mirror, so yeah, vid cam on the side should do the trick for self analysis.0 -
okie dokey- watched the vid and I was trying to do a high squat with the bar lower. So... yeah.. could explain the mass confusion my body had lol
Going to wait till my spotter gets home and then try it out again- this time leading with hips. Hope I don't pop it and lock it too hard.
Thaaaank you for the videooo!0
