I always wrapped a towel around the bar, which felt awkward. I'd even considered stopping squats altogether, but I tried your suggestions and it worked great. Because I work out at home with no trainer, information like this is invaluable. Thank you so much.
I was maxing out in my weight training class yesterday but I couldn’t go farther than 195 because the weight hurt my neck to bad. Super helpful. Thank you
The only way to build up is to start at the bottom. Don't worry about it. The more you squat, the more that area will build up as your body adapts! There are also complementary exercises like the Overhead Press that will assist in building muscle in that area. A good example exercise routine for a day is 5 sets @ 5 reps of Squats, 5 sets @ 5 reps of Overhead Press, then 1 set of 5 reps of Deadlifts. That'll pretty much reach every muscle of your body.
Bro he's talking about his spine, not the shoulder girdle, OHP won't help him that much with protecting his neck/spine. He needs to build his upperback/traps, mostly traps, so a lot of shrugs, rows & face pulls basicly. And follow the tips in the video. Good luck.
I'm pretty skinny and used to have this problem. Doing really heavy barbell shrugs once a week built up enough muscle in a couple sessions to not feel it anymore.
I had/still kinda do have this problem and it runs against so much that it causes a dark spot and then now I have a lump now and gone to chiropractor and doctor and nothing has helped
Not everyone wants to primarily activate their posterior chain. Some want to concentrate on quad development and not overemphasis on glutes, so high bar makes sense. This video is pretty incomplete. Bar pads aren't ruining people's squats. If they're placing the bar too high, just tell them to lower it. By the way, Arnold and Tom Platz did high bar and Platz used pads. Platz actually used a towel wrapped most of the time exactly as you ridiculed.
@@iancordero9431 high bar is perfectly fine. Its just going too high with high bar squats isnt feasible because it will screw up your form and also bruise your neck.
I ALWAYS fall forward with the foam pad and I thought I was just terrible at Squats…this video helped in so many different ways….informative for sure, can’t wait to try it tomorrow
Holding it without the pad I feel comfortable with the lower weights but whenever I go over 100kg I still use it to make it feel better. Thanks for the tips will try it the next time!
I have solid bar placement but it still hurts I definitely think the bar pad is good, resting 200 pounds on any part of your body with a pole for a combined 20 minutes, it should hurt
@@rottentomatoes5171 haha, I commented this almost two years ago haven’t used a Squat Pad in a year unless it’s for hip thrusts I’m pretty sure I was testing it on my neck thay long ago but I was also a lot scrawnier which could be why it hurt
This is awesome real nice. I try to place the bar lower on my back in the same general spot you do but the issue for me is control of the weight, getting centered and wrist and grip placement before the set. With any more than 195 it feels like the weight is going to slide off my back. For me to avoid rounding and shoulders forward I have much more tension on the arms and wrists. I’ll try tensing my back like you show and trying to engage the glutes and core more. Just trying to find the balance for me is tricky. I injured my lower back and have sciatic leg pain because of it. I was progressing with the intention of increasing my squat deadlift and bench for as long as possible. I’m getting treatment for my injury now. Super psyched to get back squatting. Thanks for the video
Makes so much sense I've found using the pad I end trying not to fall forward and stopped doing squats because of this reason! Will give it a try by placing the bar on my mid back and tight against traps. My other problem is when I do squats and I do several sets, I can't increase weight as I start feeling dizzy but I know I can squat higher weights. I feel dizzy and nauseous but on the gravity leg press I'm fine I can overload it.
This video was an eye opener. I am 30 yrs old, been in and out of the gym for years, and about 5'5", 139 lbs... but squats and I have gone head to head. I have whip lash, scoliosis, slipped discs, extra vertebrae etc. So I have to be extra careful. I thought the reason anything over 135lbs hurt my neck is because I was female and my traps weren't big enough so the bar is sitting on my spine that sticks out on my lower neck and would be bruised for days. But y'all mentioned the shoulder flexibility or "rolled forward shoulders" and it all makes sense. I have pretty good posture but that has always been an issue I struggle to correct. Going to try this and see if squats and I don't get on better terms! Super excited!!! Thank you guys for finally making this issue make sense!
@@chloeleisure8004 Well, it is funny you should mention this now... it is a long and difficult process to correct rolled shoulders... It takes many months and I never quite got through it. I could make excuses but I won't. I plan on trying again. Although, I will say it did start to help as well as active stretching... Hope this helps...
@@chloeleisure8004 Will do but I may stay away from squats all together. If I go back, I will let you know but my back has so many injuries that I have started building routines without them. I will let you know though. Good luck!
I'm really skinny so the bar either sits on my shoulder bones or on a vertebra. Last time I squatted anything heavier than 135 without a pad my shoulder bones were bruised and it hurt to touch them for 3 weeks. My coach told me that there just isn't enough muscle to hold the bar so it sits on my bone no matter what. I think the pad is ok to use seems how my squat has gone up 50 lbs since I've started using it
Yeah, for my high bar hurt my neck, and gave me massive pressure headaches when i pushwd too hard. Low bar solved 90 percent for me. I feel like theres moee ways to isolate quads than others anyways
I’m finding that when I go into a lower position on my back, it’s indeed more comfortable for my neck and feels more natural for my centre of balance but I get a lot of wrist pain. Any tips for alleviating that?
I got a pr of 370 lbs with the bar on my spine it was swollen and hurt for like 5 days I was about 1.5-2 inches too high and setting the weight on my neck bump.. study form,study form,study form, study form.., then lift.
Thanks guys been going to the gym for a bout a year, but obviously there was a lockdown in November last year and gyms didn’t reopen till like June, and only really just started to take it a bit more serious, never squatted before today and it hurt my neck so hopefully this helps for next time
Just my thoughts. I agree with all the mobility and positioning stuff you have run through and enjoy the video. I use a pad and have done for a long time. I understand all the centre of balance issues but personally find I can hit the same weight with or without pad and have had little to no injuries from squatting (fingers crossed🤣 ). It’s not a naturally occurring thing in day to day life to load a relatively thin bar with a good deal of weight across your upper back and regardless of muscle bulk around that area some people will feel more or less discomfort regardless of bar position (I believe your nerves that sense pain are just as sensitive on muscled areas as less muscled areas). Hence some people may well struggle concentrating on form due to concentrating on discomfort or pain from the bar pressure and this might ultimately hold back their progress adding resistance or put them off squatting all together. Are there any conclusive studies that show how much the bar pad displaces the bar and adjusts the centre of balance? When thinking about the pad thickness this also will reduce as the weight increases, due to compression and hence the centre of balance offset will also reduce. As I said these are just my thoughts. Regardless, I’m still enjoying your videos 🏋️♂️🙂👍💪
I agree. As I was rear ended in an auto accident, had my c5-c6 fused, I have constant pain in the general area. I have to use the padding. Otherwise, I'm locked up in pain after squats. Not trying to miss leg days!
@InsaneFame there isn't a specific study that I have found that goes in to specifically the pros and cons of a neck pad, however, you'll find the study I have attached to this comment goes over the proper mechanics of a back squat and you'll find that no where does it say to use a neck pad, rather to teach proper form by "bending the bar" or placing the bar on the traps. Check it out 👍& happy lifting! www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4262933/
Yesterday, I wrapped a towel around the bar and today my spine is soar. Tomorrow when I do squats again, I won't use a towel and try to hold the bar lower on my back while squeezing my shoulder blades. Thank you so much for this info.
Im here as a 15 yo, not a year into training yet. Always wondered why I was so shit on squats, filmed form once and realised my form was absolute dogshit this whole 8-9 months😢😂, back rounded as all fuck and bar up my neck, thankfully I haven’t experienced any lower back pains whatsoever. So glad I realised this now
too much left elbow pain so i gave up low bar squatting.. i've always did high bar squats anyways and the bar placement is high on my traps a real high bar.. but now i've found the perfect median lol.. i put the bar on my back at the lowest i can where it's still comfortable for me.. where i won't get elbow pain or need wrist wraps like when i did low bar.. and that placement is in the middle between my high bar and low bar..
I have damaged skin and bruises on my back no matter where I put the bar. Maximum weight I lift is 120kg. Should I use the barpad or is there any other way?
Just because these three stooges don't prefer a barbell pad for squats, don't mean jack about whether I or anyone else should use them personally. It also doesn't make a shit bit of difference as to how much you can squat. Nothing worse than two bit RUclipsrs brainwashing gym goers to sip on their asinine Kool-aid. BTW... these are the same three jackasses who made a video saying intermittent fasting is bad for you and has no health benefits 🤡🤡🤡💩
Idk when i get up to 400lbs for 15 20 reps for multiple sets wearing a stringer my back gets tore up . After a years my skin was a different color from the scarring like a permanent rash . I bodybuild to look good so i use a pad now. Maybe i should just use a thick sweater and just deal with the heat and sweat
I don’t necessarily have pain. My arms just fall asleep after. I always make sure to place the bar good too. When I started using the pad, this went away and I also do way more weight. Any suggestions?
My arms also go numb. It’s a mobility issue in the shoulders. Practice getting into the position more often and just hold it like a stretch without unracking the bar, you can also do shoulder dislocation stretches with a resistance band
High bar has always felt better for me but I totally get how it’s more advanced bc you need to really fire up the leg muscles to remain upright the entire time when squatting. My traps are also pretty big naturally 😂
For me the issue is that after a Hb squat session my neck hurts for days. I surely place it badly. I have to revisit it. Have been squatting low bar for years but now I want to develop a squat a little more upright
these people never experienced being skinny before. I use to be 5'10 130lbs where i was just skin and bone and any placement of the bar would be uncomfortable. At that point i think a bar pad would be reasonable. 170 now and i stopped using a bar pad even though my form hasnt changed because now i have natural cushion.
graham howe you will love the podcast if you liked the RUclips channel . You can find it on the website : www.mindPumpmedia.com or click the link at the end of our new videos. .
the bar has been grinding on my skin on my back and causing pain so i was thinking of getting one of those pads but guess not .. I'll have to adjust the placement
its been 2 years , i left gym after i got herniated disk in my neck , i was just a teenage, and i had not much guidance or knowledge as i was a total beginner, i always keep heavy weight barbel on my lower neck which led to slip disk , and i feel so ruined, n even i got slip disk on my lower back , i wish i found this video back then
I have sensitive skin that bruises and marks easily. That's why I prefer to use a pad, not because it hurts. I truly doubt it makes much of a difference. These guys are just trying to be "macho", which actually can be a pretty dangerous attitude in the gym. btw they got SKINNY LEGS!
My t-shirt chaffs my skin without a pad. It's not so much that it hurts without a pad, but it abrades my skin. I do agree that it's preferable not to have a pad though.
hi guys ,great video ,what do you think of the safety squat bat , i fractured my spinous process before and dont want to be resting a bar close to it ,any feedback apriceated
With your wrists at literally 90 degrees and very heavy weight right over your spine ill take the advice with a pinch of salt and keep to my own. A bar pad is fantastic to spread the load over more area and as for a changed centre of gravity youll find a weight plate or something an inch or two under your heals stops you bending so far forward and allows a deeper squat
But what about hip thrusts and zercher squats. With hip thrust it feels like it's resting on a single pressure point which is my pelvic bone, and with Zercher my tendons feel like they're getting absolutely wrecked
If you want to high bar squat just work on your mobility every night before going to sleep. It only take 2 minutes max. Look up some stretches and do 'em every night, if you stretch your whole body you will feel a lot better when you wake up too.
You guys are great. I listen to you on Google play, and i appreciate the information i know and now seeing proper form it helps reinforce the technique of lifting. btw those Walmart starter short are great. it had me cracking up.
I'm learning to do a smith machine squat. Thanks for the back info, but how far down can you go - to almost sitting position? If so, do you move your feet forward to gain balance for that?
I think for me my shoulder mobility is an issue making it harder to get good positioning. I had a rotator cuff injury a while back and my left shoulder is too tight rn
So when i lower the barbel it literally is at a point of falling off if i put it on my upper delts. After retracting completely. I have no arm control or arm strength from that angle. A bit higher than dealt just feel like its in the middle of the trap muscle so it hurts. What i do is i set it the highest and it feels comfortable.
Ive been squatting for a few weeks now, and i have been using a barpad. No matter where i put it without a pad, it really grinds on my spine. This is probably because my back is very skinny and i can count each vertebrae in my back just by running a finger over the lumps of my spine. What can i do about this? When i use the pad i have it resting in line with the back of my shoulders.
@@mayhulk7514 yeah, ive built up a decent bit of muscle around my upper back/traps so its a lot more manageable, but still use a towel when doing heavy sets.
You just save me 20 bucks i was about to order a foam pad...i do one question of you jave to to reply it would be awesome i had a motorcycle accident a few uears back and didt exercise much after that and i just started to get back on it.i mest up mu wrist and i cant bent it back what do you recoment
I've been doing wrong form this whole time and nobdy told me. I don''t place the bar on my neck, but just below the neck area. My current PR is 80kg (176pounds) however I'm struggling to beat it since the bar felt really heavy ontop of my shoulder area. Does the proper form and technique help me with progressive overload progression?
Stretch and use the pad in the meantime. These idiots may as well have told you that if you have poor shoulder mobility, quit doing squats. Hopefully, you don't have an underlying injury that prevents you from increasing your mobility.
I don’t care what you “experts” say, a bar pad allows me to get through my squats comfortably without having bar discomfort on my upper back and neck area. I understand what you guys are getting at, but as the old saying goes, “to each his/her own”.
I tried to put the bar in several different positions and woke up with bruises all over my back and shoulders. Plus I don't have a squat rack so it's really hard to get the weight into the right spot when you are struggling to hold it
I’m honestly feeling overwhelmed. I’ve been squatting wrong for a year damn near…. And I can’t get this new correct form right at all on the smith machine. I can’t seem to grip the bar and roll it out of the lock position while I have my back scrunched.
If you are having trouble because of the smith machine and don't have access to a squat rack, try Bulgarian split squats instead. ruclips.net/video/JLEyaXRMv8o/видео.html
Thank you. I was this close 🤏🏻 to getting one on amazon. In a class once the instructor said to put the bar on the “meaty” part of our backs. So I thought that was up high 😂
A pad is not going to raise the bar by one inch. Most pads are less than an inch thick and really only raise the bar by 1/8-1/4 inch when loaded and resting on your back. I dont use a pad but I am considering doing so because I have a torn labrum which limits my shoulder mobility. Resting 300+ lbs with no pad directly on my vertibre causing scabs and neck pain after is still significantly less painful than what i feel in my shoulders and raidiate down my arms when attempting to do place the bar lower. So maybe a reasonable pad being used occasionally that prevents pain and damage would be a great suggestion for smaller subset of clients rather than insist its the best option for "all"
Guys, I try to not use a bar pad, but I get headaches a couple hours after heavy squatting without it..Any help? Note: I use the thinnest pad I could find
I tried squatting with the weight just on my shoulders. I'm a fairly thin guy so is basically right on my bones. If I go any lower my hurts a lot and I tried doing the form in this video once, but I woke up with a hurt shoulder blade. I believe this is high-bar position. Is it okay if it's on my shoulders when I'm a thin guy? I do a lot more weight in that position
I got the same problem. Don't worry about people making fun of you. People shouldn't be sorry worried about you using a pad. How is making fun of a person gonna help you make any gains anyways??
@Kris Kross he doesn’t have to show off, majority of people that looked up this video are probably beginners like me looking for advice not muscle low self esteem jerks rubbing it in your face
Just because a pad encourages bad position does not mean that one should not use a pad. Just make sure to have a proper position and then if one still needs a bar pad because of issues with stress concentrations, that is fine.
I have to ask this question. I see Sal and Justin wearing Chucks, from listening to the podcast I get that Adam is the shoe expert. I have never really used squat or dead lifts in my workout but now I am motivated to learn these moves and use them. What shoes would you recommend for these exercise . Plus my gym doesn't really allow bear feet. Thanks.
The top of my neck/back has bones that stick out bad (I'm not skinny, weigh like 190), and no matter where I position the bar it grinds on one of the bones. I usually front squat because of this or use the tampon pad 😭 any ideas??
Hi I used the safety squat bar the other day, and it felt as if it was to high up on my shoulders, do you think the same applies as it sits high it could cause harm to the spine over time.
High or low bar squat has very little to do with your shoulders. The mobility is trainable. It has almost everything to do with your hips. You could try and teach me a low bar squat all day. But my hips simply are not build to low bar squat. However, I could wake up and do an ATG high bar squat on pretty much the first rep. They are also totally different exercises and should not be interchangable. You should always show your clients both ways. Let them test it out and see which of the two feels best for them. If both feel equal always go for the High bar as the main squat since that is a far more natural movement. Training the low bar too much will start limiting the body to properly do a natural squat.
I broke a neck spine disk 3 years ago doing heavy squats with a pad, having the bar high up my neck. Had to go to the hospital and wear a cast for 2 months, and then couldn't workout for half a year. Never done barbell squats since. Be careful people
I've had a pinched nerve in my neck for a while now, got to the point late last week that there was a lot of pain in my neck and my whole left arm was numb/tingling/pain. I just realized it was all self inflicted with a pad and doing high bar squats. Thank you for this comment, I'm sorry about what happened to you. I wasn't using a ton of weight either, being focused on form and going all the way to the ground and trying to stay upright and focus on the quads, been using only 150 pounds.
@Maksud Mehraz I've only been using 150lbs, but I've that damn pad on my neck pretty much as high as I could get it. I've got a pinched nerve now. Sucks really bad.
watching this after feeling a bruise on my neck from squatting in a squat rack for the first time, great tutorial lol
Same buddy 😂
Same lol
Literally the same 🤣
This is exactly why I’m here 😂😂
I feel like a freakin ninja turtle with a big bump on the top of my spine lmao
I always wrapped a towel around the bar, which felt awkward. I'd even considered stopping squats altogether, but I tried your suggestions and it worked great. Because I work out at home with no trainer, information like this is invaluable. Thank you so much.
You're welcome! So glad it was helpful!
I was maxing out in my weight training class yesterday but I couldn’t go farther than 195 because the weight hurt my neck to bad. Super helpful. Thank you
@@tobeymaguire9053 stfu
tfw I'm so damn skinny that if I just use the bar alone, the bar grinds against my spine
;-;
The only way to build up is to start at the bottom. Don't worry about it. The more you squat, the more that area will build up as your body adapts! There are also complementary exercises like the Overhead Press that will assist in building muscle in that area. A good example exercise routine for a day is 5 sets @ 5 reps of Squats, 5 sets @ 5 reps of Overhead Press, then 1 set of 5 reps of Deadlifts. That'll pretty much reach every muscle of your body.
Bro he's talking about his spine, not the shoulder girdle, OHP won't help him that much with protecting his neck/spine.
He needs to build his upperback/traps, mostly traps, so a lot of shrugs, rows & face pulls basicly.
And follow the tips in the video.
Good luck.
Val priceless advice
I'm pretty skinny and used to have this problem. Doing really heavy barbell shrugs once a week built up enough muscle in a couple sessions to not feel it anymore.
I had/still kinda do have this problem and it runs against so much that it causes a dark spot and then now I have a lump now and gone to chiropractor and doctor and nothing has helped
Not everyone wants to primarily activate their posterior chain. Some want to concentrate on quad development and not overemphasis on glutes, so high bar makes sense. This video is pretty incomplete. Bar pads aren't ruining people's squats. If they're placing the bar too high, just tell them to lower it. By the way, Arnold and Tom Platz did high bar and Platz used pads. Platz actually used a towel wrapped most of the time exactly as you ridiculed.
We are speaking to the majority of average people
Just do front squats to isolate the quads more
@@iancordero9431 high bar is perfectly fine. Its just going too high with high bar squats isnt feasible because it will screw up your form and also bruise your neck.
I ALWAYS fall forward with the foam pad and I thought I was just terrible at Squats…this video helped in so many different ways….informative for sure, can’t wait to try it tomorrow
Holding it without the pad I feel comfortable with the lower weights but whenever I go over 100kg I still use it to make it feel better.
Thanks for the tips will try it the next time!
I have solid bar placement but it still hurts I definitely think the bar pad is good, resting 200 pounds on any part of your body with a pole for a combined 20 minutes, it should hurt
It doesn't hurt if you actually know how to place it! Just like guy in the video was saying. Practice how to do a proper form
@@rottentomatoes5171 haha, I commented this almost two years ago haven’t used a Squat Pad in a year unless it’s for hip thrusts I’m pretty sure I was testing it on my neck thay long ago but I was also a lot scrawnier which could be why it hurt
This is awesome real nice. I try to place the bar lower on my back in the same general spot you do but the issue for me is control of the weight, getting centered and wrist and grip placement before the set. With any more than 195 it feels like the weight is going to slide off my back. For me to avoid rounding and shoulders forward I have much more tension on the arms and wrists. I’ll try tensing my back like you show and trying to engage the glutes and core more. Just trying to find the balance for me is tricky. I injured my lower back and have sciatic leg pain because of it. I was progressing with the intention of increasing my squat deadlift and bench for as long as possible. I’m getting treatment for my injury now. Super psyched to get back squatting. Thanks for the video
Makes so much sense I've found using the pad I end trying not to fall forward and stopped doing squats because of this reason! Will give it a try by placing the bar on my mid back and tight against traps. My other problem is when I do squats and I do several sets, I can't increase weight as I start feeling dizzy but I know I can squat higher weights. I feel dizzy and nauseous but on the gravity leg press I'm fine I can overload it.
This video was an eye opener. I am 30 yrs old, been in and out of the gym for years, and about 5'5", 139 lbs... but squats and I have gone head to head. I have whip lash, scoliosis, slipped discs, extra vertebrae etc. So I have to be extra careful. I thought the reason anything over 135lbs hurt my neck is because I was female and my traps weren't big enough so the bar is sitting on my spine that sticks out on my lower neck and would be bruised for days. But y'all mentioned the shoulder flexibility or "rolled forward shoulders" and it all makes sense. I have pretty good posture but that has always been an issue I struggle to correct. Going to try this and see if squats and I don't get on better terms! Super excited!!! Thank you guys for finally making this issue make sense!
I know this was three years ago but did it change Squats for you?
@@chloeleisure8004 Well, it is funny you should mention this now... it is a long and difficult process to correct rolled shoulders... It takes many months and I never quite got through it. I could make excuses but I won't. I plan on trying again. Although, I will say it did start to help as well as active stretching... Hope this helps...
@@brittanyachor6650 thank you! Let me know if what you try or works!
@@chloeleisure8004 Will do but I may stay away from squats all together. If I go back, I will let you know but my back has so many injuries that I have started building routines without them. I will let you know though. Good luck!
2:15. Put the bar there, with the pad = heaven.
I'm really skinny so the bar either sits on my shoulder bones or on a vertebra. Last time I squatted anything heavier than 135 without a pad my shoulder bones were bruised and it hurt to touch them for 3 weeks. My coach told me that there just isn't enough muscle to hold the bar so it sits on my bone no matter what. I think the pad is ok to use seems how my squat has gone up 50 lbs since I've started using it
Yeah, for my high bar hurt my neck, and gave me massive pressure headaches when i pushwd too hard. Low bar solved 90 percent for me. I feel like theres moee ways to isolate quads than others anyways
For this kind of issue then use the trap bar if you have access to it. You have a lift that is similar to squat but you develop your traps better.
I'm skinnier though so it rubs against my spine and it hurts so can I wear a sweatshirt?
Sarcastic Squash I’m late, but if you are still having problems, yes just wear a sweatshirt
The body is the master compensator
I’m finding that when I go into a lower position on my back, it’s indeed more comfortable for my neck and feels more natural for my centre of balance but I get a lot of wrist pain. Any tips for alleviating that?
Have you tried a palm grip? Instead of the classic fingers around the bar, try fingers around along with the thumb around
@Pranav P.A I get the same. Have you got an link to an image ? Can't quite understand what you mean?
Thanks guys! Awesome explanation for a newbie to weighted barbell squats!
Just started weight lifting, this is really helpful
If I have like no back muscle built back yet is a pad okay for the first couple of weeks until I build that up?
I got a pr of 370 lbs with the bar on my spine it was swollen and hurt for like 5 days I was about 1.5-2 inches too high and setting the weight on my neck bump.. study form,study form,study form, study form.., then lift.
Thanks guys been going to the gym for a bout a year, but obviously there was a lockdown in November last year and gyms didn’t reopen till like June, and only really just started to take it a bit more serious, never squatted before today and it hurt my neck so hopefully this helps for next time
Just my thoughts. I agree with all the mobility and positioning stuff you have run through and enjoy the video. I use a pad and have done for a long time. I understand all the centre of balance issues but personally find I can hit the same weight with or without pad and have had little to no injuries from squatting (fingers crossed🤣 ). It’s not a naturally occurring thing in day to day life to load a relatively thin bar with a good deal of weight across your upper back and regardless of muscle bulk around that area some people will feel more or less discomfort regardless of bar position (I believe your nerves that sense pain are just as sensitive on muscled areas as less muscled areas). Hence some people may well struggle concentrating on form due to concentrating on discomfort or pain from the bar pressure and this might ultimately hold back their progress adding resistance or put them off squatting all together. Are there any conclusive studies that show how much the bar pad displaces the bar and adjusts the centre of balance? When thinking about the pad thickness this also will reduce as the weight increases, due to compression and hence the centre of balance offset will also reduce. As I said these are just my thoughts. Regardless, I’m still enjoying your videos 🏋️♂️🙂👍💪
They have no studies and I agree with your points.
I agree. As I was rear ended in an auto accident, had my c5-c6 fused, I have constant pain in the general area. I have to use the padding. Otherwise, I'm locked up in pain after squats. Not trying to miss leg days!
@InsaneFame there isn't a specific study that I have found that goes in to specifically the pros and cons of a neck pad, however, you'll find the study I have attached to this comment goes over the proper mechanics of a back squat and you'll find that no where does it say to use a neck pad, rather to teach proper form by "bending the bar" or placing the bar on the traps. Check it out 👍& happy lifting! www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4262933/
Yesterday, I wrapped a towel around the bar and today my spine is soar. Tomorrow when I do squats again, I won't use a towel and try to hold the bar lower on my back while squeezing my shoulder blades. Thank you so much for this info.
This video helped a lot….i don’t use a bar pad & always put the bar on my neck & causes pain
Glad it was helpful!
I have a pinched nerve in my mid back and I found that a low bar squat tends to trigger it because I need to squeeze my shoulders back more
Im here as a 15 yo, not a year into training yet. Always wondered why I was so shit on squats, filmed form once and realised my form was absolute dogshit this whole 8-9 months😢😂, back rounded as all fuck and bar up my neck, thankfully I haven’t experienced any lower back pains whatsoever. So glad I realised this now
too much left elbow pain so i gave up low bar squatting.. i've always did high bar squats anyways and the bar placement is high on my traps a real high bar.. but now i've found the perfect median lol.. i put the bar on my back at the lowest i can where it's still comfortable for me.. where i won't get elbow pain or need wrist wraps like when i did low bar.. and that placement is in the middle between my high bar and low bar..
I have damaged skin and bruises on my back no matter where I put the bar. Maximum weight I lift is 120kg. Should I use the barpad or is there any other way?
Use the Pad or don't it's up to you. These guys aren't the fitness police.
Do what makes you comfortable and gets results.
@@MrBigBoy4Life i damage my skin even with the pad, i must chose between lifting heavy and damaged skin
Just because these three stooges don't prefer a barbell pad for squats, don't mean jack about whether I or anyone else should use them personally. It also doesn't make a shit bit of difference as to how much you can squat. Nothing worse than two bit RUclipsrs brainwashing gym goers to sip on their asinine Kool-aid. BTW... these are the same three jackasses who made a video saying intermittent fasting is bad for you and has no health benefits 🤡🤡🤡💩
Thanks guys! You saved me a lot of confusion and pain going "what am I doing wrong here..."
Idk when i get up to 400lbs for 15 20 reps for multiple sets wearing a stringer my back gets tore up . After a years my skin was a different color from the scarring like a permanent rash . I bodybuild to look good so i use a pad now. Maybe i should just use a thick sweater and just deal with the heat and sweat
Just realised I've been doing squats wrong for a while 😂 Thanks for the video!
This is so much better my god. Thx for the advice couldnt figure out where to put the damb bar.
I don’t necessarily have pain. My arms just fall asleep after. I always make sure to place the bar good too. When I started using the pad, this went away and I also do way more weight. Any suggestions?
Disregard what the video presenters say and do what works for you.
Disregard this silly video and do what makes you comfortable.
My arms also go numb. It’s a mobility issue in the shoulders. Practice getting into the position more often and just hold it like a stretch without unracking the bar, you can also do shoulder dislocation stretches with a resistance band
High bar has always felt better for me but I totally get how it’s more advanced bc you need to really fire up the leg muscles to remain upright the entire time when squatting. My traps are also pretty big naturally 😂
For me the issue is that after a Hb squat session my neck hurts for days. I surely place it badly. I have to revisit it. Have been squatting low bar for years but now I want to develop a squat a little more upright
these people never experienced being skinny before. I use to be 5'10 130lbs where i was just skin and bone and any placement of the bar would be uncomfortable. At that point i think a bar pad would be reasonable. 170 now and i stopped using a bar pad even though my form hasnt changed because now i have natural cushion.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Really clear concise explanation, I now have renewed confidence, many thanks..
graham howe 👊🏼. Do You listen to the podcast already ?
No, not yet...
graham howe you will love the podcast if you liked the RUclips channel . You can find it on the website : www.mindPumpmedia.com or click the link at the end of our new videos. .
I've found I lean forward MORE with it lower down. I'll keep practicing
the bar has been grinding on my skin on my back and causing pain so i was thinking of getting one of those pads but guess not .. I'll have to adjust the placement
I grew a lump in the top of my spine lol
I use it for bridge thrust only
its been 2 years , i left gym after i got herniated disk in my neck , i was just a teenage, and i had not much guidance or knowledge as i was a total beginner, i always keep heavy weight barbel on my lower neck which led to slip disk , and i feel so ruined, n even i got slip disk on my lower back , i wish i found this video back then
It's been a year brother, how are you doing? I'm sorry what happened to you.
Thanks so much! I can do much more machine weight than free weight squats and now I know how to do this better!
You are so welcome!
I have sensitive skin that bruises and marks easily. That's why I prefer to use a pad, not because it hurts. I truly doubt it makes much of a difference. These guys are just trying to be "macho", which actually can be a pretty dangerous attitude in the gym. btw they got SKINNY LEGS!
My t-shirt chaffs my skin without a pad. It's not so much that it hurts without a pad, but it abrades my skin. I do agree that it's preferable not to have a pad though.
I like to use the SSB (safety squat bar,) very comfortable for me. Wish they would talk about it.
Really learned a lot here, thanks guys!
Holy s*** tried it out today... Game changer! I've been doing it wrong for so long.
Lovin' these video!!! You guys are great at explaining things on the podcast, but a picture/video is worth a thousand words.
Very valuable tips! Thank you!
hi guys ,great video ,what do you think of the safety squat bat , i fractured my spinous process before and dont want to be resting a bar close to it ,any feedback apriceated
With your wrists at literally 90 degrees and very heavy weight right over your spine ill take the advice with a pinch of salt and keep to my own. A bar pad is fantastic to spread the load over more area and as for a changed centre of gravity youll find a weight plate or something an inch or two under your heals stops you bending so far forward and allows a deeper squat
What about a bar pad for hip thrusts? The pressure on the lower abdomen is super intense and I feel like a bar pad is necessary to do heavy weight
Use one for hip thrusts
These fitness gurus are always using these Neck Pads and people out there using it. Saved my sanity because always wanted know.
But what about hip thrusts and zercher squats. With hip thrust it feels like it's resting on a single pressure point which is my pelvic bone, and with Zercher my tendons feel like they're getting absolutely wrecked
Thanks for this
Would you recommend someone with poor ankle mobility or a forward lean in their squat to switch to low bar??
That would definitely be a technique to experiment with if shoulder mobility allows them to
If you want to high bar squat just work on your mobility every night before going to sleep. It only take 2 minutes max. Look up some stretches and do 'em every night, if you stretch your whole body you will feel a lot better when you wake up too.
No.
He has a huge back and shoulders. Im 140 lbs I don't have any shoulder or back for the bar to sit on.
What a clear and good tutorial g r beginner 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
You guys are great. I listen to you on Google play, and i appreciate the information i know and now seeing proper form it helps reinforce the technique of lifting.
btw those Walmart starter short are great. it had me cracking up.
😂
I'm learning to do a smith machine squat. Thanks for the back info, but how far down can you go - to almost sitting position? If so, do you move your feet forward to gain balance for that?
Thank you!
Great advice. Thanks for clearing that up for me.
I think for me my shoulder mobility is an issue making it harder to get good positioning. I had a rotator cuff injury a while back and my left shoulder is too tight rn
does this not hurt people’s wrist when using higher weight?
You guys have a really good channel. Thanks for the education.
So when i lower the barbel it literally is at a point of falling off if i put it on my upper delts. After retracting completely. I have no arm control or arm strength from that angle. A bit higher than dealt just feel like its in the middle of the trap muscle so it hurts. What i do is i set it the highest and it feels comfortable.
Ive been squatting for a few weeks now, and i have been using a barpad. No matter where i put it without a pad, it really grinds on my spine. This is probably because my back is very skinny and i can count each vertebrae in my back just by running a finger over the lumps of my spine. What can i do about this? When i use the pad i have it resting in line with the back of my shoulders.
Use the pad fuck what everyone says. The point is to work your legs, not destroy your spine.
@@mayhulk7514 yeah, ive built up a decent bit of muscle around my upper back/traps so its a lot more manageable, but still use a towel when doing heavy sets.
You just save me 20 bucks i was about to order a foam pad...i do one question of you jave to to reply it would be awesome i had a motorcycle accident a few uears back and didt exercise much after that and i just started to get back on it.i mest up mu wrist and i cant bent it back what do you recoment
Good info to think about. I'm going to not use a pad next time and place the bar differently and give it a try.
I've been doing wrong form this whole time and nobdy told me. I don''t place the bar on my neck, but just below the neck area. My current PR is 80kg (176pounds) however I'm struggling to beat it since the bar felt really heavy ontop of my shoulder area. Does the proper form and technique help me with progressive overload progression?
yes today when implemented this i went from a 105KG squat to a 112.5 KG squat
What are your thoughts on a Buffalo bar.
Is there a way to increase the shoulder mobility for squat position? I have really saw shoulders due to tightness when hold the bar.
Stretch and use the pad in the meantime. These idiots may as well have told you that if you have poor shoulder mobility, quit doing squats. Hopefully, you don't have an underlying injury that prevents you from increasing your mobility.
What about a belt for the waist? Do you guys recommend that?
Jose G. Pizano Good to have one on hand for heavier lifts.
@@MindPumpTV what would you class as a “heavier weight”?
I don’t care what you “experts” say, a bar pad allows me to get through my squats comfortably without having bar discomfort on my upper back and neck area. I understand what you guys are getting at, but as the old saying goes, “to each his/her own”.
I tried to put the bar in several different positions and woke up with bruises all over my back and shoulders. Plus I don't have a squat rack so it's really hard to get the weight into the right spot when you are struggling to hold it
I’m honestly feeling overwhelmed. I’ve been squatting wrong for a year damn near…. And I can’t get this new correct form right at all on the smith machine. I can’t seem to grip the bar and roll it out of the lock position while I have my back scrunched.
If you are having trouble because of the smith machine and don't have access to a squat rack, try Bulgarian split squats instead.
ruclips.net/video/JLEyaXRMv8o/видео.html
Pretty sure Sal's uncle works out at my gym. Looks identical with less hair and mostly gray!!!!!
Thank you. I was this close 🤏🏻 to getting one on amazon.
In a class once the instructor said to put the bar on the “meaty” part of our backs. So I thought that was up high 😂
I get a lot of wrist pain when I squat low-bar, how do I fix this?
Don't bend your wrist like the guy on the video here.
Guys, whats the Song called playing in the background at the beginning of the video 0:50-2:00
thank you so much my neck always hurts, i know now why
A pad is not going to raise the bar by one inch. Most pads are less than an inch thick and really only raise the bar by 1/8-1/4 inch when loaded and resting on your back. I dont use a pad but I am considering doing so because I have a torn labrum which limits my shoulder mobility. Resting 300+ lbs with no pad directly on my vertibre causing scabs and neck pain after is still significantly less painful than what i feel in my shoulders and raidiate down my arms when attempting to do place the bar lower. So maybe a reasonable pad being used occasionally that prevents pain and damage would be a great suggestion for smaller subset of clients rather than insist its the best option for "all"
Thanks good !(from north korea)
Thought y’all couldn’t use the internet
Guys, I try to not use a bar pad, but I get headaches a couple hours after heavy squatting without it..Any help? Note: I use the thinnest pad I could find
I tried squatting with the weight just on my shoulders. I'm a fairly thin guy so is basically right on my bones. If I go any lower my hurts a lot and I tried doing the form in this video once, but I woke up with a hurt shoulder blade. I believe this is high-bar position. Is it okay if it's on my shoulders when I'm a thin guy? I do a lot more weight in that position
I got the same problem. Don't worry about people making fun of you. People shouldn't be sorry worried about you using a pad.
How is making fun of a person gonna help you make any gains anyways??
You know what my bar pad is? My traps!! Gotta build up your own pad
Hehe, but i got no traps
Bully!
@Kris Kross he doesn’t have to show off, majority of people that looked up this video are probably beginners like me looking for advice not muscle low self esteem jerks rubbing it in your face
Just because a pad encourages bad position does not mean that one should not use a pad. Just make sure to have a proper position and then if one still needs a bar pad because of issues with stress concentrations, that is fine.
I have to ask this question. I see Sal and Justin wearing Chucks, from listening to the podcast I get that Adam is the shoe expert. I have never really used squat or dead lifts in my workout but now I am motivated to learn these moves and use them. What shoes would you recommend for these exercise . Plus my gym doesn't really allow bear feet. Thanks.
The Mailman go onto the Nike website and type in deadlifting shoes. They have some awesome shoes which can be used for both squatting and deadlifting.
thanks G
Thanks a lot!! This was definitely helpful!!
I was looking for a better bar pad and came across this. Thanks guys as this makes total sense
Great info. Thx Bros.
i get these red dot rashes on my neck and traps and my sis has horrible TOS so my mum doesnt let me squat
:45 needs a "thats what she said"....... surprised Justin didnt bust it out.
The top of my neck/back has bones that stick out bad (I'm not skinny, weigh like 190), and no matter where I position the bar it grinds on one of the bones. I usually front squat because of this or use the tampon pad 😭 any ideas??
you need the pad for hip thrusts and glute bridges
Really appreciate this vid - thanks!!!
B Amadasun Of course! Thanks for following B
Hi I used the safety squat bar the other day, and it felt as if it was to high up on my shoulders, do you think the same applies as it sits high it could cause harm to the spine over time.
High or low bar squat has very little to do with your shoulders. The mobility is trainable. It has almost everything to do with your hips. You could try and teach me a low bar squat all day. But my hips simply are not build to low bar squat. However, I could wake up and do an ATG high bar squat on pretty much the first rep.
They are also totally different exercises and should not be interchangable.
You should always show your clients both ways. Let them test it out and see which of the two feels best for them. If both feel equal always go for the High bar as the main squat since that is a far more natural movement. Training the low bar too much will start limiting the body to properly do a natural squat.
👊🙌✔👍thnx guys. I would use a towel without the rolling into a pad. So is that bad? Even distribution and just so bar isn't on the skin.
I broke a neck spine disk 3 years ago doing heavy squats with a pad, having the bar high up my neck. Had to go to the hospital and wear a cast for 2 months, and then couldn't workout for half a year. Never done barbell squats since. Be careful people
@Maksud Mehraz it was 110kg. And my own bodyweight back then was about 75-80 kg i think
I've had a pinched nerve in my neck for a while now, got to the point late last week that there was a lot of pain in my neck and my whole left arm was numb/tingling/pain. I just realized it was all self inflicted with a pad and doing high bar squats. Thank you for this comment, I'm sorry about what happened to you. I wasn't using a ton of weight either, being focused on form and going all the way to the ground and trying to stay upright and focus on the quads, been using only 150 pounds.
@Maksud Mehraz I've only been using 150lbs, but I've that damn pad on my neck pretty much as high as I could get it. I've got a pinched nerve now. Sucks really bad.
Adding Fantasy to my gym playlist 😂
What if I have no traps