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
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 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
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 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
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.
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/
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?
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.
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
graham howe you will love the podcast if you liked the RU-vid channel . You can find it on the website : www.mindPumpmedia.com or click the link at the end of our new videos. .
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.
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
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.
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
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 RU-vidrs 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 🤡🤡🤡💩
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
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
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.
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”.
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
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 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.
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..
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.
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
@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
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 😂
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.
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'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 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 don't agree! So incomplete information and out of context as other reviewers mention. And what a misogynist comment "tampon bar". Any way stupid comment and bias information, what a waste of time!
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.
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.
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
Why would you make a video using a towel? I've never seen anyone use a towel for a bar pad. Thinner people need the pad to protect the spine from injury.
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
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.
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.
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"
What complete nonsense. None of you guys look lile you even train legs. If you want a deeper squat and more upright squat, what you need to fix is the mobility in your hips and ankles, not your damn bar placement. Olympic lifters would cringe watching this video. Concerning your "clients", you're just robbing them if you think youre a good coach by taking the easy way out. Teach people how to stretch and open up teir hips and ankles so they properly learn to sit within their frame when squatting. Youre all just abunch of average bro lifters, typical personal trainers at commercial gyms.
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.
