In this video, Alan Thrall compares the High Bar Squat and the Low Bar Squat. Differences, advantages, disadvantages, challenges. Alan answers the popular question: "High bar/Low bar which style is better?"
I've always more naturally fell in to a low bar squat without really thinking about it. I also have always been really good at deadlifting. It all makes sense now.
I have been lifting for general fitness and strength for two decades and your 9 minute video has provided more insight into proper squat technique than all the advice and feedback I've received over the years. Much appreciated!
Low bar is best because it's what I do. I must defend the process I invest my time and and try to convince everyone it's best. Also I can lift more low bar which impresses my fellow flat brim hat wearing cohorts at the gym. Wait, why do we wear flat brims at the gym? Who cares , I do it there for you should too. It's cool.
Rafaello Fareday I agree. used to do this all the time! To bad I can't do FS after I hurt my wrist. Okay I suppose I can do a cross grib (or whatever you call it) I just don't like it as well as the olympic grib. Don't fell safe. Mostly doing HB and only LB on my heavy day once a week :)
I always try to perform ATG every time when low bar squatting unless it's really heavy weights. I have seen great results on my quad. learning so much on improving my squat and deadlift from your videos. thanks for the quality and non boring videos.
@@Oly1y How so is it a "poor deadlift"? Your statement doesn't make any sense and therefore has no value. I don't see any lifting off the ground motion regarding low bar squat, I mean you have the barbell on your back and you're push it with your legs which makes it a pushing exercise not pulling one which you said it is.
For the last couple of months, any time I have had a question about lifting, Alan has had an answer. It is most often clear, to the point, well-reasoned, and still makes room for a healthy dash of humour. I'm loving your vids, mate. Thanks for dropping the knowledge!
Learned a lot from this video and your channel thus far. I'm 62 and just restarting flexibility movement training. I'm in pretty decent shape, retired Marine with no injuries. Thanks Alan for your no bullshit methods.
Thanks for another great video man. I've been doing only low bar squats for over a year, but I think you've convinced me to switch to high bar because I also do deadlifts. This is so informative really helped me. I think you have the best strength channel on youtube, keep em coming!
Used several of these cues (this video and 'Fixing Your Squat") this a.m. with my CrossFit classes. As always Alan your videos are entertaining, funny as shit, well edited, and most importantly...honest, logical, anatomically-referenced, broad-based, interesting, relevant, consistent, and accurate. I know this video is over 1 yr old now but it will stand the test of time. Thanks for all you do man!
I really love watching all your videos. Especially this one I'm about to start the stronglifts 5x5 and I'm really worried about the squatting part of it cause I was born with clubfoot and now as a adult in my 30s I have really bad ankles and have even had to get a ankle fusion on my left ankle but I really want to work out and get stronger and more muscle. So watching this video gives me some hope that I will be able to at least do the low bar squats. Thanks again.
Great in depth video. I came to the end with no questions left to ask! Great delivery of information keep up the good work, first time viewer but won't be the last. subbed!
Hi Alan: I watched 3 videos and thanks for helping correct the forms for squatting and deadlifting. sitting in the office all day, i need to train 4/5 days a week. you're very knowledgeable and know your stuff. Great work here! I'll switch to high bar because my squat is the same as my low bar squat. I definitely noticed a difference with the quads with the squat. Last, you're funny as hell! I'm sure you're inspiring a lot of people. Ferdie
Super super helpful, thank you! I think I've been holding the bar in high position but sending my hips back like for a low bar squat. Will clean it up next time. :)
This is the best video I've found on the topic of low bar vs. high bar squats. Another kick-ass vid, man. I personally stick with the low bar squats for my heavy workouts because they allow me to load more weight onto the bar. I do, however, incorporate lighter front squats as an assistance exercise to target the quads as you described in this great video. Thanks, Allen.
Good thing I watched this video... I have been doing high bar the same way I do low bar, except for bar position of course. I thought the knees were supposed to remain stationary as seen in the low bar portion of the video. Lol you really do learn something new every day.
MrTheSlash3r hes feet are a bit wider on the low bar ( ya i know the vid was cut but look close) but for someone people they still manage to have an upright posture. guess its experience and strength
nice video! Most people will try to avoid explicitly saying which one is better, but you have the gut to give a clear answer. I did low bar for some time and when switched to high bar, man it is totally different. I feel more in control, and it enhances my mobility and stability. Also ATG high bar squat is a quick fix to any ego problems....
The68VeeDub low bar hands on bar placement really bugs my shoulder joints. I usually do high bar but would like to figure out a way where the low bar squat won't effect me like that
Watched alots of vids on trainings. I have to say i really like your training demo and your explanations are clear and precise......and at times quite funny too. Totally awesome. Thanks buddy
Low-bar = wrist/elbow explosion for me. Never got the damn thing to work right. The biggest con about high-bar is that it made my quads so big I had to widen my deadlift grip
Haha what a shame, your quads are too big. I know this is an old comment, but jokes aside, have you considered trying sumo deadlifts? It would solve this problem and they are better for quad-dominant people. Just a suggestion.
Brah I had the same problem. Yesterday I reached my 190lbs low bar squat and it was brutal to my wrist. Breathing was challenged, and I tend to end the lift faster because it hurts bad. I was always told to do low bar because it's the real shit. Now I watched Alan, Imma have me some highbar and some really nice quads.
Just MEGA helpful thank you Alan, fantastic information I was so confused before but now I get it very clearly. Back to High Bar Squats and Deadlifts days for me! I was trying to Low Bar Squat since a few weeks because I thought it was "better" and I was just flailing all over the place, leaning forward, failing reps on 3/5 sets. High bar squats feel so much more natural to engage the quads on the way up I can really feel the whole leg engage. Thanks again for your work. Dave B
I've basically been low bar squatting forever because my first exposure to lifting was Rippetoe's starting strength. It feel so natural that high bar seems like a different language. What I've started doing recently is using the front squat and the safety bar squat as accessories, I think it's just better to do everything unless you're training for a specific sport but even then nothing wrong with changing it up and trying new things. good video you've got a new subscriber :D
***** I used to only highbar then I realized that contrary to what some say is a myth, a person can definitely squat heavier by getting a good low bar technique. but then I stopped high bar and my quads got weaker. when I went back to try hb it felt so weird that I felt like I was doing a front squat from being so much more up right. I agree definitely incorporate both of them in your training. im not shit talking this guy in the vid but I don't know why he made it seem as if you should choose between them. getting a strong low bar can benefit anybody that wants to get stronger for and reason
steve k He never out right side not to do both. He was asked to chose one and his reason for choosing high bar was that the deadlift (assuming you are deadlifting) will hit the muscles that the high bar does not and if you are deadlifting, the high bar will hit muscles the lowbar does not target as much. So for the general population that are deadlifting as well, he suggests the high bar is the way to go to better hit the hip hinge and squat movements
Great vid! I never really thought about how different these types of squats were mechanically, thanks for the great information. Would love to hear your take on high bar vs front squat. Personally I think front squats are far superior to any back squat to increase leg strength.
Allan, what a wonderful instructional video. You really have a natural knack for describing objectively the process of weightlifting. I learned quite a bit, please keep up the good work, and thank you.
This video just taught me that I've been doing low bar squats in a high bar position for probably close to two years.... Poor flexibility has been a bane.
Now that Alan is a certified SSC I would love to hear his opinion / review on this video. SS primary focus is on low bar so much so that it states that its actually the only form of squats.
I wondered the same thing. Then I realized he answered this just last week. Here you go ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UFs6E3Ti1jg.html
Man why the hell has it taken 15yrs of my ametuer ass lifting for someone to explain this too me. No wonder I fatigue hard when I squat (have always done low bar) and deadlift heavy in the same week sessions! Do you do custom programs for people?
thank u sooo kuch +Alan Thrall , i often do th high bar squat nd people say i m doing wrng. ....... so i was searching fr dis whole tym nd jumped onto ur video,, now ihave no queries left !!!!!! thank u soooo much
Thanks for explaining so clearly! It seems I'm not a high bar candidate due to tight ankles. I was wondering why my squats never get as deep as others seem to be able to go! Maybe I can work on that now that I know what the issue is
+incogenator same - if you find a way let me know. I have one funky hip too so that doesn't help either. AND I have a somewhat weaker core & pelvic tilt issues going on which gives me even more issues due to tight hamstrings- basically the whole back side of my legs are tight. My trainer sometimes puts a foam riser under my heels for certain types of squats like plié squats which helps my mobility a lot. But I hope there's some posture correction stretches or training that can be done.
Yeah I have tight ankles and anterior pelvic tilt, and left hip is just bad for some reason (never injured I guess it's a genetic defect). I found I can do the weights under the heel trick to squat deeper & improve posture, but I find my knees then get upset when I go past 90 degrees 😖 oh well maybe I was just not meant to go ass to grass. I've been finding non-squat or modified squat moves to work my legs. RDLs, step ups, side squats, plié squats, back lunges (but not front lunges), glute kick backs, glute bridges, hiking, stair climber, etc.
Great video Alan - you dropped several knowledge bombs, all of which have blown me away! I personally low bar squat and conventional deadlift as I am a keen power lifter and sprinter, therefore I focus on strengthening my posterior chain to get stronger in my max squat and deadlift and also to sprint faster. I incorporate front squats to train the natural squatting motion and to strengthen and build my quads. High bar back squats have injured my hip flexors previously! Thanks a lot for the video, looking forward to more content from you. From South West, UK.
hold the phone hold the phone. so youre telling me that if I squat low Bar ass to grass I can activate my quads just as much as I would in a high Bar squat???!!! if that's true we have just found an amazing hybrid squat
Im a 15 year old female, and i want to try leg day for the first time i ever go to the gym. But the thing is i dont know if the hand/feet placement has to specifically go somewhere. Can I get any hepp
I just switched to high bar from low bar squatting and love it. I can't move as much weight, but fuck it, I'm not 25 anymore. Bottom line is, my quads a growing like weeds and my back feels 100x better the next day.
Hey dude, awesome video, learning loads from your channel. Just in relation to your comment on torque forces in the lumbar spine. Torque is a rotational force. In relation to squatting we create torque and therefore stability through our rotating muscles in our hips and shoulders (external rotation). Shearing force is the force transmitted through the lumbar spine when the bar is in front of the mid foot. When two opposing forces (weight of barbell(down) vs vertical force generated by lifter) in the same plane of movement(sagittal in regards to squatting) are misaligned, shearing force occurs (posterior herniation of intervertebral disc in lumbar spine). Keep up the good work! Peace!
I did ATG high bar for years, past couple months I've swapped to low bar at a couple inches above ATG. High bar is garbage in comparison. Make the swap bro.
Been doing 99% LBS. Definitely got stronger, weight and plates went up. I really doubt my quads grew much or at all. I'll switch up to HBS, though I'll be starting from scratch with them.
***** No. I'm 6'8", and getting that low at high weight is not doable just yet. Parallel is good for me. And stance too wide? Nope. A little more than shoulder width to get parallel.
Daniel McIsaac I did the same thing. got better at low bars and started using them for all heavy sets. only used hb for warming up. I went back to trying hb with decent weight for sets of what I would consider high reps, and my quads were mo fuckin weak as they've been in a long time. so, back to reps with hb until the quads get back in the game. and then I can mix up the two
I do low-bar, but I agree with you to a point. You said that people who are getting into general fitness should do HB. I don't think so. Poeple who are getting to general fitness need to get as strong as possible, put some muscle on, start moving. They should do low bar, 'cause it's less requiring in terms of mobility. You said it yourself, squatting low bar style puts more muscle on. You should do low bar for muscle, if you're starting lifting, and front squat for your posture, quads, mobility. Front Squat is better than HB squat for posture, because you can fuck up technique on HB and still perform a lift, but you can't fuck up technique on FS and perform the lift.
What about for tall people? I'm 6ft 6 and have been told by someone who studies weightlifting that for tall people the lowbar squat is better. I do was to grass squats as well and have found that lowbar squating has improved my motivation tonsquat as well as I am finding it far more comfortable. I'm a discus thrower s squatting is a big part of my training.
Andrew Bowsher I am 6'6 as well and have been doing high bar. Reached 140kg PR at 91kg bw. Work on the form and ankle mobility. Also add posterior chain work such as RDL's and hip thrusts
