High Bar Check

[BostonRugger]

I’ve been working on high bar the past few weeks now that I’ll be mostly bench/dead focused for a few months. They were pretty low-bar-ish at first, but now they look fine to me.

So, athletic and aesthetic? Or should I be gagged with a potato for this heresy?

[mgil]

You’re squatting with low bar mechanics. Old habits die hard. You’ll need to shove your knees farther forward.

[JohnHelton]

I think they look fine to me, but I don't care that much about form if it works. If you are trying to hammer your quads more, then you might think about focusing on using them more out of the hole. Easy to stay hip dominate as a low-bar squatter. Bringing the knees a bit forward would probably force a greater use of the quads.

[BostonRugger]

You’re squatting with low bar mechanics. Old habits die hard. You’ll need to shove your knees farther forward.

Harumph.

I’ll keep fiddling with it. Might have to adjust my stance. As-is it feels like I’m at the limits of my ankle flex and trying to get my knees forward takes all of me forward onto my toes.

I’ll be back next week with the next attempt.

[JohnHelton]

If you run out of ankle mobility and are already wearing lifters, then I'm not sure you can get your knees further forward. I still think it looks pretty good. I have been told that I lift low-bar with a high-bar form. I don't really give a shit.

[mbasic]

I thought they were ok. Main thing is to use your legs (quadz) more than you do in LB....so if that is getting done so be it.

Some of the reps in the middle/end I can kinda see the low-bar in you wanting to take over.
2nd rep head starts to tilt down a bit, etc.
But that expected I guess.
Maybe look up and think 'chest up' like a front squat, to stay out of your hips (as much).

I wish the plates and shadows were not in the way....I'd like to see your feet (no homo).

[asdf]

Bar placement looks on the low side of high-bar. Maybe higher than when you were low-barring, but it doesn't appear to be resting on the top of your traps. Not saying that you have to move it up, just that given your placement, your torso might incline farther forward, and your hips travel farther back, and your knees travel less far forward, than if the bar were up on your traps.

Squat without a bar, ass-to-grass, arms out in front of you like a zombie, torso as upright as possible, and see how far your knees travel forward. That's going to be the end range of knee travel given your anthropometry. While you're down there, play with your stance. Distance between heels and amount of toe-out. Find the position that's comfortable and keeps your hips as close to your heels as possible.

Also, pay attention to your knees when coming out of the hole. On the later reps, your knees and hips move back (shifting the work from your knees to your hips). Aita would say that you need to keep your knees forward out of the hole.

All that said... What's your goal? Your squats look fine to me. If you really want to emphasize quads and be able to stand up heavy cleans, front squat.

[edited to fix two typos]

[mgil]

If you really want to emphasize quads and be able to stand up heavy clean, front squat.

+1

[BostonRugger]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I’ll work on the form pointers, probably starting with bar placement and moving on down from there.

All that said... What's your goal? Your squats look fine to me. If you really want to emphasize quads and be able to stand up heavy clean, front squat.

Goal is to make my quads bigger and stronger while supporting my deadlift progress and having a bit of fun.

I might mix in some front squats in the months ahead too.

[mgil]

Front squats on DL focus days work fairly well.

[FredM]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I’ll work on the form pointers, probably starting with bar placement and moving on down from there.

All that said... What's your goal? Your squats look fine to me. If you really want to emphasize quads and be able to stand up heavy clean, front squat.

Goal is to make my quads bigger and stronger while supporting my deadlift progress and having a bit of fun.

I might mix in some front squats in the months ahead too.

Squat like an Oly lifter then. Or an instagram chick (staring at yourself in the mirror). I.E... LOOK AHEAD.

Bar might also be a little low on your back. Hard to tell cause you're a lot more muscular than me lol.