Improtant Hi Bar Back Squat Question

[ithryn]

What do you do about the part where the bar is mashing into either your seventh cervical vertebra or into your upper traps and it, uh, well, hurts

[ithryn]

Asking for a friend obv

Not that I'd ever be friends with a high barrer

[cwd]

If the bar is resting on bones, you should move it.

Contact area on my traps is about the same size as the contact area on rear delts for low-bar.
HB was uncomfortable the first time I tried it, but I got used to it quickly.

Looking at your log, you are stronger than I am, I'm sure your traps are big enough to keep the bar off your spine!

[TimK]

Yeah it sounds like you have it too high. I squat high bar and the only time I feel anything uncomfortable is if my form goes to shit and I round my upper back and the bar rolls up my neck. It normally sits right below my 7th cervical vertebrae. Pull your shoulder blades back and get your grip in as close as you can to make a nice meaty shelf for it.

[chromoly]

There's a few places you can rest the bar when you high bar squat. Personally, I prefer to have the bar right above the spine of the scapula (as opposed to my low bar position being right below the spine of the scapula). The bar could be higher up that that, but as TimK said, you gotta really pull your shoulders together to make a meat shelf for the bar.

[BenM]

Ahhh how timely. I have to do that workout tomorrow too and last time I high bar squatted I had the same problem!

Thanks for the tips guise. I may pass out from exhaustion (it’s sets of 10) but hopefully my neck won’t hurt.

[Les]

There's a few places you can rest the bar when you high bar squat. Personally, I prefer to have the bar right above the spine of the scapula (as opposed to my low bar position being right below the spine of the scapula). The bar could be higher up that that, but as TimK said, you gotta really pull your shoulders together to make a meat shelf for the bar.

This is where I put my high bar as well. It is actually pretty comfortable. It sits on the back of my traps/on top of the spine of the scapula.

[ithryn]

Yeah it's possible I wasn't making enough of a meat shelf. I kept my normal squat hand width on the bar.

I also had this idea it had to be all up on the neck, but at did the sets it seemed I could stay fairly upright and still have it on my shoulders.

My quads are dead today like the first day of an SS LP so I guess I did something right! Thanks

[tersh]

I enjoy how many times the words "meat shelf" appeared in this thread. Also, good cues stored for high barring.

[Root]

I enjoy how many times the words "meat shelf" appeared in this thread.

Me too. Sounds like a delicious shelf.

[BenM]

It was ringing in my ears when I squatted on Sunday. ‘meat shelf’ - shoulders back and tight. Was much better than last time I high bar squatted. My quads are still hurting though.

[chromoly]

It was ringing in my ears when I squatted on Sunday. ‘meat shelf’ - shoulders back and tight. Was much better than last time I high bar squatted. My quads are still hurting though.

Ah, well, it's soreness and not pain right?

Also, a more general note about high bar-- I think many people can get their grip in closer for high bar than low bar. I would suggest as close as you can, so that your --ahem-- meat shelf is tighter and more delicious

[BenM]

It was ringing in my ears when I squatted on Sunday. ‘meat shelf’ - shoulders back and tight. Was much better than last time I high bar squatted. My quads are still hurting though.

Ah, well, it's soreness and not pain right?

Also, a more general note about high bar-- I think many people can get their grip in closer for high bar than low bar. I would suggest as close as you can, so that your --ahem-- meat shelf is tighter and more delicious

Yes - just soreness. All good. I kinda like being sore after lifting, even though I know it's not indicative of hypertrophy, it does mean there's been a decent stimulus that my body isn't used to.

Noted on the narrowness of grip. You are probably right. Also, I think it's easier to keep that upper back tightness through the lift due to the back angle staying more vertical.

[strega]

What do you do about the part where the bar is mashing into either your seventh cervical vertebra or into your upper traps and it, uh, well, hurts

Yu could give this a shot, Manta Ray

https://goo.gl/PNnEiK

[cwd]

I use a very narrow grip for HB squats, and let my wrists over-extend. My hands are nearly relaxed, very little force is needed on the bar.

[mbasic]

What do you do about the part where the bar is mashing into either your seventh cervical vertebra or into your upper traps and it, uh, well, hurts

Yu could give this a shot, Manta Ray

https://goo.gl/PNnEiK

I dont think anyone needs that device.

But its interesting to note, that this puts the bar much higher, increasing effectively the length of your torso.
Good be good or bad, depending what you're going after. Moment arms and torso angle and whatnot.
#1- is physically a higher point than whats normal for HBBS (per the picture in the ad).
#2- the bar pressure is being spreadout now, so the bar is not going to sink into your flesh as much.

[cwd]

I think mwhities used the manta ray for a while, before figuring out the technique for HB squatting with just one arm.

[strega]

I dont think anyone needs that device.

But its interesting to note, that this puts the bar much higher, increasing effectively the length of your torso.
Good be good or bad, depending what you're going after. Moment arms and torso angle and whatnot.

I not really sure anyone needs any device.




I’m 58 and about a year or so back I bought one of these. I was having a lot of issues with flexibility for getting under the bar via the “Rip” method. The bar helps but it shifts the weight so much it’s like a front squat. Finally, I had an apophony of sorts, I just stop worrying about if it was a low bar squat or a high bar squat. I traded them both in for getting under the bar as best I can given my age and flexibility. So I’ve not used the Yoke bar in about year and I just squat with a normal bar.

[cwd]

Same here. I do a bit of stretching aimed at eventually getting my shoulder ROM back enough to do low-bar again. But mostly I'm OK with high bar.

[ithryn]

Lol, I tried to high bar today but unwisely it was after shrugs. Ouch.

I already have a pretty narrow grip on the back squat but I can pull it in more.

Are you holding the bar much with your hands? It seems like people do thumbs-around more and their elbows are more under the bar, so I assume some weight is supported there. No?