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Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:24 am
by mgil
Rogue and EliteFTS are about the same price and look similar.

Titan looks to be no good based on geometry.

What are the other brands to consider?

Pics/GearPr0n would be nice.

Thanks in advance!

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:27 am
by Manveer
I like mine from Black Widow. It weighs 45 lbs so you don't have to do funny plate math. Standard collars are a bit big though. I use the screw type collars with that bar.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:02 am
by GrizzlyAdam
I have the EliteFTS and love it, but the consensus on the internet seems to be that Crepinsek is the best. From what I've read the Rogue pad is less comfortable, and the Titan is junk.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:23 am
by murphyreedus
GrizzlyAdam wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:02 am From what I've read the Rogue pad is less comfortable,
I have the Rogue and can confirm that it's much wimpier than the pad on my buddy's EliteFTS Spider bar, which I'm guessing is similar to the Yoke's pad. Standard collars fit on the Rogue. I still like it well enough, though the last sale on Yoke bars was tempting.

Brian Alsruhe uses the Rogue, if gear footage is needed:






I'll also add that the Edge Fitness bar seems to have OK reviews and is on sale for $289 shipped right now. I have no experience with it.

http://www.edgefitnessystems.com/yoke-ss-bar.html

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:36 am
by Skid
https://www.fitnessavenue.ca/olympic-safety-squat-bar

I have the Amstaff SSB which is very inexpensive. The balance is good (no hands required), the pads are nice and firm, it fits any rack and the sleeves work with spring collars. It has bronze bushings which rotate nicely. Quite frankly I don't know how they make any money on it. The only negative is that collars have to be used as the sleeves are very slick and the weights will slide off otherwise. Weight is 50 pounds (I weighed it).

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:39 am
by Wilhelm
Skid wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:36 am https://www.fitnessavenue.ca/olympic-safety-squat-bar

I have the Amstaff SSB which is very inexpensive. The balance is good (no hands required), the pads are nice and firm, it fits any rack and the sleeves work with spring collars. It has bronze bushings which rotate nicely. Quite frankly I don't know how they make any money on it. The only negative is that collars have to be used as the sleeves are very slick and the weights will slide off otherwise.
Wow! this exactly the question i was going to ask after watching that video.
$300 or $400 is way more than i can spend though.
Seems like ssb squats are a huge "bang for the buck" variation

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:41 am
by Skid
Wilhelm wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:39 am
Skid wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 9:36 am https://www.fitnessavenue.ca/olympic-safety-squat-bar

I have the Amstaff SSB which is very inexpensive. The balance is good (no hands required), the pads are nice and firm, it fits any rack and the sleeves work with spring collars. It has bronze bushings which rotate nicely. Quite frankly I don't know how they make any money on it. The only negative is that collars have to be used as the sleeves are very slick and the weights will slide off otherwise.
Wow! this exactly the question i was going to ask after watching that video.
$300 or $400 is way more than i can spend though.
Seems like ssb squats are a huge "bang for the buck" variation
Considering all the squat variations, SSB's are my favorite as they are the most comfortable to do. Not just on my back, but knees, hips everything...

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:05 am
by gtl
I have the Edge Fitness Systems. I think it was $265 shipped last Black Friday.

If money weren't an issue, I'd probably get the Crepinsekl or EliteFTS SS Yoke bar.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2017 2:00 pm
by ShuggyBear
I have an older Elite FTS Yoke Bar, I believe Elite makes the best SSB. This review might help you decide.

http://garagegymlab.com/elitefts-safety ... ar-review/

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:53 pm
by Wilhelm
So it looks like the Edge and the Black Widow don't have spinning sleeves. Am i seeing that right?

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:56 pm
by Hamburgerfan
I've used a couple of SSBs and I can't remember ever noticing if they had spinning collars. Not sure that it would really matter, as the bar is going to tilt forward anyway.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:57 pm
by murphyreedus
Wilhelm wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:53 pm So it looks like the Edge and the Black Widow don't have spinning sleeves. Am i seeing that right?
You don't need the sleeves to spin on an SSB.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:59 pm
by Wilhelm
Thanks.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 3:02 pm
by Idlehands
Rogues doesn’t have spinning sleeves either. I never noticed the pad being uncomfortable.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:46 pm
by Skid
Nikipedia wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2018 11:38 am I think hijacking this thread might be better than creating a new one.

I've seen more and more people switch over to SSB very recently. What motivated you do to so? Shoulder health? Or simply as assistance work for your barbell squats?
To me it feels like something in between a high bar squat and a front squat. It seems to target the quads better than back squats. That and the bar is very comfortable to use.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:57 pm
by murphyreedus
I usually use the SSB (and occasionally Spider bar) for squatting. I only rarely use a straight bar. I don't powerlift, but I might try some strongman in the future, and it's fairly well regarded amongst real strongman folks. It's a tough movement if one doesn't cheat it, doesn't beat my shoulders/elbows up, and the bar itself offers a lot of variety besides back squat: front squat, lunges, good mornings, etc.

Plus, I like being a Special Snowflake who is too delicate and precious to squat without a little pillow on my back.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:29 pm
by psmith
There was a period where squatting with a straight bar bothered my groin and squatting with an SSB didn't, so I moved over to the SSB for a while.

Front squatting probably would've worked fine, but I couldn't be bothered to get a decent rack position.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:34 pm
by ShuggyBear
I have used an Elite FTS Yoke Bar (SSB) for many years. For me, it is harder than squatting with s straight bar.
It is one of the better investments I have made. I consider the SSB a key piece of equipment for a home gym.

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:44 pm
by mbasic
mgil wrote: Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:24 am Rogue and EliteFTS are about the same price and look similar.

Titan looks to be no good based on geometry.

What are the other brands to consider?

Pics/GearPr0n would be nice.

Thanks in advance!
I get ads for a new one you can clock/adjust the camber.

I think Duffin endorses.

https://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl ... h%2Fx%2Fim

Re: Safety Squat Bars

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2018 1:53 pm
by mgil
Almost $200 more