More Frequent Squatting, High Bar Stylee

[Dastardly]

. I am doing fives now with 242 lbs. Anyone here competing in powerlifting with high-bar? Or should I simply learn to do low-bar and forget about high-bar?

Use the style which is most effective for you. Remember that powerlifting does not require you to go more than parallel, and often barely that.

You can use super wide stances and different types of gear and you may want to adapt your style to get the most out of that.

[Matti]

[QUOTE=Dastardly;155137]Use the style which is most effective for you. Remember that powerlifting does not require you to go more than parallel, and often barely that.QUOTE]

Thanks. It is more the bar slipping down too much on my back I'm worried about in the low-bar squat. This far I still only build the basics but probably during this winter I have to start trying to get to 150 KG, (.... about 330 lbs right?) for singles. I'll try and keep it raw also if there are meets in that category around here. About 190-200 KG for a raw squat (employed family-man class) would be a good long-term goal, if I can keep my weight at 82 KG.

[lanky]

Gary,

Ever see this video of an old seminar by Dan John? Made me think about the squat a bit differently.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...1301858251744#

[Dastardly]

Thanks. It is more the bar slipping down too much on my back I'm worried about in the low-bar squat.

You only have to do one rep a time in a competition, even if your bar position sucks, for one rep you should be able to hold it.

Some good advice here:

http://squatrx.blogspot.com/2010/02/...squatting.html

[Matti]

You only have to do one rep a time in a competition, even if your bar position sucks, for one rep you should be able to hold it.

Some good advice here:

http://squatrx.blogspot.com/2010/02/...squatting.html

Hmmm.. It maybe would pay off doing both, one week high and the next low, or high when doing deads after and low when doing power cleans after. Thanks a lot, I'll have a look.

[msingh]

You only have to do one rep a time in a competition, even if your bar position sucks, for one rep you should be able to hold it.

Some good advice here:

http://squatrx.blogspot.com/2010/02/...squatting.html

He says:

Me: Your elbows need to be under the bar. Keep the chest out and drive the elbows forward as you rise out of the hole.

Internet Acquaintance: Under the bar? I thought the cue was elbows up! isn't elbows under the bar referring to a High-bar squat?

Me: I can only guess what you mean by "elbows back and up", and if you're like most people who I've seen doing this (and like the pic above), you are cranking the elbows skyward behind you, internally rotating the crap out of your shoulders, and making it a lot harder to maintain proper thoracic spine extension. If so, watch my video again, then reread Rip's chapter on the squat, paying closer attention to elbow positioning in the pictures.

What exactly does this mean? Are the elbows physically moving forward or is that just a cue? i'd like to try this since my biceps get stupidly fatigued after squats that it detracts from subsequent upperbody work.

Also i thought the logic behind 'elbows up' was so that the joints dont get loaded or some other anatomically mumbojumbo that Gary Gibson can explain, and blowd can understand. I'll also like to know why we're told to put elbows up if that apparently causes problems to elbows and biceps?

[blowdpanis]

I never really got the shove the elbows under the bar cue. To me it feels awful, and doesn't help the mechanics at all. For that matter, I can't fathom how shoving the elbows forward somehow helps thoracic extension. In fact, most people I see do this have WEAKER thoracic extension than people who use elbows up.

[Paul Sousa]

I never really got the shove the elbows under the bar cue. To me it feels awful, and doesn't help the mechanics at all. For that matter, I can't fathom how shoving the elbows forward somehow helps thoracic extension. In fact, most people I see do this have WEAKER thoracic extension than people who use elbows up.

I interpret it to be the same as trying to wrap the bar around your back, which is a cue I picked up from someone at EFS (Pegg or Wendler I think). It helped me alot to keep my upper back tight. I could be way off base though, and if so then I don't get it at all.

[Kate]

I interpret it ["drive the elbows forward" or "elbows under the bar"] to be the same as trying to wrap the bar around your back, which is a cue I picked up from someone at EFS (Pegg or Wendler I think).

Well, I'm working out now (reading here between sets), and I've just been trying the "wrap the bar around your back" cue. It's interesting to experiment with, but either I don't quite understand it & am doing it wrong, or it just doesn't work for me.

I think there was a discussion of elbow/arm position a while back here (don't remember when, or what thread), and I tried the elbow-forward thing then, too. Only result was that I had a harder time keeping the bar in place (it wanted to roll down my back).

I might not know what the heck I'm talking about here, but my guess is that (for me, anyway) "elbows back" still works the best -- and that it's possible to keep elbows back, to maintain thoracic extension, while *not* swinging them *up* (like chicken wings, or something) and shrugging your shoulders.

Does that make any sense?

Gonna go experiment with another set now... although at this point, I'm a little sore, so prolly won't be able to feel how much extension I am, or am not, getting. Hazards of working out at home, w/no training partner or coach. Ehn.

[jameson]

The elbows down cue is another way of saying chest up. It's a cue not to be taken literally. Two different ways of saying the same thing. Anecdotally, watch how the guys who recommend "elbows down" squat. Assuming they're LB mid-stance squatting, they'll look very similar to how you guys/gals squat.

Don't think of it as moving your arms to get your elbows down - get into position prior to lifting your chest. Observe your elbow position. Now lift your chest up, and watch what happens to your elbows. As you do this, you'll also notice "wrapping the bar around your back."